Wind by Rail

[Anonymous]

Interesting reading about new windpower turbines being shipped by rail.

Vestas American Wind
takes to the rails#8230;

In early 2001 Vestas American Wind Technologies had been investigating different ways of transporting their newest generation of wind plants from the deep water port in Houston to wind farms across North America. The ideal solution would provide a safe, economical and reliable way to move equipment that could weigh as much as 76 metric tons and require clearances of up to 4.5 meters wide and 4 meters tall.

After considering various options, Vestas had identified rail as the most economical method to transport their equipment. In addition to the significant price advantages (as little as 20% of truck freight costs), the equipment was simply too large to transport easily by road. The inland waterways were not an option, since they wouldn#8217;t provide the required route flexibility.

The transportation of wind generation equipment would pose unique challenges to the North American railroad system. The large nacelles that house generator units would pu***he limits of track clearances for all but select western rail routes. The wind blades on Vestas#8217; 1.8 Megawatt V80 plant run up to 41 meters long, a potential problem when negotiating switching yards and narrow mountain passes. In addition, the equipment is sensitive to shock and vibration, and therefore must be transported at reduced speed and can not pass through hump yards. Furthermore, manufacturers and power companies demand that tight delivery schedules be met. #8220;It can cost $500,000 just to set up the specialized crane for erection of the wind turbine at single job site#8221; said Siggy Sigurdsson, who served as Vestas Transportation Manager at the time, #8220;you need dependable transportation and planning with these numbers on the line#8221;.

Vestas approached Burlington Northern Santa Fe#8217;s sales group to discuss their concerns. BNSF had been actively promoting shipments of wide clearance loads, and were confident that their railroad was up to the challenge. Most of their interstate system met clearance standards required by the customer. Furthermore, BNSF had been working hard to improve ride quality on their routes.

Ed Isbell, Manager of Sales for Industrial Products at BNSF, recommended that Vestas equip their nacelles with Lat-Lon#8217;s wireless RailRider monitoring units. RailRiders would provide GPS tracking throughout the trip. In addition, RailRiders were equipped with accelerometers, so any mishandling or over-speed impacts would be instantly detected and transmitted to the customer. #8220;I was confident BNSF and our partners would provide the best choice for Vestas#8221; said Isbell, #8220;RailRiders would provide the proof#8221;.

Vestas first rail shipment occurred in March of 2002, and went from Houston, TX, USA up to Pincher, AB, Canada. For this critical trip Vestas equipped their nacelle with two RailRiders, #8220;We wanted a positive correlation of any events so using multiple units made sense#8221; said Claus Justesen, Transport Assistant at Vestas, #8220;The entire move was carried out flawlessly. The only impacts the RailRider units recorded were minor, well within the tolerances of our equipment.#8221; Vestas was pleased enough with the results of this test shipment that they are now shipping virtually all of their heavy equipment by rail, and have added Union Pacific as a shipping partner. #8220;RailRider played an important roll helping us to make the commitment to rail transportation#8221;, stated Justesen, #8220;as we move forward developing even larger MW units, we intend to keep using rail transportation, and RailRider#8221;.

Siggy Sigurdsson, now with forwarder Translink, Inc, has found that the pioneering work done by Vestas is leading other wind plant manufacturers to consider using rail transportation. He is working with one manufacturer that is interested in shipping wind plants with 65 meter blades. "It's looking good for rail" stated Sigurdsson.

From Lat-Lon Newsletter


http://www.lat-lon.com/newsletter/newsletter2_2.html

[Anonymous]

Interesting reading about new windpower turbines being shipped by rail.

Vestas American Wind
takes to the rails#8230;

In early 2001 Vestas American Wind Technologies had been investigating different ways of transporting their newest generation of wind plants from the deep water port in Houston to wind farms across North America. The ideal solution would provide a safe, economical and reliable way to move equipment that could weigh as much as 76 metric tons and require clearances of up to 4.5 meters wide and 4 meters tall.

After considering various options, Vestas had identified rail as the most economical method to transport their equipment. In addition to the significant price advantages (as little as 20% of truck freight costs), the equipment was simply too large to transport easily by road. The inland waterways were not an option, since they wouldn#8217;t provide the required route flexibility.

