Copyright © 2001 FleetWatch magazine and FleetWatch On-Line.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission from the publishers. Views published are not necessarily those of the publishers.

A "genuine world first" happened in Europe some 25 years back with the successful operation of road-rail vehicles for all manner of applications.

When suitable road to rail transfer units were needed for the building of the Ermelo to Richards Bay rail line, the unit operated in Europe was looked at. Due to the narrower South African rail gauge, it just would not work. A South African assembled vehicle was taken and modified to run on road and on rail.

The machine was extensively tested at Koedoespoort, the SA Railways engineering centre. It transferred from road to rail and back, shunted four fully loaded DZ railcars, coped with the super elevation of the permanent way curves and turnouts and with the undulation of new rail sets laid but not levelled.

In operation, the unit self-loaded continuous rail line (the Richards Bay rail is not butt joined but tapers into the next rail) onto a train of dollys and shunted off to where the unit offloaded itself, laying the line into position on the prelaid sleepers.

In one test, requiring a qualified loco-driver to be at the controls, the main line from Johannesburg to Springs was traversed. The vehicle de-railed at Springs station and returned to Johannesburg by road. Vehicles of this type were placed into service in construction, mining and two in Zimbabwe for maintenance of rail overhead electrification systems.

Specially profiled rail guide wheels front and rear were lowered hydraulically and traction was facilitated by the rubber tyres on the rail by two or four wheel drive with hydraulic floating ensuring that the guide wheels did not elevate the unit to reduce traction. The units could operate in forward or reverse or be rotated on an hydraulic turntable if the operator desired. Towed vehicle braking was actuated by air pressure, vacuum or hydraulic servo.

As a high speed solo transporter or in the roll of a small but powerful locomotive, this vehicle concept worked well. The vehicle was a Mercedes Benz. This was a South African first.
M Shackleford
Alberton

Editor's Comment: I must point out that the 'world first' claim was not made by FleetWatch but by Spoornet. I thus passed your letter onto Spoornet and received the following reply:

In response to Mr Shackleford's letter to FleetWatch, I submit the following. Yes, road-rail vehicles have been in use in various configurations for the past 25 years as Mr Shackleford states. However what is a world first is the total package that has been developed in conjunction with various suppliers and implemented by Spoornet. Unique features that make Spoornet's road-rail vehicles unique (world first) are:

• Totally integrated hydraulic system to provide power to the rail gear, material handling crane and tools.

• The vehicle is an integrated powerpack without additional power sources required.

• Ease of use and operator friendly controls to select the required function (crane, tool or rail gear).

• Custom built toolboxes to ensure easy access and that tools are properly secured.

• Material handling crane fitted with mechanical and electronic safety devices to perform maintenance tasks under live overhead wires. The crane is without outriggers as the whole vehicle provide a stable platform.

• Load body is designed to optimise loading space, capacity and accessibility.

• Vehicle is built on a standard road vehicle chassis which can be normalised after removing the rail gear at the end of its economic life.

• Vehicles are acquired on a FML (full maintenance lease) agreement from Viamax Fleet Solutions.

• Track gauge is 1065mm where most of the rest of the world is on 1435mm track gauge.

• The total road-rail vehicle is designed to be an integrated part of the infrastructure maintenance philosophy. Core goals are reliability, availability, affordability and safety of our rail system.

I hope this explanation will put Spoornet's road-rail vehicles as a "world first" in context.

Wimpie Oosthuizen
Senior Engineer
Infrastructure Maintenance
Spoornet

Your comment

Problem resolved

Just a short note to thank you for your involvement and interest in resolving our long standing problem regarding toll fees. As a result of your article in a past issue of FleetWatch, the N3TC have been in contact and have offered to refund all the toll fees incurred during the course of our emergency work over peak periods.

This is hugely appreciated and will certainly help the budget. As you know, there is a danger of our operations being curtailed - or even cancelled in the future - due to rising operational expenses. The granting of free passage through the toll plazas will certainly go some way towards alleviating our budget restraints.
Philip Hull
Community Medical Services

Editor's Note: Pleasure and we're thrilled that your pocket has been lightened to some extent. We know the services you and your team of voluntary workers provide to truckers and the public are vital - and we're behind you all the way. In fact, we urge any company which, instead of spending whacks of money on some soon forgotten Christmas bash, wants to have a look at redirecting those bucks towards Hull and his team to contact us at FleetWatch and we'll do the introduction. If you need to know more about the services they offer, visit our web site on www.fleetwatch.co.za, click on Past Issues, then on May 2001 and go to the article headed "Let's help the helpers'. It's a truly worthwhile call! And three cheers to the N3TC for coming to the party by wavering toll fees for the team's emergency vehicles. That's a great contribution to the cause.

Your comment

Terrible truck driver
I WOULD like to make people aware of the MOST discourteous truck driver I have ever seen in my life.

On Friday 12th October about 2:30pm on the R21 highway from Pretoria to Johannesburg, a MacDonald's Transport driver in trailer No. BKL 275NC hogged the road to such an extraordinary extent that he had a back-to-back trail of trucks and ordinary vehicles for about 10 kms.

I couldn't believe the behavior of such a person. He could have caused a dreadful accident. It would not have been too difficult even for an idiot to just go onto the left of the road until the other heavy vehicles and cars could pass and then he could drive again. He was deliberately trying to antagonize every other driver of the highway.

MacDonald's Transport should know who this driver is and should be ashamed of such a person. He certainly isn't a credit to MacDonald's.
Linda Vivienne
Honeydew

Editor's Comment: Many thanks for bringing this to the attention of our readers. We tried to get hold of someone from MacDonald's to answer your letter but ran out of time before going to print. We will, however, continue to try get someone to respond.

My initial thought is that the driver may well have been obeying the rules of the road which states that he cannot move into the emergency lane unless he can see his way clear for at least 150 metres ahead. And if he can, it is entirely at his discretion whether or not he chooses to move over. He is not obliged to do so but most do as a matter of courtesy to faster moving traffic. Was this on a hill, a blind rise or was it on a straight stretch of road?

You will notice that many trucks now display on the back a sign notifying motorists that the driver is not permitted to drive in the yellow lane. This is because many trucks have been involved in accidents from doing exactly what you wanted this driver to do - pull over to let a row of cars pass. When they do so, the cars often do not give the truck a gap to re-enter the driving lane and some horrendous accidents - with people killed - have taken place when the truck goes round a corner or comes over a rise and smashes into a stationary vehicle in the emergency lane. As a result of this - plus a lot of other reasons - many employers now forbid their drivers from moving over. But, let me not answer for MacDonald's. We'll try get them to respond and will publish it.

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WIN...now the best letter will get a boot!


THESE BOOTS are made for walking - and that's just what they'll do every month for one of our readers.

FleetWatch has joined up with engine manufacturer Cummins to give away a pair of Cummins boots - valued at R500 - to the best letter published in each issue of FleetWatch. We're kicking off in this issue and it will continue every month through to the end of 2002.

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The rationale behind this initiative is that FleetWatch prides itself on the interactive relationship it has with its readers. We have also always appreciated not only the time taken to put pen to paper but also the many subjects which are introduced through these letters. This FleetWatch/Cummins partnership venture will enable us to now reward those who do take the time and trouble to write in.

So go for it! Let the ink flow. Our pages are open to our readers to question, contradict, debate, share experiences - good or bad - and just get in there and participate in the many issues facing the industry. Your contribution could win you a pair of Cummins boots.