Slinger ® continues to set the standard in track renewals

At Orston Lane in Jarvis Rail’s London North East (LNE) Midlands territory, a team from Jarvis Rail and Fastline installed more than 1,280 metres of sleepers and rail in just two hours using Fastline’s proprietary track renewal system (TRS), ‘Slinger’®.

Fastline’s TRS, Slinger®, has been deployed on a significant number of projects since it was first introduced. Between April 2007 and April 2008, the fleet of 44 wagons has delivered 253,440 sleepers – 134,820 concrete and 118,620 steel – which equates to over 160 kilometres of track.

The team’s achievement at Orston Lane demonstrate the capabilities of the TRS, Slinger® and is a good example of how Fastline is working to assist Network Rail in achieving its goals regarding a 7-day Railway.

Kevin Howell, Fastline’s operations manager for the TRS, Slinger®, said: “What was implemented at Orston Lane demonstrates the capabilities of TRS, Slinger® and it represents an excellent example of how people, process and technology can be brought together to deliver outstanding results.”

“This outcome has set new standards within the industry. We always knew about the system’s potential and have seen it deliver time after time. Our objective now is to further improve on this performance and we have already set our sights on the next milestone.”

As Kevin Howell states, Fastline’s TRS, Slinger®, has been delivering impressive results for all of its customers over the past 12 months. Some of its achievements include:

Week 15 – During the Settle Carlisle blockade, 9,875 metres of G44 concrete sleepers were installed during seven operating shifts using a 14 wagon TRS, Slinger®, which reloaded at Ribbleshead & Kingmoor.

Week 30 – A total of 9,692 metres of sleepers were loaded and delivered by the TRS, Slinger®, to the locations below:

· 5,852 metres of steel sleepers for the Wolds Coast blockade for Jarvis Rail’s Leeds depot.
· 1,865 metres of concrete sleepers at Hoscar & Chapel Lane for First Engineering’s Hooton depot in Liverpool
· 1,280 metres of steel sleepers at St Mary’s for Jarvis Rail’s LNE Midlands team
· 730 metres of steel sleepers for Jarvis Rail’s team in Scotland (Scotland Track Renewals Company or “strc”) on the Airdrie to Bathgate project

These were all completed during 35 hours core possessions on each line.

Week 47 – Fastline’s TRS, Slinger®, stored and reloaded 14,000 steel sleepers out of Fastline’s Doncaster Roberts Road depot for various Jarvis Rail track renewal sites. This involved the delivery of a total of 9,089 metres of new sleepers to sites including the Thornholme blockade.

The TRS, Slinger®, also carries out lift and re-lay work which involves picking up 260 metres of existing rail and sleepers at one time and moving it away from the site so that excavation and re-ballasting of the track bed can proceed. An example of this occurred in week 32 at Mallerstang in Cumbria when Fastline’s TRS, Slinger®, lifted four such panels in four hours.

The TRS, Slinger®, can also deliver sleepers in tunnels and in station platform areas. The system’s ability to carry out work quickly and efficiently also makes it a popular option on projects where minimum disruption is required. For instance, First Engineering chose to use the TRS, Slinger®, when replacing track in Risehill tunnel on the Settle to Carlisle line.

The Jarvis Rail and Network Rail LNE ‘Integrated Management Team’ (IMT) utilised TRS, Slinger® when it was deployed by the Peterborough team during the successful blockade at Spalding in Lincolnshire between February 2 and February 17, 2007. During the Spalding blockade the Peterborough IMT team delivered double the volumes that could have been installed during similar time periods using more traditional methods, renewing more than 27,000 composite metres of track within the blockade.

Developed in-house by Jarvis Rail and Fastline, the first TRS, Slinger®, was introduced to the rail industry in July 2002 on a renewals project at Swaithe Viaduct, near Barnsley. Originally developed with the ability to deliver steel sleepers, each wagon could deliver 28 per drop and has 3.5 tonne cranes capable of positioning sleepers to an adjacent track with a ‘six foot’ measurement of 1.98 metres.

The second TRS, Slinger®, has the same basic design as its predecessor but has upgraded 5.3 tonne cranes allowing it to take 15 concrete or 28 steel sleepers. At the same time, support arms were developed to further improve stability whilst handling heavier concrete sleepers.

In 2003 the third TRS, Slinger®, which can install additional concrete sleepers per lift was introduced . Fitted with two 7.5 tonne cranes and an increased ‘six foot’ reach of 2.59 metres it is able to take 30 concrete or 28 steel sleepers. Another enhancement meant that the support arms of the TRS, Slinger® are now stored inwards rather than away to the bulkheads. This not only enables a longer reach, but demonstrates the ability of the TRS, Slinger®, to lift, carry and replace track panels up to 260 metres in length.

