The Iron Highway was a proposed Intermodal/TOFC Diesel Multiple unit that could carry 20 containers/trailers and had two control cabs at each end. Each wheel in the consist was powered by an AC traction motor. Does anyone have any more information on it? Why was it shelved? Was there a prototype built? Thank you!
I just replied to an inactive thread from three years ago discussing Iron Highway -- you should see it alongside this one.
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
Railking42 The Iron Highway was a proposed Intermodal/TOFC Diesel Multiple unit that could carry 20 containers/trailers and had two control cabs at each end. Each wheel in the consist was powered by an AC traction motor. Does anyone have any more information on it? Why was it shelved? Was there a prototype built? Thank you!
Indeed a prototype was built. This was unpowered and was intended to be hauled by a locomotive. There was an article describing it, possibly in "Diesel Era" magazine.
It was tested by an Eastern Railroad, possibly CSX, because it carried trailers at a much lower level than standard TOFC cars and could be operated through tighter clearances.
After some testing it was stored, and was sold, presumably fairly cheaply to an Australian freight forwarder, CRT, based at Altona North west of Melbourne Victoria.
The individual cars were stored in a stack about ten high, separated from the suspension units which were stored separately.
Unfortunately, the cars were not low enough for standard trailers to fit inside the more restricted Australian clearances.
The train was reminiscent of a Talgo train in that a single axle sat between the two adjacent cars. It wasn't quite correct to say a single axle since each wheel was carried on its own stub axle with bearings each side. This allowed the articulation point to be located between the wheels at a lower level.
Some car bodies were designed to be separated to form ramps which allowed drive on drive of loading and unloading.
The train was never reassembled in Australia and was later scrapped, although two cars and three wheelsets were reassembled as a test to see how it could be done. CRT was taken over by Aurizon who were not interested in unconventional trains.
Peter
M636CThe train was reminiscent of a Talgo train in that a single axle sat between the two adjacent cars. It wasn't quite correct to say a single axle since each wheel was carried on its own stub axle with bearings each side. This allowed the articulation point to be located between the wheels at a lower level.
Much of the geometry, and the construction using the Talgoesque stub axles, can be seen in the same link that describes the 'Australian adaptation' that was designed for this train to operate on the often-lighter track construction there.
http://www.railmotive.net/22newtruckdesignfor.html
While we are on the subject, I'm a bit surprised the comic-relief EcoRail equipment wasn't at least tried in Australia; it seems reasonably suited to a number of operating 'realities' there... as much as it could really suit anything particularly well...
http://tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com/2012/04/cns-ecorail.html
(credit to Bob Smith for locating this link)
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