Ballast Plough

From TrainSpottingWorld, for Rail fans everywhere

A Ballast Plough, informally shark, formally Ballast Plough Brake Van, is a special engineering truck designed to clear and level excess ballast after engineering operations. The truck resembles a goods train brake van.

Detail of the plough mechanism, identical on each end of the plough truck

Operation

The mode of operation is to lower the plough to the rails and to propel the vehicle through the excess ballast

Spotting reports

Date/time Location Train number Direction Photo Spotter Notes
2007-08-06 Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway In terminus Ballast Plough - profile view.jpg Tim Trent Parked at buffers in Kingswear terminus