Gas Rail Tampers
Rail tampers consolidate ballast under and around ties where a production tamper cannot reach — turnouts, crossings, spot surfacing, yard track, and the tie the machine skipped. Both tools here are self-contained gas breakers fitted with a tamping tool, so a crew works off a hi-rail truck with no compressor and no air line. The Atlas Copco Cobra TT uses a patented leaf-spring vibro-dampening system in place of rubber bushings, plus a high-capacity air filter and HAPS, with shank options for narrow switch-yard work. The CP Red Hawk Rail brings the Red Hawk platform’s impact energy with vibration-reducing handles and a hand throttle. Shop Atlas Copco tie tampers, the matching 1-1/8 x 6 in. tamping tool, and the rest of the post driving and track tools. For trench compaction off a compressor, see backfill tampers; for spike work, pick hammers & spike drivers. Both tampers ship at a flat freight rate.
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Showing all 2 resultsSorted by popularity
Spot Tamping Along the Line
Machine tamping handles the mainline; handheld gas tampers handle everything the machine cannot index into. Two operators working opposite sides of a tie consolidate ballast under the rail seat, restore cross-level after a surfacing pass, and pack turnout ties, crossing panels, and bridge approaches. Because the tool carries its own engine, the crew moves tie to tie without dragging air line down the ballast shoulder or setting a compressor on the right of way.
Cobra TT and Red Hawk Rail
The Cobra TT is set up for tamping rather than breaking. Leaf-spring damping replaces the usual rubber bushings or coil springs and keeps hand-arm vibration down across a full shift, the filter is sized for ballast dust, and the different shank sizes let an operator work inside a switch. The CP Red Hawk Rail uses the same self-contained gas layout on the Red Hawk platform, with ergonomic handles, a hand throttle for control, and a kill switch that springs back to the start position.
Tamping Tools and Shanks
The steel that touches ballast is the wear item, and shank size has to match the tamper. Stock tie tamping tools come in 1 x 4-1/4 in. x 16 in. and 1-1/8 x 6 in. x 16 in. — check the shank on your machine before ordering and keep a spare on the truck. Browse the wider tool steel range, or pull internal parts from Parts Direct.
Related Track and Compaction Tools
Track crews seating and pulling spikes use spike drivers and pick hammers. For narrow-trench and around-pipe compaction, see pneumatic air tampers; for foundry and mill ramming, bench and sand rammers. Crews already carrying hydraulics can run the Atlas Copco LH 190 E tie tamper off a power pack instead.
Common Questions
What is a rail tamper? A percussive tool that drives a blunt tamping tool into the ballast beside a tie to pack it under the rail seat, restoring support and cross-level. Handheld versions are used for spot work; on-track machines do continuous surfacing. See the full tampers & rammers range for other compaction tools.
Do you sell a railroad tamper attachment for an excavator? No. What we stock is handheld, self-contained gas tampers for spot and turnout work. For carrier-mounted breaking and demolition heads, see excavator attachments.
Can a paving breaker be used as a tie tamper? Yes, with the right steel. Fit a tie tamping tool in the matching shank and a gas or hydraulic breaker tamps ballast — that is exactly what these two machines are. See paving breakers if you want one tool that does both.
How do rail tampers ship? Both the Cobra TT and the Red Hawk Rail ship at a flat freight rate per order. Tamping tools and small parts are quoted separately at checkout.