Rail. Right through

Rail. Right through

Rolling stock advancements to improve the performance of heavy haul operations

Andrew Willaton State Manager Queensland

Australia

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Overview

•  Interfleet Technology & SNC-Lavalin •  Heavy Haul Experience •  Locomotive Advancements •  Wagon Advancements •  Instrumented Wheelset Technology 4 •  Conclusions

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The Interfleet Group - Overview Organisation

•  An international rail consultancy; with a network of 25 offices across 4 continents. Services

•  Wide-ranging service portfolio, encompassing all aspects of the railway system and its operation:

Staff •  600 core staff, supplemented by extensive international network of associates. Now part

of SNC-Lavalin which has approximately 26,000 employees. History

•  Formed in April 1994 from the former InterCity engineering arm of British Railways. •  MBO from British Railways in March 1996. Australian office established 1997. •  Member of the SNC-Lavalin Group since October 2011, forming part of the Infrastructure

and Environment Division.

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Interfleet’s Clients – Locations

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Interfleet Heavy Haul Experience

•  Pilbara expansion project – 160t Iron ore wagons – SD70ACe locomotives

•  Pacific National Queensland Coal – Diesel and electric

locomotives – 106t Coal wagons

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Locomotive Advancements

•  Remote monitoring and download of data e.g. Intellitrain, Expert-On-Alert

•  Longer maintenance intervals

•  In-cab guidance for driver e.g. Leader, Trip Optimiser, FreightMiser

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Wagon Advancements

•  Drawgear •  Brakes •  Bogie •  Body

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Wagon Drawgear Advancements

•  Forged yokes/followers •  Increase in number of

wagons with drawbars •  Physical fatigue testing of

couplers, yokes and knuckles AAR M-216

•  Coupler and knuckle castings –  Grade E+ –  Limitation of Al content –  Surface quality

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Wagon Brake Advancements

•  ECP Brake –  Even brake block wear –  Even wheel temperatures –  Reduced in train forces

•  Longer life brake blocks •  Removal of empty load

valve (ECPB) •  Spring applied park brakes •  Onboard wagon health

monitoring linked via ECP

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Wagon Bogie Advancements

•  Cross bracing of bogies •  Tare contact springs •  Bearings for >40tal

increase bearing overhaul life

•  Wheels –  size of defects < 1mm FBH –  wheel material yield

strength

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Wagon Body Advancements

•  5CR12 stainless steel standard

•  Fatigue Load Spectrum generation through IOC

•  Reduction in tare mass

•  Increased draft and buff loads

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IWT 4

•  Instrumented Wheelset Technology 4

•  Allows monitoring of wheel/rail forces

•  Onboard system can also report areas of high track forces as an operating tool

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IWT 4

•  Original system limited bandwidth of 20Hz

•  Curently developing system to offer a bandwidth around 2,000Hz.

•  This higher frequency means that IWT4 will be able to ”see” extremely small defects in the track while running at normal line speeds

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Conclusions

•  Constant challenge to ensure materials and manufacturing quality for heavy haul applications

•  Continued demand from operators to increase axle loads

•  New technology been used to provide exact measurement of forces

•  R&D has been driven by operators requirements •  Challenge for the supply chain to step up to meet new

requirements

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Questions South Africa Contact Australian Contact Mike Gallie-James Andrew Willaton james.m@interfleet.co.uk andrewwillaton@interfleet.com.au