Re: Vic, NthEast line

["Stephen Devenish" <JohnnyR@bigpond.com>]

Reece,

Close but no cigar, the item in question is the Ballast Shoulder cleaner
owned but John Holland.  We also own the tumbler you referred to.  The
shoulder cleaner is cleaning the shoulder ballast along the North East line
and then will head back to the Western Standard Gauge section to continue
cleaning.  Also running throughout the area lately was the rail grinder,
weld benders and tampers all part of the upgrade for the standard gauge
section.

The ballast cleaner eats out the shoulders allowing the ballast to drain
hence getting rid of the mud holes in the centre of the track.  The ballast
is screened and the fines dumped while the suitable ballast is dumped back
in the track.

The spike tumbler is usually used in conjunction with a tie renewal
operation and is currently down in Gippsland working for EDI /ABB / Freight
Australia.  It picks up the dogs using ,magnets and the tumbles them a
couple of times to get the rust off them.  A couple of guys then sort the
released dogs for either scrap or reuse.

Cheers

--
Stephen Devenish
"Santa Fe all the way"