Transporter wagon
Encyclopedia
A transporter wagon, in railway terminology, is a wagon
(UIC
) or railroad car
(US) designed to carry other railway equipment. Normally, it is used to transport equipment of a different rail gauge
. In most cases, a transporter wagon is a narrower gauge wagon for transporting a wider gauge equipment, allowing freight in a wider gauge wagons to reach destinations on the narrower gauge network without the expense and time of transshipment
into a narrower gauge wagons.
This is an attempt to overcome one of the primary problems with a narrower gauge system—gauge incompatibility. However, it means that the narrower gauge network must be built to a structure gauge
large enough to accommodate the loading gauge
of the wider gauge equipment, negating one of the cost advantages of a narrower gauge construction. Additionally, a large wider gauge wagon balanced on a narrower gauge transporter wagon is not very stable, and is generally restricted to low speeds of 15 mph (24.1 km/h) or so.
Transporter wagons have seen varying popularity. They were quite common on German and some Swiss systems; a transporter wagon is a Rollwagen in German.
Transporter wagons were uncommon in North America
, where the practice of exchanging trucks
was more common, as was at one time the case on CN
's Newfoundland Railway
at Port aux Basques
. They were used on the Paw Paw Railroad
of Paw Paw, Michigan
for a short time, and on a short stretch of track of the defunct Bradford, Bordell and Kinzua Railroad by lumberman Elisha Kent Kane.
They were used in the United Kingdom
on the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
.
( Brünigbahn
) and Sweden (gauges , , and ). This was a boon esp. to exchange traffic on the extensive Swedish 891 mm network, which once comprised almost 2000 km (1,243 mi) - in fact a number of local country areas in southern Sweden had nearly no (standard gauge
) lines at all, just narrow gauge ones. On the other hand, Rollböcke
were not much used there.
An interesting development of the original transporter wagon concept (with bar couplers between each wagon) was that the bar couplers were discarded in favour of connecting all standard gauge wagons directly with each other by means of their ordinary buffing and draft gear. This was tried for a few years in Sweden just before the last narrow gauge freight lines were closed in the 1980s.
Special adaptors could be employed to couple a set of transporter wagons onto the end of an "ordinary" narrow gauge freight train. Continuous braking was no problem, either, as the train air line could be incorporated into the bar couplers, too.
Judging from early literature, the transporter wagon idea came about in Germany sometime around 1880 or 1890 (where in fact, later, Rollböcke were used a lot more than transporters). Transporter wagons with the unique Heberlein
type friction brake system were in daily use in the old GDR (East Germany) well into the late 1980s.
In Britain
, they were introduced to the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
in 1904 by Everard Calthrop
, who also introduced them to the Barsi Light Railway
in India
. They carried the bulk of the freight traffic on the Leek and Manifold Valley.
Transporter wagons are widely used to get rolling stock including locomotives from gauge-isolated branch lines to main maintenance centres. The South Australia Railways had its "Crocodile" wagon for this purpose.
to Marree
railway from a narrower gauge to a standard gauge
, train lengths of standard gauge flat wagons were fitted with narrow gauge rails, to allow a narrow gauge coal trains to by pass the difficult Flinders Ranges
then affected by washaway
s.
The rails on the lower wagons were continuous, so that the upper train was moved on and off in one piece.
The narrower gauge air brakes
were connected to the standard gauge train's air brakes
, to allow some flexing around curves. The narrower gauge train was also coupled to a buffer stop at one end of the standard gauge train. A short ramp was installed to raise the narrow gauge trains about a metre onto the deck of the standard gauge train. There were no tight overbridges (overpasses) or tunnels to restrict operation of these double deck trains and the new standard gauge
line had gentle curves and gradients.
The standard gauge track was in this instance brand new and of a heavier standard than the narrow gauge track it replace, so it is not clear whether a narrow gauge train could have transported a standard gauge train in reverse. It is noted that with a Weltrol well wagon, the load has to be lifted on and off by a crane.
With the transporter train, the loading gauge of the narrow gauge train under tunnels and overbridges needs to be about a metre taller than would otherwise be the case.