The transportation of wind generation equipment would pose unique challenges to the North American railroad system. The large nacelles that house generator units would pu***he limits of track clearances for all but select western rail routes. The wind blades on Vestas#8217; 1.8 Megawatt V80 plant run up to 41 meters long, a potential problem when negotiating switching yards and narrow mountain passes. In addition, the equipment is sensitive to shock and vibration, and therefore must be transported at reduced speed and can not pass through hump yards. Furthermore, manufacturers and power companies demand that tight delivery schedules be met. #8220;It can cost $500,000 just to set up the specialized crane for erection of the wind turbine at single job site#8221; said Siggy Sigurdsson, who served as Vestas Transportation Manager at the time, #8220;you need dependable transportation and planning with these numbers on the line#8221;.

Vestas approached Burlington Northern Santa Fe#8217;s sales group to discuss their concerns. BNSF had been actively promoting shipments of wide clearance loads, and were confident that their railroad was up to the challenge. Most of their interstate system met clearance standards required by the customer. Furthermore, BNSF had been working hard to improve ride quality on their routes.

Ed Isbell, Manager of Sales for Industrial Products at BNSF, recommended that Vestas equip their nacelles with Lat-Lon#8217;s wireless RailRider monitoring units. RailRiders would provide GPS tracking throughout the trip. In addition, RailRiders were equipped with accelerometers, so any mishandling or over-speed impacts would be instantly detected and transmitted to the customer. #8220;I was confident BNSF and our partners would provide the best choice for Vestas#8221; said Isbell, #8220;RailRiders would provide the proof#8221;.

Vestas first rail shipment occurred in March of 2002, and went from Houston, TX, USA up to Pincher, AB, Canada. For this critical trip Vestas equipped their nacelle with two RailRiders, #8220;We wanted a positive correlation of any events so using multiple units made sense#8221; said Claus Justesen, Transport Assistant at Vestas, #8220;The entire move was carried out flawlessly. The only impacts the RailRider units recorded were minor, well within the tolerances of our equipment.#8221; Vestas was pleased enough with the results of this test shipment that they are now shipping virtually all of their heavy equipment by rail, and have added Union Pacific as a shipping partner. #8220;RailRider played an important roll helping us to make the commitment to rail transportation#8221;, stated Justesen, #8220;as we move forward developing even larger MW units, we intend to keep using rail transportation, and RailRider#8221;.

Siggy Sigurdsson, now with forwarder Translink, Inc, has found that the pioneering work done by Vestas is leading other wind plant manufacturers to consider using rail transportation. He is working with one manufacturer that is interested in shipping wind plants with 65 meter blades. "It's looking good for rail" stated Sigurdsson.

From Lat-Lon Newsletter


http://www.lat-lon.com/newsletter/newsletter2_2.html

[JoeKoh]

Ive seen some diffrent "moves" by rail. the parts for a toledo edison generating station were moved by rail.What a sight.
stay safe
joe

[JoeKoh]

Ive seen some diffrent "moves" by rail. the parts for a toledo edison generating station were moved by rail.What a sight.
stay safe
joe

[edblysard]

LC,
So far, we are on the 6th windmill train out of the city docks.
We set one up yesterday, getting it ready for loading.
Pretty cool train to look at.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[edblysard]

LC,
So far, we are on the 6th windmill train out of the city docks.
We set one up yesterday, getting it ready for loading.
Pretty cool train to look at.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

Ed-

There was a photo of the loads with the newsletter that won't come through, but they sure look interesting...

LC

[Anonymous]

Ed-

There was a photo of the loads with the newsletter that won't come through, but they sure look interesting...

LC

[edblysard]

I have a photo of the very first set of blade from the first set up being unloaded off the ship onto the flat cars.
These things are huge, one box of one blade is longer that a 85foot TTX flat.
Send me a e-mail address and I will send you a photo.
And it aint fair, UP gets the press, but we, the PTRA do the set up and first move, we have exclusive rights to all rail work in the city dock.
We marshel up all the flats, we store them, put it all together, do the inital air test, then drag it out of the docks, through our north yard to UP's basin yard, where we hand it off to a UP crew.
But we never get mentioned in the press.
If you have seen the GE comerical on TV that show the windmills, those ore the ones.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[edblysard]

I have a photo of the very first set of blade from the first set up being unloaded off the ship onto the flat cars.
These things are huge, one box of one blade is longer that a 85foot TTX flat.
Send me a e-mail address and I will send you a photo.
And it aint fair, UP gets the press, but we, the PTRA do the set up and first move, we have exclusive rights to all rail work in the city dock.
We marshel up all the flats, we store them, put it all together, do the inital air test, then drag it out of the docks, through our north yard to UP's basin yard, where we hand it off to a UP crew.
But we never get mentioned in the press.
If you have seen the GE comerical on TV that show the windmills, those ore the ones.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[mudchicken]

