The SSP 303 is a high performance ballast regulating and profiling machine with storage hopper. It is designed to operate in conjunction with either a continuous action tamping machine or a switch tamping machine. It is capable of performing all ballast profiling regulating and track brooming functions in a single continuous forward pass of the machine.
The SSP 303 is fitted with a heavy duty cruciform main plough positioned between the axles of the machine. The shoulder ploughs are mounted immediately in front of the cruciform main plough to facilitate the flow of ballast from the shoulders and into the main plough for distribution along the track. The self-steering, high performance ballast broom, mounted on a two-axled trailer, sweeps excess ballast from the full width of the sleepers and the fastenings either onto a transverse conveyor within the broom housings (depositing excess ballast onto either side of the track) or via an elevating conveyor into a storage hopper.