Glenn Lorenz

Vossloh Cogifer Australia Pty Ltd

May 2014 Brisbane

Heavy Haul Turnouts

•Heavy Haul Turnouts are designed

and manufactured to meet the needs

of Heavy Haul rail systems and

networks.

•Vossloh Cogifer Australia (VCA) is a

designer and manufacture of Turnouts

and Rail component in Australia.

•VCA have supplied turnouts in all

heavy haul networks in Australia.

Contents:

• What is Heavy Haul?

• Who Uses Heavy Haul?

• Client Needs / Expectations.

• Heavy Haul geometries and

Configurations.

• Turnout Design.

• Turnout manufacture.

• Heavy Haul Turnout components.

• Turnout Installation &

Maintenance.

• Future for Heavy Haul Turnouts

•What is Heavy Haul Rail?

Any rail Haulage above 28 Tonne Axle

Load

Heavy Haul Sub Category :

Medium HH – 28 to 34 Tonne Axle Load.

Super HH – 35 to 42+ Tonne Axle Load.

Unit of Measure

Wagon single axle vertical load mass.

E.g. 120 gross tonne wagon ÷ 4 Axles =

30 Tonne Axle Load. (TAL).

North West

BHP Iron Ore

Rio Tinto

FMG

Mid – West

& OPR

Aurizon

NSW

Hunter Valley

ARTC

Who Uses Heavy Haul in Australia?

Heavy Haul Pilbara – WA

Standard Gauge

• BHP Billiton Iron Ore – 37TAL at

220 MT p.a.

• Newman, Yandi & Yarrie Networks

• To Port Hedland & Finucane Island.

• Rio Tinto / Pilbara Iron – 35TAL at

290 MT p.a.

• Paraburdoo, West Angelas,

Brockman & Yandicoogina to

Dampier & E. Intercourse Island.

• Robe River Network – Pannawonica,

Mesa J & Area C to Cape Lambert.

• Fortescue Metals Group – 42TAL

at 155 MT p.a.

• Single line parallel with Newman

Railroad.

• Christmas Creek & Cloudbreak to

FMG port at Finucane Island.

Christmas Creek &

Cloudbreak

FMG

BHP Billiton

Yarrie Line

BHP Billiton

Newman & Yandi Networks

Rio Tinto

Pilbara Iron Networks

Rio Tinto

Robe River Line

Mesa J & K

Heavy Haul – QLD Narrow Gauge

•30TAL at 120 MTpa shipping coking coal:

•Four Systems now operated by Aurizon

•Newlands System - Bowen Basin (non-elec)

•Feeds to Abbot Point

•Goonyella System (non-elec)

•Feeds to Hay Point & Dalrymple Bay

•Blackwater System (elec)

•Feeds to new port at Jilalan (near Rockhampton)

•Moura System (elec) - Feeds to Gladstone

•RG Tanna Coal Terminal; Barney Point

Heavy Haul – NSW

ARTC – Std Gauge

•32TAL at Over 90 MTpa shipping steaming coal

•Lower Hunter

•Mt. Thorley, Ravensworth, Bayswater

•Upper Hunter

•Ulan & Gulgong (Ulan Line)

•New England Ranges

•Gunnedah & Curlewis

•3 Ports at Newcastle

•Port Waratah Coal Services

•Kooragang Island

•Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Services

•Ability to handle extremely

heavy loads.

•Long Life Cycle.

•Component reliability.

•Minimal maintenance.

•Component interchangeability.

•Maintenance access within minimal

time frame, to suit increasingly

frequent train schedules.

•Provide technical support.

Client Needs –in HH Turnout design.

Heavy Haul geometries and Configurations.

•HH geometries differ little from non Heavy haul turnouts.

•Standard Secant and Tangential geometry.

•Geometry, turnout radius and angle is determined by the required

speed of the operator, both on diverge and mainline movements.

•Turnout angles generally range from 1:10 to 1:25

Turnout Design and Features:

•Understanding of clients technical requirements.

Axle loads, Speeds, Interfacing, Gauge, Wheel profile,

signalling……

•Selection of appropriate components and material

must be significantly robust to handle the load

requirements.

