Technically its not Trainspotting if there's no trains and I'm not standing around ?

One of the interesting things about having the railway has been reading about how real railways operate.  I've got some more of the Industries along the tracks books but have also become fascinated by the whole "Maintenance of Way" thing.  It has answered my question about what the big long yellow machines are that I see in station sidings - which is tamper machines tied in with re-ballasting track.

Well, one lunchtime recently I was walking to W.H. Smiths on the lane between the park and Central station when I came across track being lifted at central station, and diggers and bulldozers adapted to run on both tracks/wheels and railway track.

Not ideal pictures, and they were taken on my mobile phone but useful for inspiration.

Subsequent looking on ebay has come up with the following two videos...  (The first one is the speeded up 20 second version for those with short attention spans - search for Cat 319D should bring up the six minute original).  Could be a good party piece to do with a radio control digger at model shows... 

Now who wants to build the following in G scale ?   The Llanfair and Welshpool have a baby tamper machine from South African gold mines.