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Why isn't RoadRailer more widely used?
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by Overmod</i> <br /><br />Actually, I'm beginning to think that the 'right' solution might be adapting the bogies themselves so they can be run 'coupled' to each other, and then to a train or locomotive in 'typical' RoadRailer fashion, to allow balancing moves. Then increase the pool of bogies to allow some to be kept as 'protection'. (I'm using bogie here to distinguish context clearly from 'truck'... which could be either sense when referring to RoadRailer stuff indiscriminately...) <br /> <br />I also suspect that some form of 'aftermarket' bogie conversion kit, allowing freight trucks from old boxcars to be adapted, might increase the potential bogie pool at very little capital cost. <br /> <br />Might be possible to put some functionality on the bogies in transit (like track-data accelerometer sets) to make the 'non-revenue' balancing moves less of a waste. <br /> <br /> <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />A few years ago I came up with such an invention to be used with the RailRunner technology. It was simply a bar with a "female" end on both ends. You would simply shove one end into (around?) the facing bogey tongue and then back it into the next empty bogey's tongue to connect to it. It could be stored on either the bogey or the chassis, and was intended for use in transfering empty bogies from one terminal to the other. But since RailRunner still has to catch on, it might be a while before the need for such a contraption arises. <br /> <br />It is interesting that the same cannot be done for the RoadRailer concept, since it's basic connection is one frontal trailer tongue being stuck into another trailer's rear slot, e.g. elephant style, so you wouldn't be able to apply that concept anywhere on the empty bogey. <br /> <br />Which brings me to another question: If one of the RR's went back to having rail wheels attached to the trailer frame, why not replace the tongue and slot connection with simple tight fit retractable couplers?
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