Ed:

Please keep shippin' those rascals. Working on the receiving end of the delivery pipeline at two sites. Would not want to see one of those industrial eggbeaters or industrial pinwheel assemblies try to go down the highway.

mchick'n

[mudchicken]

Ed:

Please keep shippin' those rascals. Working on the receiving end of the delivery pipeline at two sites. Would not want to see one of those industrial eggbeaters or industrial pinwheel assemblies try to go down the highway.

mchick'n

[Modelcar]

....These windmills are awesome to stand next to and watch them turn and do their thing of generating power. We have about 20 units now in my home area of Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Each of the three blades are 95' long and the supporting tower is 210' tall. Very impressive and useful. I don't know how they were transported to the area.

[Modelcar]

....These windmills are awesome to stand next to and watch them turn and do their thing of generating power. We have about 20 units now in my home area of Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Each of the three blades are 95' long and the supporting tower is 210' tall. Very impressive and useful. I don't know how they were transported to the area.

[TH&B]

Speaking of windmills and lightrail, I heard somewhere that the lightrail system used in Calgery Alberta gets supposedly all its electricity from windmill farms! This may be hogwash or true I don't know, but the concept should be possible and is interesting. I wonder what they do when it's not windy out?

[TH&B]

Speaking of windmills and lightrail, I heard somewhere that the lightrail system used in Calgery Alberta gets supposedly all its electricity from windmill farms! This may be hogwash or true I don't know, but the concept should be possible and is interesting. I wonder what they do when it's not windy out?

[edblysard]

Hey there mudchicken,
No I wouldnt want to see them go by truck either, bet the fuel cost would be out of this world.
The blades are shipped in modified containers, they look purpose built just for the blades, and are designed so they can stack them on top of each other.
When the ships get here, the baldes are on the deck, with the nacells and generators and assorted hardward below decks.
We have to set an idler car between each blade cars because of the overhang.
Its a real pain to put these together.
You have to pull up a car or two, they set a blade down, then ahead two more, another blade, so forth and so on till all the baldes are loaded.
Then you get to back up a car, so they can set the nacells on the idler cars, back another two, so forth.
Set all of this over, get a new empty train, and start with the generators and hardware.
Of course, the whole time your dodging the welders who are welding the clamps and chains to the blade containers, and all the normal traffic you see on a city dock.
Did get to have fun moving a toyota pickup last time.
The moron parked directly on top of a switch,(all the track in the docks is set in concrete at street level) and left his pick up there.
Not a big problem, we were still putting the blades on some flats.
But six hours later, we needed the head room to pull up, and the truck was still there. Got the Port Authority cops to look around, they ran the tags, but still couldnt find the guy.
Now we got the guys unloading the ship POed, the ships captain is not to happy either, he has to get out of there tomorrow, and every minute spent not unloading his ship is time he dosnt have.
The UP trainmaster who was running the show was going to find a forklift and move it, but leave it up to a trainmaster, twenty different warehouses, and he cant find a tow motor or forklift!
He ordered us to just shove it out of the way, but I told him only if he brought me a UP motor, not going to scratch up the pilot or bend up the handrails on one of my PTRA motors.
The he decided to break out a window, and take it out of gear, but the cops wouldnt let him, its illegal, vandalism and breaking and entering.
The light finally went on, and under orders from the UP trainmaster, we cut off from the train, ran around the truck on the landside track, came back on the other side of the pickup, and took one of the chains the loaders were welding to the flats, hooked it around the rear axel of the truck and the rear knuckle, the welders poped a tack weld to it, and we went north. Truck went north too, all the way to the other track.
Welders cut the chain, and we went back to work.
The whole time we were doing this, the Port cops had vanished, something about a coffee break...

Truck was gone the next day, never heard a word from anybody about it, and the funny part is, no one parks on the tracks around there anymore!

You should have a new train on the way to you today, it was all put together yesterday.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[edblysard]

