Ballast shoulder consolidator

A railroad shoulder ballast vibratory compactor of generally funnel like configuration operatively mounted on a track working machine comprising a top ballast-engaging plate means having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a ballast compacting under-surface;

• said top plate means being mounted so as to present, in ballast compacting operation, a leading edge which is higher above the ballast surface than its trailing edge, said under-surface sloping rearwardly in the direction of track working from said leading edge to said trailing edge;
• means to positively adjust and secure the height of said leading edge relative to said trailing edge;
• means to locate, in operation, the position of the trailing edge at a selected level for ballast compaction;
• and a second ballast-engaging plate means having a leading edge and a trailing edge and a ballast compacting inner-surface;
• means to adjust the attitude of the second plate means relative to said first plate about an axis generally parallel to a track rail;
• wherein the leading edge of at least one of the said top and second ballast-engaging plate means is wider, transversely of the track, then its respective trailing edge;
• whereby on movement of the compactor along the track in a working direction, loosely packed shoulder ballast is engaged by the leading edges of said plate means and firmly compacted within their ballast compacting surfaces by the ballast volume reducing funneling action of said plate means.