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Method and apparatus for applying railway ballast

DC
  • US 7,152,347 B2
  • Filed: 06/17/2004
  • Issued: 12/26/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of applying ballast to a bed of a railway, said method comprising the steps of:

  • (a) transporting along the railway a train that includes a railcar carrying ballast which can be discharged from the railcar to the railway bed;

    (b) from an airborne location, capturing current images along the railway to detect ballast spread zones that are deficient in ballast and the location of each of said ballast spread zones;

    (c) transmitting from said airborne location to the train information indicating the location of each of said ballast spread zones; and

    (d) using said information to discharge ballast from said railcar at the location of each of said ballast spread zones while the railcar is traveling along each of said ballast spread zones.

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