On-track – (In More Ways than One)
09 June 2003 09:59
Rexquote, the UK’s biggest manufacturer of roadrailed excavators in partnership with Komatsu UK have completed one of their most ambitious projects of recent years. They have successfully roadrailed a Komatsu PC128US tracked excavator. The project came to fruition this week when the machine performed excellently in all track tests performed on the West Somerset Railway near Rexquote’s Bishops Lydeard premises.
Komatsu provided a specially designed base machine so that hydraulically driven front and rear bogies could be fitted to the undercarriage allowing it to travel by rail to a work site. The retraction of these bogies facilitates normal working.
The machine also benefits from an ultra short tailswing (1.4 m) allowing its use when only one line of a two line rail system is under engineers possession*.
The roadrailed PC128US is an exciting project because it could soon revolutionise rail maintenance working. Tracked machines have long been a preferred choice in the construction industry because of their lower ground pressure (resulting in less disturbance of soil or ballast) but so far they have not been favoured in the rail maintenance industry because of difficulties in getting them to site. The success of this Rexquote project could soon make these versatile machines available to planning teams for all areas of rail maintenance works avoiding the need for costly works trains.
*Subject to site conditions and approvals.
For more information on this company:
Rexquote - Road Rail Machines for Railway Infrastructure Maintenance
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