That short wheelbase vacuum cleaner truck looks similar to trucks which occasionally sweep our local gutters. The short wheelbase allows it to drive sharply around parked cars so as not to miss too much cleaning.
In pre electrification years the NSW Railways used a track cleaning van which ran attached to a goods train from Hornsby to Gosford and return each week. It had rotary wire brushes belt driven from an axle pulley in similar manner to the generators beneath old railway carriages. The rotary brushes rotated against the rails in the reverse direction to the train’s motion.
The regular operator of this van was a local resident, a good S&T Branch friend, a one-time treasurer of our church.
Noel Reed,
From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, 22 May 2017 7:53 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Leaves on Melbourne tracks [2 Attachments]
On 21/05/2017 11:05 AM, espee8800espee8800@... [TramsDownUnder] wrote:
A Yarra Trams spokesperson defended its track-cleaning regime.
"Safety is our priority and a long-established track cleaning regime ensures tram tracks are in the right condition to enable safe tram trips," the spokesperson said. "Yarra Trams is doing more track cleaning than ever before.." (YARRA SPIN)
But Mr Altieri said Yarra Trams had outsourced track cleaning to a firm called ISS, which didn't do enough preventative or reactionary track cleaning in autumn. He said the leaves and their "oily residue" can cause trams to skid, particularly when travelling on an incline or decline.
Here's today's pic of the Yarra Trams/ISS track cleaner.
http://tdu.to/Track-cleaner_RoyalParade_22May2017.JPG
.... and a detailed view of the water spray, rotating wire brushes and vaccuum cleaner nozzle.
http://tdu.to/Track-cleaner-detail_RoyalParade_22May2017.JPG
I may do a reasonable job of cleaning the leaf residue (which is often plane tree leaves as one European correspondent has noted).
It does nothing about the 'rail smoothing' that the older carborundum block scrubbers did - so corrugations build up until more drastic measures are required.
Mal Rowe - actually more concerned about 'corrugated wheels' on the D2s in Sydney Rd