First slide-and-ride trucks hit the rails
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s by Peter Lawton
Scottish-based First Engineering is running five new road-rail Seddon Atkinson Strato conversions on Raiftrack contracts north of the border.
Converted by Harsco Track Technologies and Trent SVO, the units are able to drive to a track and be ready to run on the rails within five minutes.
"Slide and ride" hydraulic arms developed by Nottinghamshire-based Harsco give around a metre of lateral movement and allow the transition between road and rail to be made in just two steps. The system requires no structural changes to the chassis; the necessary equipment is simply bolted onto the sub-frame of the Strato.
Reg Kirton-Vaughan. divisional director of maintenance for First Engineering, says the company has spent almost a million pounds on the vehicles. the largest of which is a 6x6 Strati) 26-tonner. The company also runs a fleet of road-rail Defenders and Unimogs and is about to buy more vehicles for a new contract in the Manchester area.
We had a lot of stock from British Rail which needed replacing and definitely think the way to go is road-rail rather than dedicated rail units," says Kirton-Vaughan. "If you want to fulfil the contracts you need to invest in the equipment."
A remote unit controls arm operation up to sari away and can also drive the Strato forward at speeds of up to 5mph. With a man in the cab the Seddon can reach the maximum permitted speeds of 20mph, with drive to the rails through a hydrostatic transmission. The drive is from the inside rear wheels which sit on the rail head while steel wheels hold the vehicle on track and keep other tyres off the ground.
Power is from a Cummins M11 engine nominally rated at 300hp with on-road transmission through an Eaton ninespeed RT11609 gearbox.
Body work was carried out by Trent which was initially Involved to convert the 6x4 Seddens to 6x6s. Gantries are designed to take four 30m sections of track above the body, which tips to the left and right so ballast can be deliv ered easily to track side.
Each of the new units is also fitted with a rearmounted 14tm PM crane which can be specified with remote control. One of the Seddons is specified with a 2m long seven-man crew-cab boasting all mod cons including a sink, kettle and microwave running off a 110V generator.