Side loading plant onto wagons

[Ploughman]

Are there any procedures, laid down methods for loading Tracked Excavators onto suitable low deck rail wagons?

I seem to remember provision of sleepers was desirable but I now believe that this alone may not now be sufficient.

 

[Trog]

Are there any Flatrols and Lomacs still left in service to load them on to?

 

[chappers]

Fastrol wagons are still used fairly extensively on Kent/Sussex/Wessex

 

[Old Timer]

The loading arrangements for tracked excavators used to be contained within the Network Rail book "The Loading Manual for Infrastructure Traffic". Having checked just now I see this appears to have been withdrawn.

In synopsis, the tracks are backed up against a steel wheel chock at the back of the well, the bucket lowered down on the wagon platform. The whole unit is then secured using a number of straps.

The use of sleepers was removed some time back.

 

[Ploughman]

Thanks for the replies.
However its not the detail of the wagon type I am after. It is the way to get the machine onto the wagon.
In "olden" days you simply drove the machine up to the side of the wagon at right angles to it, placed the bucket on the deck, pushed the boom down and lifted the front of the tracks up to deck height, tracked forward a bit slewed the cab round, lifted the back end and tracked forward then spun 90 degrees and backed into position and secured.
Now I believe that lifting with the boom is now frowned upon, plus possible damage to wagon deck. So that a requirement for an access ramp of some description is now required.
It is that requirement I am looking for.

And we have wagons of a suitable type for transporting plant to site.

 

[Old Timer]

The wagon carries a ramp and a platform, each strapped to one end of the platform located above the bogies.

 

[swt_passenger]

There are portable (ie machine liftable) ramps and platforms carried on the ends of some of the well wagons. Basically one of the tracked machines lifts a platform off the end of its own wagon, and drops it alongside in the six foot. Next to that it places a similar looking ramp. Drives off rail wagon, does a 90 degree turn on the square platform and then down the ramp. Train can then move along and position other tracked plant alongside the platform and ramp.

I haven't found any pics yet, probably not the most exciting sort of thing so people are unlikely to take any shots..

Edit: Found a pic... KWA engineers wagon - seventh picture down the page.

 

[GB]

The loading arrangements for tracked excavators used to be contained within the Network Rail book "The Loading Manual for Infrastructure Traffic". Having checked just now I see this appears to have been withdrawn.

The manual is still very much live and in use. The latest issue is issue no 2 dated 2008, thought there have been several amendments/additions/alterations since the full manual was last published.

 

[Trog]

I haven't found any pics yet, probably not the most exciting sort of thing.

Thats life all over, loading a greasy bogie Flatrol with a Cat951 side tipping dozer. On a rainy day using just two or three rotten sleepers could be very exciting. I have seen photos of a dozer sitting on its back end with its blade in the air after a failed loading attempt.

Once on the wagon deck the machine back and filled until the overhang on each side of the wagon looked equal by eye and were then backed into the end of the well and strapped down with chains tensioned with a smaller version of a screw coupling. This was a horrible job as the chain was heavy and kept pinching your hands. The fabric straps used more recently made doing the job so much easier.

With fabric straps the nornal pattern was to put a 10T strap at a low angle round the end of the tracks away from the end of the machine that was against the end of the well. Usually the front of the machine, this was to hold the machine into the end of the well. There would then be a 10T strap over the tracks front and rear as close to straight up and down as the shape of the machines body allowed , to hold the machine down and improve its grip on the floor of the wagon. Lastly there would be a 5T strap across the top of the blade at an angle to keep that from moving. These were usually ratchet straps, but the standard plain straps and wagon winches would some times be used. Particually for the bucket strap, or when straping 360' machines that gave more choice in where you could fit the straps over the tracks.

Wear sleeves or more often rail pads would be used to protect the straps where they ran over any corners on the load or wagon. On one equipment wagon used to carry Wacker plates etc. I actually nailed some of the hard smooth EVA rail pads over the corner between the wagon side and deck. So I did not have to go looking for pads every time I loaded it.

 

[Ploughman]

There are portable (ie machine liftable) ramps and platforms carried on the ends of some of the well wagons. Basically one of the tracked machines lifts a platform off the end of its own wagon, and drops it alongside in the six foot. Next to that it places a similar looking ramp. Drives off rail wagon, does a 90 degree turn on the square platform and then down the ramp. Train can then move along and position other tracked plant alongside the platform and ramp.

I haven't found any pics yet, probably not the most exciting sort of thing so people are unlikely to take any shots..

Edit: Found a pic... KWA engineers wagon - seventh picture down the page.

Thanks for that