Measuring Equipment and Maintenance Tools for Railway Tracks

Measuring Equipment and Maintenance Tools for Tracks

The measuring equipment and tools commonly used for track maintenance, together with their purpose, are presented in Table 18.3. Sketches of some of the tools used for the maintenance of tracks are given in Fig. 18.1.

Name of equipment/tool       : Function

Measuring equipment 

Rail gauge   : To check the gauge

Straight edge and spirit level   : To check the alignment as well as the cross level

Gauge-cum-level   : To check the gauge as well as the cross level

Cant board : To check the difference in cross levels or the    superelevation

Mallet or wooden hammer      : To check the packing of the sleepers

Canne-a-boule :    A modern equipment used to assess the voids     under the sleepers

T-square     : To check the squareness of sleepers

Stepped feeler gauge      : To measure wear or clearances

Maintenance tools        

Sleeper tong         : To carry sleepers

Rail tong     : To lift and carry rails

Beater :       To pack ballast under the sleeper

Crowbar     : To correct track alignment and to lift the track for     surfacing. Clawed crowbars are used for taking out   dog spikes.

Jim Crow : To bend or break the rails

(a) Spiking hammer :     To drive spikes

(b) Keying hammer :      To drive keys

Spanner      : To tighten bolts

Wire claw or ballast rake :       To draw or pull out ballast while screening, packing, etc.

Phowrah (shovel) : To cut earth or to pull out ballast

Auger          : To bore holes in wooden sleepers

Box spanner         : For driving rail screws or plate screws

Wire basket : For screening the ballast