KIBRI 

PLASTIC  KIT

HO Scale

MFS 100 BALLAST CLEANING / COLLECTING CONVEYOR

MAINTENANCE OF WAY


MAINTENANCE OF WAY / NON-POWERED UNIT


Ballast collector MFS 100"

 The ballast collector units are suitable for any kind of bulk material and can be assembled into trains of any length. All conveyors are hydraulically driven. The energy is delivered by a diesel engine. (non-Powered kit)

DIMENSIONS:

12.25 Long 

 L 31.0 x W 3.5 x H 4.5 cm

HISTORY
A ballast cleaner (also known as an undercutter, a shoulder ballast cleaning machine) is a machine that specialises in cleaning the railway track ballast (gravel, blue stone or other aggregate) of impurities.

Background and development
Over time, ballast becomes worn, and loses its angularity, becoming rounded. This hinders the tessellation of pieces of ballast with one another, and thus reduces its effectiveness. Fine pieces of granite, like sand, are also created by attrition, known simply as "fines". Combined with water in the ballast, these fines stick together, making the ballast like a lump of concrete. This hinders both track drainage and the flexibility of the ballast to constrain the track as it moves under traffic. 
 Ballast cleaning removes this worn ballast, screens it and replaces the "dirty" worn ballast with fresh ballast.  The advantage of ballast cleaning is that it can be done by an on-track machine without removing the rail and sleepers, and it is therefore cheaper than a total excavation.

In the 19th century and early 20th century, ballast was shoveled or forked, then screened by hand using portable devices.  Early automated cleaners used vacuum pressure built by a steam locomotive to suck ballast up from the track to feed it into the sifting grates.  Link-Belt produced a small machine that would clean the ballast between tracks on a multiple track line; it used a small gasoline engine and was small enough to be operated by a small crew of men, and it was built such that it would not need to be moved as trains passed on adjacent tracks.
 More fully automated ballast cleaners were developed in the early- to mid-20th century by several companies including Speno  and Pullman-Standard;  a version of Pullman-Standard's machine was demonstrated in 1949 that was estimated to save railroad companies about $1,000 per mile of track on their maintenance ($12,299 in 2022).  As the century progressed, other manufacturers entered the market with their own versions.

Modern ballast cleaner operations

A cutter bar runs beneath sleeper level excavating all of the ballast under the sleepers to a specified, variable depth. A conveyor then moves the ballast into the cleaner, where it gets forced through a mesh by a shaking chamber.  Pieces of ballast which are smaller than the mesh size fall through and are rejected, those that are bigger than the mesh are returned to the track along with fresh ballast.  Some ballast cleaners have both ballast and spoil wagons attached to it, to which the materials are fed by a series of conveyor belts. Others simply undercut the ballast, and allow for a work train to come through to dump fresh ballast. This process can be done in short sections, meaning that track life can be considerably extended with the minimum of disruption.


New in the SEALED Box


 Figures, Vehicles, Freight Cars, Passenger Cars, Locomotives, and background items are not included but (sold separately).


SHIPPING:

 We do combine shipping on multiple purchases.  If you do a Buy It Now the transaction requires immediate payment for each item separately. 

What you need to do is put it in the shopping cart and then when you go to checkout it will recalculate the shipping and combine the items for you. 

If you pay first I am unable to make any adjustment because ebay has then taken its fees on the shipping as well.  If you have a concern message me and I can work something out for you.

 

THIS IS AN UNASSEMBLED Item

The item is NEW in the original box from old stock 

 

PERSONAL INVENTORY:

Many of these unique items are from my personal inventory which was accumulated over the years.   They are hard to part with but due to downsizing in retirement they too are looking for a good home which can appreciate and enjoy them.

 

STORE INVENTORY:

Having discontinued my Hobby Store and left frigid “Minne-Snow-Da” I have relocated and retired to the warmer part of the country, Down to Sunny TEXAS.   

I will be Liquidating the remaining stock. 

I will be listing items over the next year or so clearing them out.

Please see the photos we take actual photos of each item

Most of these items are New in the box removed only to take photos of them.