Intrigued by pictures of the Railvac sent in by Craig Munday and Richard Bohill I asked just what the machine does and how it works - and good as his word Richard comes back with an explanation and some pictures, plus a video for me - what more could we ask? Many thanks Richard.
Hi Keith, The Railvac is controlled either from the small cabin on one end or by a remote control box that the operator wears around his waist with which he controls the boom arm and forward and backward movement of vac. It is just like a big vacuum cleaner, it is used to suck up bad ballast formation. I will add a video that I taken today so you will be able see how it works. Here some more photos taken today 7th December 2013
Hi Keith, The Railvac is controlled either from the small cabin on one end or by a remote control box that the operator wears around his waist with which he controls the boom arm and forward and backward movement of vac. It is just like a big vacuum cleaner, it is used to suck up bad ballast formation. I will add a video that I taken today so you will be able see how it works. Here some more photos taken today 7th December 2013
A general view of the machine before commencement of work. Copyright Richard Bohill. 7th December 2013
Here the operator is controlling the boom clearing out the side of the track. Another engineer is clearing waste off the cable ducting. Copyright Richard Bohill 7th December 2013.
Here the nozzle is penetrating between the sleepers drawing up the spent ballast and conveying it to a hopper behind. Picture by Richard Bohill Copyright 7th December 2013
The machine having filled its hopper with spent ballast returns to the disposal point. Copyright Richard Bohill 7th December 2013.
At the disposal point the spent ballast is discharged from the side. Copyright Richard Bohill. 7th December 2013.
The spent ballast is then removed by a mechanical shovel. Copyright Richard Bohill. 7th December 2013.