Also common on German and eastern European narrower gauge are transporter trailers, which are small-wheeled full trailers that fit beneath each pair of the wagon's wheels or each bogie
of the car and are hauled by a drawbar
. These are Rollböcke
in German. Some times one long small-wheeled full trailer carries the entire rail car.
railways used broad gauge
transporter wagons to carry narrow gauge
wagons including locomotives to workshops and other isolated narrow gauge sections. In South Australia, these were called crocodile wagons. There does not appear to have been any attempt to operate train-loads of crocodile wagons to diminish the disadvantages of the break of gauge.
A key dimension is whether the narrow gauge wheels fit between the broad gauge wheels, or whether the narrow gauge wheels have to travel on top of the broad gauge wheels.
The GWR
also had crocodile waggons, which may be where the name in Australia came from.
Goods wagon
Goods wagons are railway wagons that are used for the transportation of goods .- Development :At the beginning of the railway era, the vast majority of goods wagons were four-wheeled vehicles of simple construction. These were almost exclusively small covered wagons, open wagons with side-boards,...
(UIC
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
) or railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
(US) designed to carry other railway equipment. Normally, it is used to transport equipment of a different rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
. In most cases, a transporter wagon is a narrower gauge wagon for transporting a wider gauge equipment, allowing freight in a wider gauge wagons to reach destinations on the narrower gauge network without the expense and time of transshipment
Transshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
into a narrower gauge wagons.
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
large enough to accommodate the loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
of the wider gauge equipment, negating one of the cost advantages of a narrower gauge construction. Additionally, a large wider gauge wagon balanced on a narrower gauge transporter wagon is not very stable, and is generally restricted to low speeds of 15 mph (24.1 km/h) or so.
Transporter wagons have seen varying popularity. They were quite common on German and some Swiss systems; a transporter wagon is a Rollwagen in German.
Transporter wagons were uncommon in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, where the practice of exchanging trucks
Bogie exchange
Bogie exchange is a system for operating railway wagons on two or more gauges to overcome difference in the track gauge. To perform a bogie exchange, a car is converted from one gauge to another by removing the chassis containing the wheels and axles of the car, and installing a new chassis with...
was more common, as was at one time the case on CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
's Newfoundland Railway
Newfoundland Railway
The Newfoundland Railway was a railway which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow gauge railway system in North America.-Early construction:...
at Port aux Basques
Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador
Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...
. They were used on the Paw Paw Railroad
Paw Paw Railroad
The Paw Paw Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in Van Buren County, Michigan, between 1857 and 1887. At a length of , it was the shortest operating common carrier railroad in the state...
of Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,363. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Overview:...
for a short time, and on a short stretch of track of the defunct Bradford, Bordell and Kinzua Railroad by lumberman Elisha Kent Kane.
They were used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
.
Transporter flatcar
Transporter wagons were used extensively for a great many years also in Austria (gauge ), Switzerland( Brünigbahn
Brünigbahn
The Brünigbahn was, until 31 December 2004, the only narrow gauge railway of the Swiss Federal Railways . On 30 June 2004, the Swiss Federal Council empowered the SBB to sell the Brünigbahn to Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn , and this company was renamed to Zentralbahn.The Brünigbahn encompasses the...
) and Sweden (gauges , , and ). This was a boon esp. to exchange traffic on the extensive Swedish 891 mm network, which once comprised almost 2000 km (1,243 mi) - in fact a number of local country areas in southern Sweden had nearly no (standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) lines at all, just narrow gauge ones. On the other hand, Rollböcke
Roll-block
The Rollbock system allows a coupled train of standard gauge wagons to be automatically loaded or rolled onto pre-coupled narrow gauge transporter trucks or bogies so that the train can then continue through a change of gauge...
were not much used there.
An interesting development of the original transporter wagon concept (with bar couplers between each wagon) was that the bar couplers were discarded in favour of connecting all standard gauge wagons directly with each other by means of their ordinary buffing and draft gear. This was tried for a few years in Sweden just before the last narrow gauge freight lines were closed in the 1980s.
