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,

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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.