Re: Rail/Road trailers

["Rod Gayford" <rjaygee@eisa.net.au>]

This is really a cool idea as it is light and cheap.  To remain in the game
the railroads have to adopt innovative ideas such as this.  Such units could
run on very light rail and thus it could be a way of opening up closed
branch lines very cheaply without a lot of over engineering work.  Of course
it will not replace conventional rail cars and locos but it is an idea
that's time has come.

Cheers

Rod Gayford

"comtrain" <comtrain@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
39bb840d$0$26536$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:39bb840d$0$26536$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
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> "Bill" <billguest@the.net.nz> wrote in message
> 39BA279D.AECDC5C4@the.net.nz">news:39BA279D.AECDC5C4@the.net.nz...
> > New Zealand Rail (prior to becoming Tranz Rail) also tried these things.
> They
> > were successful technically, but I have been told that they were not
> really
> > economic. The tare was high and the load consequently limited. This may
> have
> > been a consequence of NZ's road user charges regime, where high axle
loads
> are
> > punished, and the maximum limits are quite low by world standards.
> However, rail
> > gear is never light........
> >
> > Bill
> >
> > Taliesin Walker wrote:
> >
> > > I heard a mention on the news today about an Australian company that
had
> > > developed truck trailers that could be used on rail and road. I've
seen
> this
> > > allready done. How common is it and is this practice becoming more
> common?
> > >
> > > Tali
>
> Their is a way around the weight problem, and as far as I know CRT have
sole
> option on it in Australia.[the following vehicles-not Road Railers]
> They are sitting back, biding their time, as to when or if,  they will
give
> it a go....roughly as follows.
> Most semi trailers used in Australia would be able to be coupled into
groups
> of three at least, just as they are on the road in Road trains!
> So without dramatically increasing the all up weight, a train could be
made
> up of at least 5 trailers and a power unit spliced in behind pushing!
> It is envisioned that a self propelled road/rail head end cab, fitted with
> Driving compartment and a small engine able to pump up air resevoirs, and
> transfer itself between road and rail, would be placed on the track at the
> head of a yard, as each road vehicle arrives it is coupled first to the
> Driving module, and at least 3 more would be attached behind. A propulsion
> module would then be coupled behind. This would consist of a loco contol
> equiped , unit with at least one axle hung traction motor, Suitable prime
> mover,compressor and an air resevoir. Behind this another 4 trucks,
another
> propulsion module, etc etc!
> The length of the train is not a problem, the trucks are supported on
braked
> bogies, exactly as now, except that every 4th one is a power bogie.
> Electrically applied and released pnuematic disk brakes would be almost
> instantaneous. Power cables would  not be needed, exactly as Broken Hill
is
> doing on their 240 car ore trains in the west.
> The cost of the equipment would be very low[compared to a complete
> locomotive], and advantages, such as changing out faulty Driving units or
> propulsion units, rather than the whole Locomotive.
> Disadvantages would be that the equipment would be limited in its
> application,  and to remain cost effective would need to be fully utulised
> in both directions.
> Modifications to the trucks would need to be made to hook the air through
> them, and of course hook the trucks together.
> In the US tractor Trailers generally have only two axles on the trailer.
In
> Australia we would need to overcome the problem of limited space due to
the
> third axle.
> Road raliers , of course, have movable tri-axles and the airbag suspension
> is utilised to retract the tyres safely above the rails.This may need to
be
> avoided to keep weight and costs down.
> I believe all problems have been overcome, apart from the assurances that
> Industry will embrace long haul by Rail.
> Rod [comtrain]
>
>