Tamping machine and method for consolidating the ballast of a track

摘要

A method for continuously consolidating ballast under a track comprising rails and sleepers which are arranged transversely to the rails by a machine having tamping picks, comprises causing the tamping picks to pick up the ballast in front of the sleeper ends and push the ballast under the sleeper ends by a cycle of shovel movements comprising a consolidating movement in a direction which is parallel to the sleepers, an upward movement occurring immediately in front of the sleeper end faces, and a return movement counter to the consolidating movement, and continuously causing the tamping picks to repeat the cycle of shovel movements. Desirably, a continuous forward movement is superimposed on the cycle of shovel movements.