This invention may comprise a railcar ballast distributing apparatus comprising a ballast railcar traveling in a direction of travel on a pair of railroad rails, a plow mechanism operatively attaching to a main bracket assembly attaching to the middle underside of the railcar, and being powered by a hydraulic system, the plow mechanism comprising: a spring box assembly mechanism operating a single plow blade assembly comprising: a pair of articulating and independently movable plow blades vertically and independently adaptable during contact against the pair of railroad rails and having a transport mode span and a separate deployed mode span, and a spring-loaded safety locking latch mechanism, the spring box assembly mechanism vertically deploying and retracting the pair of plow blades, which automatically and differentially change orientation when contacting the pair of railroad rails, and increase to the deployed mode span and decrease to the transport mode span.