System for detecting defects in rail and methods of using same

A rail sensing system moveable along a railway for sensing one or more properties of first and second rails of the railway, the rail sensing system comprising:

• a support structure moveable along the first and second rails;
• a rail property sensor mounted on a first carriage, the first rail property sensor communicating with a control system to determine one or more properties of a first rail;
• the first carriage mounted on a first carriage positioning assembly, the first carriage positioning assembly including a first X-axis motor operable to move the carriage horizontally relative to the support structure and a first Z-axis motor operable to move the first carriage vertically relative to the support structure;
• a first rail position sensor mounted in a known horizontal spacing relative to the first carriage, the first rail position sensor in communication with a control system, the control system in communication with and controlling a first X-axis motor to move the first carriage in the substantially horizontal direction to maintain a horizontal alignment of the first rail property sensor relative to the first rail based upon information transmitted from the first rail position sensor to the control system;
• a second rail property sensor mounted on a second carriage, the second rail property sensor communicating with a control system to determine one or more properties of a second rail;
• the second carriage mounted on a second carriage positioning assembly, the second carriage positioning assembly including a second X-axis motor operable to move the second carriage horizontally relative to the support structure and a second Z-axis motor operable to move the second carriage vertically relative to the support structure;
• and
• a second rail position sensor mounted in a known horizontal spacing relative to the second carriage, the second rail position sensor in communication with a control system, the control system in communication with and controlling a second X-axis motor to move the second carriage in the substantially horizontal direction to maintain a horizontal alignment of the second rail property sensor relative to the second rail based upon information transmitted from the second rail position sensor to the control system.

An apparatus for detecting flaws in first and second rails of a railway, the apparatus being mountable to a hi-rail vehicle frame of a hi-rail vehicle and comprising:

• a support structure connected to the hi-rail vehicle frame;
• a first rail imaging system disposed on a left side of the hi-rail vehicle frame, the first rail imaging system comprising:
• a left vertical track mounted on a left horizontal track, the left horizontal track connected to the support structure on the left side of the hi-rail vehicle frame;
• a left vertical track motor operably connected to the left vertical track to move the left vertical track horizontally relative to the support structure;
• a left carriage moveably mounted on the left vertical track for vertical movement relative thereto and a left carriage motor connected between the left carriage and the left vertical track and operably moving the left carriage vertically on the left vertical track;
• a left rolling rail imaging sensor mounted on the left carriage;
• a second rail imaging system disposed on a right side of the hi-rail vehicle frame, the second rail imaging system comprising:
• a right vertical track mounted on a right horizontal track, the right horizontal track connected to the support structure on the right side of the hi-rail vehicle frame;
• a right vertical track motor operably connected to the right vertical track to move the right vertical track horizontally relative to the support structure;
• a right carriage moveably mounted on the right vertical track for vertical movement relative thereto and a right carriage motor connected between the right carriage and the right vertical track and operably moving the right carriage vertically on the right vertical track;
• a right rolling rail imaging sensor mounted on the right carriage.