Leading
rail-leasing company CFCL Australia announced today that it is continuing to
expand its Australian lease portfolio with the addition of 42 open-top
automated-discharge ballast hoppers to its wagon fleet.
Forty-two
wagon shells refurbished by CFCLA’s US parent company arrived in Western
Australia late last year. Perth-based engineering company Gemco Rail Pty Ltd,
with whom CFCLA has established a sound working partnership in recent years, is
undertaking final assembly, fit-out and painting.
The
wagons are being converted for fully automated ballasting operations with
Cattron remote control equipment and Gemco’s own proprietary design hopper
doors. Westinghouse Brakes, fully compliant with the new National Codes of
Practice for rail, are being fitted to enable these wagons to operate anywhere
in Australia, subject to acceptance under rolling stock outlines set down by
ARTC and RIC.
Gemco
holds an exclusive Australian licence for the Cattron Remote control ballasting
system, and has developed a pneumatic over hydraulic power system in conjunction
with Norgren and hydraulic systems in partnership with Gerard Hydraulics.
CFCLA
Project manager Mike McGee said, “Our aim is to come up with the best product
that can be offered to the market by maximising the synergy between Gemco and
CFCLA. At the same time this forms part of our strategy to subcontract out as
much of our project work to Australian companies. In the case of our new ballast
hoppers this amounts to around 70 per cent of the total refurbishment.”
The
refurbished ballast hoppers will provide train operators and permanent way
maintainers with several advantages:
·
One person via the Cattron remote control system can control the entire
unloading process. With the increasing focus on workplace safety issues, this
will deliver significant Occupational Health & Safety benefits when compared
to existing hopper fleets fitted with manually operated doors.
·
They can hold 53 cubic metres of stone in a variety of sizes,
·
Ballast can be distributed either inside or outside the rail head,
·
Solar panels fitted to each wagon provide a renewable energy source for
the batteries powering the remote control equipment, also ensuring that the
batteries remain charged at all times.
Ross
Kiesey, Gemco’s National Sales Manager said, “We have been working with
CFCLA for some time now on a number of projects and we consider them a valuable
partner. We see this new contract as a very positive step in furthering our
alliance with CFCLA.”
One
option being considered by CFCLA and Gemco is to provide the hoppers with
greater operational flexibility. This can be achieved through the retrofitting
of removable roofs and loading hatches if required, for example making the
hoppers suitable for lease for grain movements as seasonal demand requires.
The
addition of the new hopper fleet takes the value of CFCLA’s lease portfolio of
locomotives, rolling stock and plant equipment to over $55 million, making it
the largest independent lessor of railway rolling stock in Australia.
During
March, CFCLA will have 14 of the refurbished hoppers strategically based at
Kalgoorlie for shakedown trials with several of the major permanent way
maintenance companies based there.
Mike
McGee concluded by saying, “Once testing and demonstration trials are
complete, the hoppers will become progressively available for lease over the
next few months.”
“CFCLA
is happy to be providing an important work tool for the rehabilitation and
construction of rail infrastructure in Australia. It is our continuing aim to
provide rail industry service providers with flexible leasing arrangements to
coincide with their individual job requirements,” Mike McGee said.
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