Hey there mudchicken,
No I wouldnt want to see them go by truck either, bet the fuel cost would be out of this world.
The blades are shipped in modified containers, they look purpose built just for the blades, and are designed so they can stack them on top of each other.
When the ships get here, the baldes are on the deck, with the nacells and generators and assorted hardward below decks.
We have to set an idler car between each blade cars because of the overhang.
Its a real pain to put these together.
You have to pull up a car or two, they set a blade down, then ahead two more, another blade, so forth and so on till all the baldes are loaded.
Then you get to back up a car, so they can set the nacells on the idler cars, back another two, so forth.
Set all of this over, get a new empty train, and start with the generators and hardware.
Of course, the whole time your dodging the welders who are welding the clamps and chains to the blade containers, and all the normal traffic you see on a city dock.
Did get to have fun moving a toyota pickup last time.
The moron parked directly on top of a switch,(all the track in the docks is set in concrete at street level) and left his pick up there.
Not a big problem, we were still putting the blades on some flats.
But six hours later, we needed the head room to pull up, and the truck was still there. Got the Port Authority cops to look around, they ran the tags, but still couldnt find the guy.
Now we got the guys unloading the ship POed, the ships captain is not to happy either, he has to get out of there tomorrow, and every minute spent not unloading his ship is time he dosnt have.
The UP trainmaster who was running the show was going to find a forklift and move it, but leave it up to a trainmaster, twenty different warehouses, and he cant find a tow motor or forklift!
He ordered us to just shove it out of the way, but I told him only if he brought me a UP motor, not going to scratch up the pilot or bend up the handrails on one of my PTRA motors.
The he decided to break out a window, and take it out of gear, but the cops wouldnt let him, its illegal, vandalism and breaking and entering.
The light finally went on, and under orders from the UP trainmaster, we cut off from the train, ran around the truck on the landside track, came back on the other side of the pickup, and took one of the chains the loaders were welding to the flats, hooked it around the rear axel of the truck and the rear knuckle, the welders poped a tack weld to it, and we went north. Truck went north too, all the way to the other track.
Welders cut the chain, and we went back to work.
The whole time we were doing this, the Port cops had vanished, something about a coffee break...

Truck was gone the next day, never heard a word from anybody about it, and the funny part is, no one parks on the tracks around there anymore!

You should have a new train on the way to you today, it was all put together yesterday.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Mookie]

Ed: Tell Aimee to get the guest rooms ready. We are all going to come down and watch you work. You have the most fun of anyone on the whole forum!

Jen

[Mookie]

Ed: Tell Aimee to get the guest rooms ready. We are all going to come down and watch you work. You have the most fun of anyone on the whole forum!

Jen

[JoeKoh]

Ed
I can send you pictures of a towmotor to give your yardmaster and other bosses!
stay safe
joe

[JoeKoh]

Ed
I can send you pictures of a towmotor to give your yardmaster and other bosses!
stay safe
joe

[Anonymous]

I have seen some of these on truck trailers on their way to Chicago at a rest stop on I-80. They are massive. Must be a pain to load and unload. My dad and I paced them. They were close to a hundred feet long. Amazing!

[Anonymous]

I have seen some of these on truck trailers on their way to Chicago at a rest stop on I-80. They are massive. Must be a pain to load and unload. My dad and I paced them. They were close to a hundred feet long. Amazing!

[edblysard]

Jenny,
Aimee says the door is always open for you and your driver.
Uprr-mdc,
Yup, the blades hang over the ends of a 85 foot TTX flat, about 10 feet each end.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[edblysard]

Jenny,
Aimee says the door is always open for you and your driver.
Uprr-mdc,
Yup, the blades hang over the ends of a 85 foot TTX flat, about 10 feet each end.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

....These windmills are awesome to stand next to and watch them turn and do their thing of generating power. We have about 20 units now in my home area of Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Each of the three blades are 95' long and the supporting tower is 210' tall. Very impressive and useful. I don't know how they were transported to the area.

We even have 2 here in Lincoln and I wasn't paying attention when they came here! Darn.

Jen

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

....These windmills are awesome to stand next to and watch them turn and do their thing of generating power. We have about 20 units now in my home area of Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Each of the three blades are 95' long and the supporting tower is 210' tall. Very impressive and useful. I don't know how they were transported to the area.

We even have 2 here in Lincoln and I wasn't paying attention when they came here! Darn.

Jen

[Modelcar]

....Another bit of trivia of the windmills: One can stand close to several and watch them run and sometimes they are turned in slightly different directions from each other. The computer complex controls all of their actions. I noted they will operate in a wind ranging from 8 to 55Mph...The elevation of the land of the ones I'm referring to in Pennsylvania is approx. 2000 to 2200'. They really do seem to perform easily in a slight wind.

[Modelcar]

....Another bit of trivia of the windmills: One can stand close to several and watch them run and sometimes they are turned in slightly different directions from each other. The computer complex controls all of their actions. I noted they will operate in a wind ranging from 8 to 55Mph...The elevation of the land of the ones I'm referring to in Pennsylvania is approx. 2000 to 2200'. They really do seem to perform easily in a slight wind.