Hand tools
Tools that are especially suited for track maintenance are essential for manual activity on the track. A selection is given here.
Sleeper lifting tool
Used to raise the sleeper so that the rail fastenings can be installed as the connection between rails and sleepers.
Hook bolt ejector
After prolonged service life, some of the hook bolts attach themselves so hard to the ribbed plates, that a non-destructive pulling out is often only possible with this special tool.
Cold chisel
This tool is used when working with metal, firstly if the welding bead must be chipped away and secondly if the screw fastenings cannot be undone and especially with hook bolts when the nuts must be removed.
Punch
This tool is used with wooden sleepers when sleeper screws are stuck and only the coach screw head was unscrewed and pulled out. The remains of the screw is hammered through the sleeper into the ballast bed.
Track swing ram
When there are small errors in the track alignment and no tamping and levelling machine is available, the track can be moved horizontally with this swing ram.
Turnout brush
This brush is used to clean the slide-chair base plates in turnouts, in order to avoid a sluggish movement of the switch blades.
Adze
This device has a cutting edge and is used for trimming wooden sleepers. If these have been slightly damaged by external influences (notches), the adze can be used to knock out the ragged and splintered wood. As a result there are less weather-related contact surfaces, which intensify the destruction of the sleeper.
Turnout assembly lever
When installing turnouts small and manoeuvrable tools are necessary which can be used in the spaces between the drive or the tongues.
Ballast fork
Track ballast manipulation tool
Soft faced hammer
Rails, sleepers and rail fastenings must be handled carefully in order not to damage them. Therefore, the so-called soft faced hammer is used more and more, because its plastic striking surfaces protect the material.
Tamping pickaxe
This tool, also known by the name of "tamping pick”, is used to process the track ballast, the tamping of individual sleepers or the digging out the ballast bed.
Crowbars
Crowbars come in different sizes and designs.