CP7 will see major investment in electrification, bridges and tunnel upgrades. This means there will be significant demand for specialised Overhead Line Electrification (OLE) plant for the next five years.
This work will be complex, challenging and above all needs to be cost effective. Torrent Trackside has positioned itself to meet this challenge with a large fleet of modern and efficient RRV MEWPs (Mobile Elevated Work Platforms).
The MEWPs can travel on road and rail. They are normally transported to the designated Site Access Point by low-loader and off loaded in road mode to the Track Access Point, where it can deploy its rail wheels and become a rail mounted machine. This allows easy access for overhead line equipment installation work or routine maintenance activities on the infrastructure’s assets, in fact anywhere where working at height is required.
Torrent Trackside’s latest generation MEWPs are the much sought after Manitou based machines, with four wheel drive, four wheel steer and all-terrain capability. This really maximises manoeuvrability for on/off tracking and tight, short-of-space worksites.
The fleet consists of two types of MEWPs, the Rail Products ART17TH and the Neotec Skyrailer 400RR. Both MEWPs have a massive 400kg basket capability with enough space for one MEWP operator and two overhead linesmen with a selection of hand tools. The MEWP has a working height of 16.5 metres and a lateral outreach of over 8.5 metres.
The Manitou MEWPs are powered by the highly desirable Tier 4, Stage IIIA Kubota engine, which is well known for its excellent reliability and strong environmental credentials. To enhance capacity, a lightweight rail trailer is available, which can carry up to an additional 1000kg.
The machines provide a spacious and stable platform for OLE work. Credit: Torrent Trackside.
A number of the MEWPs are fitted with an advanced pantograph reader. This can automatically record height and stagger measurements directly into an Excel spreadsheet whilst on the move, or fitted with a standard Mast Reader, which can check height and stagger at the desired distances.
Safety is optimised by foam filled flotation tyres, which eliminates tyre punctures, and the latest hydrostatic transmission and pumps, which ensures smooth and precise movements in every area of operation without the hydraulic bounce or jerk of the older type machines.
The MEWPs can be supplied with OLE tools and equipment. This will remove a major logistical burden from the customer and help deliver real efficiency and savings to any project.
This year, the entire MEWP fleet is undergoing a programme of refurbishment and upgrades which will including adding side trays for extra carrying capacity and some machines will have a new fixed trailer system added, eliminating the need for manual handling of the old style trailers. Throughout this year all our MEWPs will go through the upgrade programme making the entire fleet ECC Certified for the next seven years.
