Amsted Rail prepares for higher axleloads
Written by David Briginshaw, Consulting Editor, International Railway Journal
Amsted Rail is developing new designs of components to produce a truck to meet the demand from Australian heavy-haul freight railways for 45-metric ton axleload freight cars, or even 50-metric ton axleloads in the future.
Prototypes of a new bearing called the Mega-tonne, which is designed for 45-metric ton axleloads, have been completed and will soon start trials with operators in Australia.
“Customers also want more reliable bearings,” Jay Monaco, vice-president of global engineering with Amsted Rail, told IRJ at Railway Interchange. “The Mega-tonne can work with an AAR Class G axle, and with minor modifications to the sideframe pedestal, we can accommodate this larger bearing.”
The next phase to move from 40 to 45-metric ton axleloads involves developing an appropriate truck.
“It is quite a challenge to produce a 45-metric ton axleload [truck] because all the equipment is larger and needs more space,” says Monaco. “[Cars] are also becoming lighter but the loads are getting heavier which affects dynamic performance, and we also need good curving performance.
“Our Super Service Ride Master [truck] will act as the platform for the new 45-metric ton [truck],” says Monaco. “We have produced special suspension springs for it and made new castings. These are now going through structural and dynamic tests to AAR standards to validate the design and we should be ready to start field trials by the end of the year.”
