A tie crane or tie handler, is a piece of rail transport maintenance of way equipment used to move and handle the railroad ties (also known as sleepers) used in rail tracks using track relaying. The machines are used as an alternative to the manual labor once used. Tie cranes frequently work with tie extractor/inserters to replace ties as part of a section gang.
Tie cranes were developed to speed up and automate the labor-intensive task of moving railroad ties, which typically weigh over 100 pounds (and as much as 500 pounds for concrete ties). Before tie cranes, track workers would move ties by hand, using tools such as tie tongs and lots of muscle. The tie crane allows one operator to move ties far faster than a group of track workers could move by hand. [1]
The central feature of a tie crane is, of course, a crane. This crane extends the reach of the vehicle up to 25 feet from the tracks. It is used to move ties into position for other machines to insert into the track, pick up old ties that have been removed, and to stack old ties for disposal. Mounted on a lightweight chassis with rail wheels, the operators cab and lifting arm pivot on a base, enabling 360 degree rotation. The end of the lifting arm has a gripper for picking up ties, and a movable wrist to allow the tie to be positioned. Often a small trolley is connected to the tie crane by a drawbar, for either storage of new ties to be placed into the track, or for taking away old ties that have been removed. [1] Tie cranes are self-propelled and powered by a diesel engine, and usually weigh under ten tons and have a top speed of 20 to 25 mph. [2] The crane is normally capable of lifting at least 800 pounds, making it able to lift any type of size of tie. Some tie cranes are also equipped with clamps which grab onto the rails to stabilize the machine, for moving ties far away from the track. [1]
Modern tie cranes offer more advanced features than their predecessors, including more advanced engines and hydraulic brakes. [3]
Specialized versions of tie cranes exist for use on bridges, these are known as bridge cranes. Bridge cranes are equipped with rail clamps for added stability, and are specially designed to replace ties on bridges, along with bridge elements such as stringers. [4]
While a tie crane is typically a strictly rail mounted vehicle, some manufacturers also offer road–rail vehicle versions, which have the added flexibility of being able to use roadways to move. [5]
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various companies, including Clark, which made transmissions, and Yale & Towne Manufacturing, which made hoists. Since World War II, the use and development of the forklift truck have greatly expanded worldwide. Forklifts have become an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and warehousing. In 2013, the top 20 manufacturers worldwide posted sales of $30.4 billion, with 944,405 machines sold.
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy objects and transporting them to other places. The device uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in transportation for the loading and unloading of freight, in construction for the movement of materials, and in manufacturing for the assembling of heavy equipment.
A loader is a heavy equipment machine used in construction to move or load materials such as soil, rock, sand, demolition debris, etc. into or onto another type of machinery.
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An aerial work platform (AWP), also known as an aerial device, elevating work platform (EWP), cherry picker, bucket truck or mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) is a mechanical device used to provide temporary access for people or equipment to inaccessible areas, usually at height. There are distinct types of mechanized access platforms and the individual types may also be known as a "cherry picker", "boom lift" or "scissor lift".
A railroad crane is a type of crane used on a railroad for one of three primary purposes: freight handling in goods yards, permanent way (PW) maintenance, and accident recovery work. Although the design differs according to the type of work, the basic configuration is similar in all cases: a rotating crane body is mounted on a sturdy chassis fitted with flanged wheels. The body supports the jib and provides all the lifting and operating mechanisms; on larger cranes, an operator's cabin is usually provided. The chassis is fitted with buffing (UK) and/or coupling gear to allow the crane to be moved by a locomotive, although many are also self-propelled to allow limited movement about a work site.
A gantry crane is a crane built atop a gantry, which is a structure used to straddle an object or workspace. They can range from enormous "full" gantry cranes, capable of lifting some of the heaviest loads in the world, to small shop cranes, used for tasks such as lifting automobile engines out of vehicles. They are also called portal cranes, the "portal" being the empty space straddled by the gantry.
A tamping machine or ballast tamper, informally simply a tamper, is a self-propelled, rail-mounted machine used to pack the track ballast under railway tracks to make the tracks and roadbed more durable and level. Prior to the introduction of mechanical tampers, this task was done by manual labour with the help of beaters. As well as being faster, more accurate, more efficient and less labour-intensive, tamping machines are essential for the use of concrete sleepers since they are too heavy to be lifted by hand.
An overhead crane, commonly called a bridge crane, is a type of crane found in industrial environments. An overhead crane consists of two parallel rails seated on longitudinal I-beams attached to opposite steel columns by means of brackets. The traveling bridge spans the gap. A hoist, the lifting component of a crane, travels along the bridge. If the bridge is rigidly supported on two or more legs running on two fixed rails at ground level, the crane is called a gantry crane or a goliath crane.
A work train or departmental train is one or more rail cars intended for internal non-revenue use by the railroad's operator. Work trains serve functions such as track maintenance, maintenance of way, revenue collection, system cleanup and waste removal, heavy duty hauling, and crew member transport.
Material handling equipment (MHE) is mechanical equipment used for the movement, storage, control, and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The different types of equipment can be classified into four major categories: transport equipment, positioning equipment, unit load formation equipment, and storage equipment.
Vehicle recovery is the recovery of any vehicle to another place, generally speaking with a commercial vehicle known as a recovery vehicle, tow truck or spectacle lift.
A ballast regulator is a piece of rail transport maintenance of way equipment used to shape and distribute the gravel track ballast that supports the ties in rail tracks. They are often used in conjunction with ballast tampers when maintaining track.
Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. is a railroad maintenance equipment and services provider. Loram provides track maintenance services to freight, passenger, and transit railroads worldwide, as well as sells and leases equipment which performs these functions.
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Etihad Rail DB was a heavy-rail Operations & Maintenance (O&M) service provider in the UAE. The company was set up in 2013 as a joint venture between Etihad Rail (51%), the developer of the UAE's national railway network and Deutsche Bahn (DB) (49%), Europe's largest railway operator and infrastructure owner. Etihad Rail DB was responsible for the operations and maintenance of Stage One of the UAE's national railway network for Etihad Rail’s primary customer, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Etihad Rail DB concluded an Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Agreement with Etihad Rail in August 2013.
A catenary maintenance vehicle is a railroad maintenance of way vehicle that is used to maintain and inspect overhead line on electrified railroad or metro tracks. Such vehicles are typically self-propelled by a diesel engine, to allow them to operate when power is shut off to the overhead lines for worker safety or in the event of a power failure. Catenary maintenance vehicles allow maintenance of way workers to safely work on overhead wires and typically include a crane to install or remove wires as needed.
A Tie exchanger is a self-propelled railroad maintenance of way vehicle that removes old railroad ties from tracks and inserts new ones. By using mechanical and hydraulic force, a tie extractor/inserter can replace ties much faster and with more precision than is possible by hand.
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