Re: Chama progress report - now questions

A speed swing is a rubber-tired, 4 wheeled, articulated crane like vehicle that has the capability of running on or off the rails. A variety of attachments can be afixed to the boom...a hook, a rail clamp(hook), a rail guide, a magnet for picking up otm, etc. It's an extremely versatile piece of equpment. I'm not certain whether a speed swing could run on narrow gauge track, but undoubtably, it's possible.
I asked my father who is a retired Frisco roadmaster about a spud liner. Here is his reply.
"Just guessing, but it may be a track liner that has a hydraulic cylinder
mounted in the center with a large foot on the end of the shaft connected to
the piston. To line the track to the left, the cylinder is manually
inclined to the left, the foot is lowered to the area between the rails and
enough force is applied to move the track the necessary distance. To line
to the right, the reverse procedure is followed. Roughly described, it has
two beams, mounted on small flanged wheels, that are at right angles to the
track and six inches to a foot above the top of the rails. Rail clamps at
each rail keep the machine on the track, when lining, and the hydraulic
cylinder is suspended so that it pivots, either right or left, between the
beams on a superstructure that is about chest high. A gasoline engine
supplies the hydraulic power. Two sliding metal poles at each end are used
to lift it off the track. As I remember, it is very heavy. Care must be
taken, when lining, that the track moves horizontally and is not lifted
vertically out of the ballast."