Nordco introduces RoadReady™ Surfacing Team
Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor, Railway Track & Structures; and Engineering Editor, Railway AgeNordco Inc. launched its RoadReady™ Surfacing Team to an audience of more than 100 railroad professionals during a customer Open House at its Oak Creek Headquarters in Wisconsin on August 11-12.
The company says the RoadReady™ equipment, comprised of the RoadReady™ RST-1000 Production Switch Tamper and RBR-1000 Ballast Regulator, is designed for mobility without sacrificing productivity.
The RST-1000 and RBR-1000 form a mobile Surfacing Team that individually attach to over-the-road tractor-trailers for transport between job locations. All components lift and fit within the frame to meet height and width requirements for permit-free travel and can ride at posted highway speed limits, which the company says allows operators to get on and off the track much quicker than with rail bound surfacing equipment.
“Through our observations and discussion with the railroads, it became apparent that there was a need for equipment that could improve the reactive surfacing process,” says Brian “Tiny” Cumbridge, product manager, Surfacing Equipment. “When there is a ‘hot spot’ on the track that requires slow orders, the ability to quickly travel to the work site and rectify the track condition improves train velocity and reduces expenses. The RoadReady™ Tamper and RoadReady™ Ballast Regulator will help the railroads eliminate more slow orders than with conventional rail bound equipment.”
The Open House featured a live demonstration RoadReady™ Ballast Regulator deploying directly from road to rail without the use of a crane. The RST-1000 and RBR-1000 are equipped with an integrated turntable that allows the machines to deploy at road crossings with a clear 30-foot turning radius. Nordco demonstrated how the RBR-1000 can go from RoadMode to RailMode in under 10 minutes.
Nordco says the RoadReady™ Surfacing Team also introduces an additional innovation in its Nexxus Control System.
“This Intelligent Machine Automation System allows operators to intuitively navigate Nordco machine functionality, deliver high productivity and quickly troubleshoot all from the safety of the cab. It will become a standard feature on all Nordco machinery and will be backwards compatible on retrofitted machinery,” the company said in a press release.
Nordco will bring its RoadReady™Surfacing Team to Railway Interchange 2015, Oct. 4-7, in Minneapolis, Minn. Attendees can visit REMSA Booth 4209 to see the equipment first hand.
