Device for controlling a railroad track making or repairing machine

A method for levelling, shifting and tamping a railroad track comprising:

• providing a machine adapted to level, shift and to tamp the railroad track in accordance with a first relative reference base and a second relative reference base perpendicular to said first reference base;
• providing a laser assembly adapted to generate a planar beam along a predetermined axis, said laser assembly further being adapted to emit said planar beam selectively along a horizontal or vertical plane by rotating said beam between a first and second positions;
• providing a first receiver mounted on said machine and adapted to orient said first relative reference base when a planar beam is intercepted at a first point, said first receiver being adapted to move vertically with respect to said machine, and and a second receiver mounted on said machine and adapted to orient said first relative reference base when a planar beam is intercepted at a second point, said second receiver being adapted to move horizontally with respect to said machine;
• positioning said laser assembly ahead of said machine with said preselected axis in parallel with said track;
• directing said planar beam along one of said horizontal and vertical planes at the corresponding receiver;
• and
• rotating said planar beam to direct along the other of said horizontal and vertical planes.