Müller Packaging and their neighbour company Stahl Reiden have put a new TERBERG/ZAGRO RR282 rail vehicle into operation for their works transport in Reiden, Lucerne.
Müller AG Verpackungen and Stahl Reiden AG have sidings on which rail movements are made for raw material deliveries and dispatch of goods. SBB Cargo hands over the rail wagons at the transfer points outside the sidings. A common locomotive is operated for shunting activities within the sidings.
The two neighboring companies process several 10,000 tons of steel per year. With this quantity, raw material deliveries by truck are not an option ecologically and economically due to the limited payload. The additional traffic and the much longer unloading process would not be manageable for the operating process.
Last year, it became apparent that the old shunting locomotive, which was getting old, would have to be replaced in the near future. During a market study, various options were analyzed and evaluated. In the end, the decision was taken for the two-way vehicle TERBERG/ZAGRO RR282. As the name suggests, this truck can travel on rail and road, which makes shorter maneuver distances possible and allows maintenance and repairs to be carried out off the rails. The new vehicle combines proven truck and rail technologies and is designed for a tractive force of 2800 tons / 100 axles.
The TERBERG/ZAGRO RR282 shunting vehicle has two driven axles designed for the 1435 mm wide track gauge. This ensures high traction. The front steering axle has a significantly larger track width than the drive axles, which gives the vehicle the advantage of a narrow turning circle of 13.5 metres. It is also worth taking a quick look at the wagon brake system: even at the minimum speed of the diesel engine from the vehicle, the compressor reaches the maximum conveying capacity – which has a positive effect on operating costs. The vehicle can tow up to 25 railway wagons and be remotely controlled by one person. The radio remote control is simply designed, so that intuitive operation in rail operation is possible. The previous solution had required two operators. This makes raw material discharges and other shunting operations even more efficient.
The driver cabin is comfortably furnished with two ergonomically designed driver's cabs. The 29-tonne shunting vehicle has a safety driving circuit and modern control technology with a colour display as a rerailing aid. In addition to the ZAGRO rail guidance device, the vehicle is equipped with rail guide lighting for frequent night use, LED railway lighting with three-light peak signal and resistant tyres for safe shunting.
In addition, this road-rail vehicle is equipped with an ECO motor start-stop system. Especially in rail operation, longer idle times can occur. Depending on the duration of the standstill and stopping time, up to 3.3 liters of fuel per hour can be saved. This enables economical operation with high availability at the same time.
Fom left: Marco Hofmann (Müller Packaging, Werkleitung Reiden), Christian Bucher (Tafag AG / Zagro, Projektleiter) and Raphael Lattion (Stahl Reiden AG, Geschäftsführer) at the comissioning of the TERBERG/ZAGRO RR282 at the end of June 2021.
