MOW redirects here. For other meanings, see MOW (disambiguation).

Maintenance of way (often abbreviated as M of Way, MOW or MW) refers to the maintenance of railroad rights of way. It can include procedures from the initial grading of the right of way to its general upkeep and eventual dismantling. See also Track Maintenance and Right-of-way (railroad)

Maintenance equipment

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As with any construction or maintenance work, M of Way work has its own set of specialized equipment.

• Ballast cleaner; see also: Track ballast
• Ballast gondolas and hoppers; see also: Gondolas and Hopper cars
• Ballast regulator
• Clearance car
• Crane
• Crew car
• Ditcher
• Dynamometer car
• Flanger
• Handcar
• HiRail truck
• Inspection locomotive; obsolete, replaced by speeders and HiRail trucks
• Pile driver
• Rail grinder
• Rotary snowplow
• Scale test car
• Speeder; obsolete, most being replaced by HiRail trucks
• Rail car mover - some of which resemble HiRail trucks.
• Spiker
• Spreader
• Tamper
• Tie inserter
• Tie crane
• Tool car
• Tower car
• Track geometry car
• Weed sprayer; see also: Herbicide

Some of the small tools used in maintenance of way service include:

• Rail spike
• Spike hammer

Maintenance jobs

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Specific maintenance functions are carried out by maintenance of way workers. On modern railroads, the workers are often associated with a particular piece of equipment, but in the past, they held jobs that weren't always obvious from their titles. The following maintenance jobs are specific to the railroad industry:

• Bridge inspector
• Gandy dancer
• Length runner
• Railway lubricator
• Section gang
• Signal maintainer
• Track inspector

Maintenance of way equipment | Rail transport