•Rail Type – Size, Hardness

•Switch type – Full Depth, Mang tipped, Thick web,

Asymm.

•Crossing Type - SNX, RBM, Fabricated.

•Bearer type – Concrete, Timber, Steel, Composite.

•Plating – Cast, Braced, Fabricated.

•Fastening System - Resilient, Screwed.

•Cast Components – Material selection.

Turnout Manufacture:

•Achievement of High tolerance

Repeatability in manufacture is

critical to ensure consistent and

high quality product.

•The use of 3D software and

numerically controlled machines

for manufacture provides high

tolerance and repeatability.

•Use of jigs to ensure quality,

consistency and replication of

product and assemblies.

Heavy Haul components.•Fastenings:

•Complete resilient fastening systems.

•Removal of screw spikes into bearers.

•Removal of conventional screws and bolts and

replace with swage lock bolting and elastic type

fasteners.

Traditional fastening system Resilient fastening system

RE68 /136RE Rail, &

RE136TW Switch Rail

AS 60 Rail

60E1A1 Switch Rail

U 33 Guard Rail

Rail Section Height (mm) Mass (kg/m) Izz x 106mm4 Zhead x 103mm3

RE 68 / 136 RE 185.7 67.5 39.4 391.7

RE 136 TW 185.7 87.8 41.9 415.5

AS 60 170.0 60.6 29.3 322.4

60 E1 A1 134.0 73.0 17.3 229.9

•Full Depth Manganese

tip Switchblade

Heavy Haul components.Switches:

•Asymmetric section Switchblades.

•Through Hardened

Thick Web Switch

Rail Section.

• Asymmetric Switchblades

• 60 E1 A1 (or variants) for switchblades – usually heat-treated

• Used with 60E1 or AS 60 stockrails and running rails – also heat-treated

• Up to 32.5 tonnes / axle; Up to 100 km / hour loaded

• IBAV / ISRB Resiliently fastened stockrails

• Improved lateral stiffness – for design of operating equipment / backdrives

• However, reduced bearer spacing (500 mm) for HAL applications.

• Full – Depth Switchblades

• May be over-riding, or flat-bottomed (with cut-away stockrails)Depends

of the stockrail locators & supports – rail braces

• AREMA Standards – reinforced, with Austenitic Manganese Steel tips

• RE 68 / 136 RE – HT / HH recommended for HAL applications

• Use of Thick-Web rail allows for tangential switch geometry and

improved lateral stiffness.

Characteristics of Switchblades

•Swing Nose

Crossings – Mang

Steel Cradle.

Heavy Haul components.

•Manganese

Steel Fixed nose

Crossings.

•Crossings:•Swing Nose

Crossings – Rail

Steel

Crossing Selection.

Installation & Maintenance:

Hunting

marks

Dip in

stockrail

•Correct installation and Maintenance

is critical to ensure increased turnout

life:

•Solid substructure and Track alignment

is essential. Both within the turnout and

entering the turnout, to prevent

corrugation and “Hunting”.

•Early grinding to remove metal flow will

ensure Switch and Crossing material

stabilizes. Thus reducing future grinding

frequencies.

•Lubrication of moving parts.

•Ensure all bolts and fastenings are

correctly tightened and installed.

Metal Flow

Future for Heavy Haul Turnouts

•All swing nose Crossings.

•In bearer Rodding for both switches

and SNX for tamping access.

•Use of Switch roller plates to reduce

friction of Switchblades.

•Metallurgical inputs for Material

improvements to achieve longer life

from wearing parts.

i.e. Use of harder stronger rail steels,

special alloyed steels for crossings

and switch blades.

Future for Heavy Haul Turnouts

•Boltless and Screwless assemblies

ton ensure elastic toe load is

consistant.

•Concrete Bearers

•More acute angle Turnouts with

greater radii to increase diverge

speed.

•Component interchangeability of

wearing parts for quick changeout.

•Turnout design should have provision

to optimize rail welding techniques.

Vossloh - AusRail Sydney Nov 2013

“Not So” Heavy Haul Application

24

Thank you for your attention