Railcar Movers are primarily used in switching operations. Generally used within a plant area, they are also well suited for other types of industrial railcar-moving applications. These vehicles are equipped with a set of both rail wheels and road wheels. This allows the vehicle to travel along the rail lines as well as surface roads and through fields. Front and rear hydraulically operated couplers allow for separate push and pull operation. Working both couplers together the vehicle can push and pull railcars at the same time. All operating functions are controlled from within the operator's cab much like an actual locomotive.
Railcar movers utilize a process called Weight Transfer to assist them in moving the cars. By borrowing weight from the railcar, added traction is shifted to the railcar mover vehicle pushing it firmly down upon the rail.
The key to moving railcars is Tractive Effort. This is the amount of effort required to move one ton along a railway. Let Air Power of Nebraska assist you in calculating the amount of Tractive Effort a given railcar mover can produce.
Once you have calculated the amount of Tractive Effort a Railcar mover produces you can then determine the number of railcars (loaded or empty) it will be capable of moving at one time. This calculation is effected by five factors, Basic Railroad Resistance, Track Conditions, Weather, Degree of Curve in the track itself, and Percentage of Grade along the rail line. All of these can be determined with a Track Survey.
