Retractable roof for road/rail running
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• Boalloy unveiled a dualheight trailer for use in road/ rail piggyback operations at a Munich transport exhibition last week.
The trailer uses a curtainsided body with a retractable roof, and is based on a Dutch Pacton tri-axle semi-trailer designed for use up to 40 tonnes gross.
The prototype was prepared for Tiphook, which, as revealed last week in Commercial Motor (28 June-4 July), plans to rent 40 such trailers to the new Charterail intermodal distribution company.
Telescopic hydraulic struts are used to lower its roof by half a metre from its 4.2m road haulage height to allow it to clear bridges and tunnels when carried on a rail wagon. The hydraulics are powered by a separate electric motor.
Both the curtains and the rear doors are designed to accommodate the roof in either the raised or lowered position, and can be adjusted by a person standing on the ground.