Customer service has remained a top priority for Harrybilt over the years, holding long-standing relationships with rail companies like DT Infrastructure.
Renowned for its innovative designs and equipment, family-owned Harrybilt Engineering continues to build on its reputation of providing highly specialised solutions to local and national rail customers, all built in its factory in Ballarat in Victoria.
For almost 40 years, Harrybilt Engineering has provided customers with innovative designs and equipment needed to perform maintenance across Australia’s rail networks.
The business has remained on a steady growth journey since its origins, and along for the ride has been customer DT Infrastructure.
Lindsay Furness, national plant manager DT Infrastructure (DTI) said DTI’s long-standing relationship with Harrybilt has stood the test of time.
Furness said the relationship, dating back 30 years, has witnessed the changing and growing industry, to which Harrybilt has adapted and thrived in.
“We witnessed them during a transition period between owners and shifts in the rail industry” he said. “In recent years the rail industry has shifted from contracts being mostly government based to most companies now subcontracting. This change came with new demands from contractors needing machinery on shorter notice.”
Furness said other changes included different certifications and requirements that are now mandatory for the rail industry that did not exist in the past.
“It is more regulated than it used to be, and they adapted well to the current certification processes, registrations, compliances and standards that came into play.”
Since 1985, the Harrybilt team has developed significant experience in the rail industry, priding itself on having the ability to design and develop equipment to suit specific customer needs.
Furness called it an “understanding” of each other’s business operations, keeping DTI’s projects on track.
“They adapt and make things happen for us when we need them to,” he said.
“Sometimes being a contractor in the industry things need to happen on very short notice, and every time they have been fairly adaptable in making those deadlines and meeting our needs.”
Furness said there has never been a request from DTI, to keep operations running smoothy, that was unexpected to Harrybilt.
“For example, sometimes we have one month to get a tender in order once it has been won, and Harrybilt accommodate well, despite being busy and having their own bank of orders.”
As a national leading provider of rail infrastructure and maintenance across passenger, freight, mining, and light rail networks, DTI requires machines of varying size and use.
Currently, DTI has six Harrybilt excavators in its fleet, ranging from the seven and a half tonne up to the 17 tonne Hi Rail machines, with two more on order.
Furness said DTI uses specific rail Harrybilt attachments including Octopus, Platypus, forks and undercutter attachments, lift and layout sweepers, threaders and tamping heads combined with the Hitachi Harrybilt combination excavators in various sizes.
“The bigger machines are typically used on larger, heavy haul rail networks where DTI is not restricted by rolling stock outlines and clearances,” he said.
“Previously we have been restricted with a narrow gauge option when working on a rail network with restricted with workspace.
“For that reason, the 14 tonne machines are a good, general all purpose machine for most of our projects, so we predominantly aim to have that 14-tonne machine on hand.”
National works
Furness said recent DTI projects have involved upgrade works along varying rail networks around the country.
“Most of our 14-tonne machines are located in South Australia and the Northern Territory,” he said.
“We just finished one project in Port Augusta and another one where we successfully re-sleepered a site in Tenant Creek.
“We also have works out west in the Pilbara and in Perth in Western Australia, and of course down south in Victoria and Tasmania where we are using the seven and a half tonners for re-ballasting tracks,” he said.
After years of working together on numerous projects, Furness said Harrybilt has continuously proven its reliability and position as a “one stop shop” for DTI’s needs. “They will also organise all the network registrations which are needed for different rail networks throughout the country,” said Furness.
“When the machines are delivered, they are ready to go.
“Harrybilt is supplying a very good product these days, they’re very innovative, they’re doing a good job.”
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