Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: maintenance

I wasn't clear whether this was a tamper or a spiking/fastening machine. Does anybody know?

Although slab track is used in new straightaways on DPP's tram system, the turnouts in Albertov and on most of the system still use the old 19th-Century methods of construction, even down to genuine creosoted wooden ties (sleepers to the British)!!! Wooden ties are becoming rarer and rarer everywhere today, especially in Europe and Asia, and if I were to see this I would much more expect it to be in the U.S. than in the Czech Republic, but here are wooden ties, being used on the tram tracks no less, right in the middle of Prague!

Here's a larger, wider view of the tram track reconstruction in Albertov this summer.

Here's a black and white conversion of my original tram rails shot in Albertov.

This is the type of rail now used on DPP's tram system, with the flangeways built into the railhead as on some of the rail used in heavy railway crossings. Perhaps to aid in standardisation, this rail is even used on lines that aren't embedded in the street.

Much of the new tram line construction that I've seen since moving to Prague has consisted of replacing conventional tram tracks embedded in cobblestone to this new slab track with purpose-built tram rails that have built-in flangeways. Even odder, some of this track still takes seperate rail, which seems to defeat the purpose to me, but oh well....

Here's another shot of Nadrazi Vysehrad, showing the recent (early summer 2007) tram track reconstruction.

Nadrazi Vysehrad is closed to the public, and at this point it's in such bad condition that it looks abandoned. Surprisingly, though, it's still staffed by Ceske Drahy personnel who watch the passing trains.

I'm really stumped as to what this machine is, although it's obviously some kind of MOW equipment. I'm assuming its a rail grinder, as it doesn't look elaborate enough to be a ballast cleaner. Does anybody know?