Patent ID: 8555786

Claim:
A machine for renovating a track composed of rails and crossties and resting on a ballast bed, the machine comprising: devices for removing old crossties and placing new crossties, the new crossties having a given crosstie length; an endless excavating chain with a transverse chain segment provided for taking up ballast, said transverse chain segment having a given length that is shorter than said given crosstie length of the new crossties; and a ballast plow configured for creating a graded support surface for placement of the new crossties, said ballast plow being disposed, with respect to a longitudinal machine axis, between said transverse chain segment of said excavating chain and said device for placing the new crossties, and said ballast plow having a width, extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal machine axis, greater than said given crosstie length of the new crossties.