Alleys Heavy Haulage do the locomotion

Monday, March 30, 2015 - 15:01
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tyred

Just to give it some perspective

In order to deliver the first of a new generation of high-tech passenger trains, Allelys Heavy Haulage had to put a pair of bespoke-built Andover Trailers into operation.

The two low loaders were joined by a third Goldhofer trailer to collect the Hitachi Class 800 train as it was unloaded from a transporter ship at Southampton docks.

The train forms the first in the government’s £5.7 billion InterCity Express Programme (IEP), destined to enter service on Great Western from 2017 and East Coast from 2018.

Andover Trailers built each extendable five-axle power-steered low loader to support the full scope of rail industry work carried out by Allelys, while offering the versatility to undertake general heavy haulage duties as well.

Each trailer offers a payload capacity of up to 80 tonnes and can be extended to a total length of 28m; for the new Hitachi trains they ran at just under 26m and operated under STGO Category 3 load conditions.

Robert Ford, Transport Manager at Allelys Heavy Haulage, said: “You can’t acquire a trailer for this kind of work off-the-shelf – we liaised closely with the design team at Andover to get the specification just right. Our two companies have worked together over many years and we know from first-hand experience that Andover’s products are built to last.”

Also key to the specification is a hydraulic suspension which allows for 260mm of travel and can cope with the punishing action of driving across rail lines with a heavy load, while also offering ample height-adjustment for loading and unloading. A Knorr Bremse road-train module helps to speed-up braking response times and the EBS has been specially programmed to work with the hydraulic suspension. Both trailers also feature rail lines mounted in the floor and winch for loading and unloading.

Allelys Heavy Haulage is renowned in the industry for its ability to move heavy and otherwise abnormal loads. Its combination of more than 20 years’ experience of undertaking such movements and a fleet which includes six Andover Trailers low loaders and more than 100 Goldhofer axle lines means it is well-placed to cater for even the most demanding transport jobs.

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