Continuing innovation saw a fourth TRS, Slinger®, launched in 2004. It is able to carry and deliver up to six 216 metre lengths of new ‘Continuous Welded Rail’ as well as the requisite number of steel or concrete sleepers. As with the third TRS, Slinger ®, it can also handle long track panels.

And now a fifth TRS, Slinger®, can deliver enhanced efficiencies and improved safety due to a number of innovations, including the greater use of hydraulics. The support arms are now fully hydraulic and only one person is needed to operate the machine’s safety mechanism and engage the arms significantly reducing the need for ‘working at height’.

TRS, Slinger®, is a locomotive hauled train, consisting of a series of flat wagons. Each wagon is fitted with two cranes capable of lifting individually or in unison with all other wagons forming part of the train. The TRS, Slinger®, can be operated by a single operator from a remote radio control console

In terms of design performance, the TRS, Slinger®, can deliver the following:

Steel Sleepers160 to 200 track yards per wagon (28 per length)
Concrete Sleepers 120 track yards per wagon (28 or 30 per length)
Wooden Sleepers120 track yards per wagon (28 or 30 per length)

It has the flexibility to mix sleeper types within the train. The TRS, Slinger®, is capable of lifting single panels 260 metres long, and it’s capacity is two panels high.

Fifth TRS, Slinger® facts & figures (steel & concrete sleepers only)

Max track centres: 3.6 metres
Typical payload: 1,463 metres steel, 877 yards concrete
Typical production rate: 585 metres steel per hour, 439 metres concrete per hour
Typical no. load carrying wagons: 8
Sleeper centres: 28 and 30 per length
Max capacity: 2,240 steel sleepers, or 1,440 concrete sleepers

There is no doubt, then, that this is an outstanding ‘bit of kit’. But if you decide to employ the TRS, Slinger®, what do you get for your money? Kevin Howell is happy to explain. “All the TRS, Slinger®, operations are controlled from our Roberts Road depot in Doncaster which acts as a one-stop-shop for maintenance, planning and delivery,” he said. “The first thing we do with a client is plan – we will assist with train movements and delivery whilst carrying out orientation by engaging in site visits, and confirming the route.”

The TRS, Slinger®, offers the flexibility of 44 sleeper carrying wagons capable of delivering a variety of sleeper types on sites of any length. The maximum train length is 15 working wagons.

The benefits are many-fold. In terms of safety it reduces train movements on site and minimises the manual handling of materials. Also it has environmental benefits in that emissions are reduced due to less plant operational time.

The TRS, Slinger®, also delivers a variety of cost benefits. Train costs are reduced because less engineering trains are required. Utilising the TRS, Slinger ®, means less plant and equipment need to be deployed. Similarly, man-power costs are reduced because a smaller labour resource is needed. Risk is also reduced because unloading time is no greater than three hours and this in built contingency in relation to projects reduces the risk of Schedule 8 costs. The TRS, Slinger®, truly delivers reduced possession hours and increased yardages.

Interestingly, the technology used with TRS, Slinger® is currently being aligned to help deliver Network Rail’s ‘7 day railway’ objective. Alan Addison, research and development manager at Jarvis, explained: “The ability of the TRS, Slinger®, to ‘lift and shift’ is currently being investigated to enable a radically revised approach to engineering access that the ‘7 day railway’ proposal requires.

“We are seeking to use the technology at our disposal to lift out up to 260 metres of track, change the formation and then replace it with new track in one fluid process. The time and cost savings this will create are significant and it is something we intend to trial in the near future.”

All five generations of the TRS, Slinger®, are available for hire from Fastline, with the opportunity for the customer to choose the machine most appropriate to the needs of a particular project. Fastline will assist and advise if required. The rates are highly competitive making the machines the ideal track renewal solution in terms of safety, yardage delivery and cost efficiency.

Alan Addison concluded: “The TRS, Slinger®, has revolutionised track renewal, and we have every intention of continuing to develop it so that we can deliver even greater levels of safety and efficiency. The fifth TRS, Slinger®, is proving hugely beneficial to Jarvis and other organisations involved in track renewals. We are constantly working on further improvements to the system’s functionality.”

TRS, Slinger® – summary of benefits

Safety & environment
Reduced accident and incidents risk – less trains, plant and people

Performance
100% delivery
Reduced risk – unloading time no greater than three hours (Schedule 4 savings)
Allows additional follow up works to handback at line speed
In built contingency (less risk of Schedule 8 costs)

Cost
All inclusive rate that includes:
Storage and unloading of sleepers
Loading of sleepers onto wagons
Wagons
Installation
Planning & site visits

Fastline’s products and services include freight, small plant, on-track machines and specialist transport hire across a range of rail, utility, emergency service and local authority markets in the UK. The business is committed to developing and providing efficient, safe and cost-effective solutions.

To find out more about the TRS, Slinger®, and its availability, contact:
Brian Addy, Key Account Manager
T: 07734 132 285
E: brian.addy@fastline-uk.com