The Morris Track-layer.

Mechanical appliances for track repair and maintenance are being increasingly employed by railways in every land. These enable operations to be more expeditiously and economically performed, page 23 and are in line with the general trend for the increasing utilisation of machinery in every industry.

Among the more important appliances favoured, there may be mentioned the Morris track-layer; petrol-electric welding appliances and grinders for the building up of worn parts of crossing work; petrol-operated drilling and rail cutting machines; petrol-driven screwing and boring machines for holing sleepers and screwing in chair screws; mechanical tampers; and specially designed tip wagons for rail conveyance.

On the L. and N.E. Railway a petrol-driven ballast riddle is in experimental use. This consists of a 1 ¾ h.p. Villiers two-stroke petrol engine of light motorcycle type, driving, by means of a chain, a vertical shaft, at the top of which is a cam connected to the underside of an inclined riddle. The riddle movement is semi-rotary, directly backwards and forwards at the low end, with a circular movement at the elevated end, due to the action of the cam. Under the screen there is fitted a loose steel reversible container to collect the waste material. The clean stone is shaken off the end of the screen into a second container. The apparatus is mounted on a wooden frame, and the whole outfit is readily moved from place to place.