Patent ID: 7162327

Claim:
A method of distribution of materials along a railroad, said method comprising: a. With respect to a section of railroad track, identifying at least one use location in proximity to the railroad track at which a quantity of materials is required to be used; b. Using at least one drop location detection module capable of communicating with a central location database and capable of determining the location of the drop location detection module in relation to the railroad track, determining and capturing the coordinates of each use location in relation to the railroad track; c. Recording each set of use location coordinates to the central location database; d. Using a location selection software component, and based upon the use location coordinates stored within the central database as well as a profile of rules relating to the optimized distribution of the materials in question: i. selecting at least one drop location at which materials can be placed in proximity to the railroad track, wherein each drop location corresponds to at least one use location from the central database in relation to the railroad track in question and wherein each use location from the central database in relation to the railroad track in question corresponds to a drop location; ii. determining the coordinates in relation to the railroad track for each drop location, being drop location coordinates, iii. determining the appropriate quantity of materials to be placed at each drop location, being the drop location quantity, wherein the drop location quantity for a particular drop location denotes a sufficient quantity of material to meet the requirements at each use location to which the drop location in question corresponds; e. using materials distribution equipment equipped with a drop location detection module capable of communicating with the central location database, and capable of determining the location of the drop location detection module in relation to the railroad track: i. while moving the materials distribution equipment along the railroad track, monitoring the location of the drop location detection module in relation to the railroad track and comparing the location of the drop location detection module to the drop location coordinates in respect of drop locations along the railroad track selected by the location selection software component; ii. when it is determined that the drop location detection module has reached a drop location, causing the placement of the drop location quantity of materials at the drop location.