Ballast regulator

Ballast regulators are versatile machines, and may also be used by railroads for duties such as plowing snow, removing vegetation from the right-of-way, and digging ditches.

Track ballast gradually shifts over time, both from natural forces and as a result of the passage of trains.

Unregulated ballast may also result in the rails shifting out of alignment, which in the worst cases can lead to derailments.

These blades sculpt the ballast to the proper height, spreading it evenly along the tracks and ties and ensuring it is not too high.

The brushes will typically be covered by rubber flaps similar to mudflaps in order to protect workers from flying stones kicked up by the cleaning process.