Clean Ballast is Better Ballast

Ballast is critical in promoting track drainage. This article gives an overview of machines that are used in ballast improvement. These machines are designed to remove and replace, or remove/clean and replace ballast. Vacuum excavators are now being used in the U.S., providing a mechanized method to remove unwanted material from the track structure. Additional ballast is then used to replace the unwanted material that was removed. Another type of machinery available is a ballast undercutter cleaner which removes all material from under the tie, screens the material, moves the waste along to the right-of-way, and then returns the cleaned ballast back into the track. The ballast is unloaded, and this allows the track to be raised and establish a standard ballast section under the ties and along the shoulder. The article includes descriptions of some new products and how they operate.