Switch Replacment

Rail

Anric Rail has successfully completed a normally very difficult task with ease and efficiency.

On the 9th and 10th of November we helped Sydney trains Major works track production division successfully complete the installation of steel work replacement at a number of locations in Harris Park/Parramatta area including four 27 meter long Switch’s.

This called for a new approach to the methodology of the works as a single switch being worth around the hundred thousand dollar mark there is no room for error. As the conventional way of delivering and replacing would have involved two large front end loaders having to negotiated their way around 3 kilometres of infrastructure including signalling equipment, points rodding, crossings and platforms just to carry one item at a time. This process can be quick when there is easy access, but this method is very dangerous in difficult access areas.

So the project engineers at Sydney Trains together with Anric Rail staff put together a design for conducting the works in a completely new and unconventional way.

The basic idea was to tandem lift with road rail excavators, this would normally be impossible due to the large weights of the rail and the reach needed but as our large road rail excavators are fitted with rated capacity controllers, we were able to offer a delivery and installation system.

With the use of our 20t capacity rail trailers and custom made extra long draw bars we were able to set up a delivery platform over 30 meters long. These were then connected to the host road rail excavators on either end.

We were able to move to the location where the new steel work was delivered, load up the trailer platform and then move on down the track to the installation area. The road rail excavators were used to lift the old switch’s and crossings off the adjacent line and placed between the trailer platform and the track that was being worked on. Then we where able to start unloading the new steel work into place with ease, this was all conducted adjacent to live running lines.

This project is one of two as there was a trial run three month earlier at the Hawkesbury River with 18 meter long switch’s below is a short video clip on the trial run at the Hawkesbury River Job.

All in all the two jobs were completed ahead of time and with no incidents, most of all giving the client peace of mind through out the job especially when it come to the quality of the finished product delivered to the network as there was no damage the switch blades which is the biggest concern on the day.