Ballast shoulder cleaner

A track working machine for dressing ballast of a railroad bed having cross ties thereon for supporting a pair of spaced tracks having inner and outer surfaces, said cross ties including an upper surface and end portions extending away from said outer surfaces of said track, said machine including a frame and ballast dressing apparatus secured to said frame, said ballast dressing apparatus comprising:

• at least one ballast ridge plow assembly mounted on said frame, said ridge plow assembly including a vertically and horizontally movable blade assembly having at least one blade for engaging said ballast;
• a single actuating assembly carried by said frame for vertical up and down movement of said blade assembly, said single actuating assembly including a slider box defined by an outer housing having an inner member slidably mounted therein and a fluid actuator secured to said outer housing and having a piston actuated piston rod mounted to vertical movement therein, the distal end of said piston rod being secured to said slidable member of said slider box for vertical movement thereof;
• and
• linkage means connected to said frame and to said blade assembly, said linkage means disposed for extending said blade assembly outwardly from and in predetermined angular relation with said frame in response to said downward movement of said blade assembly by said inner member of said slider box and for retracting said blade assembly against said frame in response to upward movement of said inner member of said slider box by said single actuating assembly.