Plasser & Theurer infrastructure equipment

The basic activity of the CFR - SA National Railways Company is to repair and maintain railway infrastructure within safety and comfort parameters, while developing parallel well-defined activities to modify the network.
Significant projects were worked out to make the main objectives within the company efficient. Infrastructure was equipped with heavy and light machinery and equipment, reliable and productive.
With financing from the World Bank, the CFR - SA National Railways Company acquired over the years heavy machines and equipment needed to create access conditions to the infrastructure in a competition and safe environment.
With loans contracted from the World Bank, CFR - SA acquired equipment from Plasser & Theurer, the world's number one manufacturer of heavy railway equipment, required for a qualitative leap in line with the new European requirements. Among these are:
1. DGS 62 N dynamic ballast bed stabilization machine:
a) main technical specifications:
- bumper-to-bumper length 17,250 mm;
- weight 60 t;
- engine power 348 kW;
- productivity over 1,500 m/h.
b) operating parameters:
- works: ballast bed compacting with controlled application of horizontal vibrating forces with variable frequency between 0 - 42 Hz and application of vertical forces up to 240 kN;
- elimination of speed restrictions by compacting the ballast bed;
- high reliability of parts and components.
c) utilization:
- ballast bed compacting by controlled application of vibrating forces.
2. 08-16 boring machine
a) technical data:
- bumper-to-bumper length 18,710 mm;
- weight 44 t;
- engine power 235 kW;
- top self-propelled speed 80 km/h;
- average productivity 350 m/h.
b) operating parameters:
- works: line boring, laser ripping and track leveling;
- works are aided by a on-board PC computer;
- high geometric precision of track parameters: +/- 1 mm;
- high reliability of parts and components.
c) utilization:
- mechanized boring of the ballast prism with a productivity of 350 m/h.
3. 08-475 4S/R track boring machine
a) main technical data:
- bumper-to-bumper length 27,740 mm;
- weight 69 t;
- engine power 370 kW;
- top self-propelled speed 80 km/h;
- average productivity 80 minutes/track unit.
- works: runway and line barrage, with laser direction correction and length level, with ballast compacting at sleeper end cleansing of the ballast bed at sleeper level;
- works are aided by an on-board computer with a high geometric precision (+/- 0.5 mm);
- high reliability of parts and components.
c) utilization:
- mechanized boring of the ballast prism on track units and in adjacent areas.
4. 09-32 boring machine
a) main technical data:
- bumper-to-bumper length 27,640 mm;
- weight 63.5 t;
- top self-propelled speed 90 km/h;
- average productivity 1,200 m/h.
b) operating parameters:
- works: line boring for two sleepers simultaneously (the machine advances constantly); level correction and laser direction correction, with ballast compacting at sleeper ends;
- works are aided by an on-board computer with a high geometric precision;
- the machine advances continuously during work, and boring mechanisms move intermittently, boring two sleepers simultaneously;
- high reliability of parts and components.
c) utilization:
- mechanized boring of the ballast prism of the track.
5. ballast prism cleansing machine
a) main technical data:
- bumper-to-bumper length 31,800 mm;
- weight 98 t;
- engine power 700 kW;
- top self-propelled speed 80 km/h;
- average productivity 650 cu.m./h.
- excavation: width 3.7 - 7.7 m;
- max. depth 1m from track surface;
b) operating parameters:
- works: ballast cleansing for track and track units, with automatic laser and manual control; recording of excavation parameters; ballast leveling and distribution;
- high reliability of parts and components.
c) utilization:
- ballast cleansing on the track and track units with high productivity (max. 650 cu.m./h).
The purchase by CFR - SA of this modern equipment allows better performance of the railway infrastructure, leading eventually to better traffic safety and higher railway operating speeds.

Oana Bran