Method, apparatus and system for lifting railroad structures

A method of raising a railroad structure, the railroad structure being formed by an intersection, diversion, or merging of two or more railways, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. excavating an opening beneath a railway forming a portion of the railroad structure, wherein the opening is configured to provide for positioning a hydraulic jack beneath the railway to lift the railway;
• b. placing a hydraulic jack that is operated by a hydraulic pump into the opening beneath the railway, wherein the hydraulic jack is positioned beneath a rail of the railway in such a position that continued use of the railway by a train is facilitated;
• c. repeating step a. and step b. on the railways forming the railroad structure with additional hydraulic jacks until sufficient hydraulic jacks have been positioned beneath rails operatively connected to the railroad structure to raise the railroad structure, wherein each of the hydraulic jacks is hydraulically coupled to the hydraulic pump;
• d. operating the hydraulic pump to raise the hydraulic jacks and thus raise the railroad structure into a raised position in which continued use of the railroad structure by the train is facilitated while the hydraulic jacks remain in position beneath the rails;
• e. moving a tamping machine onto the railroad structure via the rails and operating the tamping machine from above the railroad structure to add and tamp ballast beneath the railroad structure while the hydraulic jacks remain in said position beneath the rails.