Special adaptors could be employed to couple a set of transporter wagons onto the end of an "ordinary" narrow gauge freight train. Continuous braking was no problem, either, as the train air line could be incorporated into the bar couplers, too.
Judging from early literature, the transporter wagon idea came about in Germany sometime around 1880 or 1890 (where in fact, later, Rollböcke were used a lot more than transporters). Transporter wagons with the unique Heberlein
Heberlein brake
Heberlein brake is a continuous railway brake used in Germany that is applied by means of a mechanical cable. Train braking is therefore initiated centrally from the locomotive using a winder. This causes the brake clips to be applied on individual wagons, assisted by a servo system which makes use...
type friction brake system were in daily use in the old GDR (East Germany) well into the late 1980s.
In Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, they were introduced to the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
in 1904 by Everard Calthrop
Everard Calthrop
Everard Richard Calthrop was a British railway engineer and inventor. Calthrop was a notable promoter and builder of narrow gauge railways, especially of gauge, and was especially prominent in India. His most notable achievement was the Barsi Light Railway; however he is best known in his home...
, who also introduced them to the Barsi Light Railway
Barsi Light Railway
The Barsi Light Railway was a -long, -gauge railway in western India. It was the brainchild of British engineer Everard Calthrop, and regarded as having revolutionised narrow gauge railway construction in India.-History:...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They carried the bulk of the freight traffic on the Leek and Manifold Valley.
Transporter wagons are widely used to get rolling stock including locomotives from gauge-isolated branch lines to main maintenance centres. The South Australia Railways had its "Crocodile" wagon for this purpose.
Transporter train
During an intermediate phase of the conversion of the Port PiriePort Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
to Marree
Marree, South Australia
Marree is a small town located in the north of South Australia. It lies North of Adelaide at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Birdsville Track, above sea level. The area is the home of the Dieri people. At the 2006 census, Marree had a population of 70.The town was home to Australia's...
railway from a narrower gauge to a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, train lengths of standard gauge flat wagons were fitted with narrow gauge rails, to allow a narrow gauge coal trains to by pass the difficult Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
then affected by washaway
Washaway
A washaway is a particular kind of landslide that can affect man-made structures such as cuttings, embankments and bridges. They are thus a hazard to railways and road traffic.- Overview :...
s.
The rails on the lower wagons were continuous, so that the upper train was moved on and off in one piece.
The narrower gauge air brakes
Air brake (rail)
An air brake is a conveyance braking system actuated by compressed air. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was subsequently organized to manufacture and sell...
were connected to the standard gauge train's air brakes
Air brake (rail)
An air brake is a conveyance braking system actuated by compressed air. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was subsequently organized to manufacture and sell...
, to allow some flexing around curves. The narrower gauge train was also coupled to a buffer stop at one end of the standard gauge train. A short ramp was installed to raise the narrow gauge trains about a metre onto the deck of the standard gauge train. There were no tight overbridges (overpasses) or tunnels to restrict operation of these double deck trains and the new standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line had gentle curves and gradients.
The standard gauge track was in this instance brand new and of a heavier standard than the narrow gauge track it replace, so it is not clear whether a narrow gauge train could have transported a standard gauge train in reverse. It is noted that with a Weltrol well wagon, the load has to be lifted on and off by a crane.
With the transporter train, the loading gauge of the narrow gauge train under tunnels and overbridges needs to be about a metre taller than would otherwise be the case.
Transporter trailer
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
of the car and are hauled by a drawbar
Drawbar (haulage)
A drawbar is a solid coupling between a hauling vehicle and its hauled load. Drawbars are in common use with rail transport, road trailers, both large and small, industrial and recreational, and with agricultural equipment.-Agriculture:...
. These are Rollböcke
Roll-block
The Rollbock system allows a coupled train of standard gauge wagons to be automatically loaded or rolled onto pre-coupled narrow gauge transporter trucks or bogies so that the train can then continue through a change of gauge...
in German. Some times one long small-wheeled full trailer carries the entire rail car.
Crocodile wagons
The South Australian and VictorianVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
railways used broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
transporter wagons to carry narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
wagons including locomotives to workshops and other isolated narrow gauge sections. In South Australia, these were called crocodile wagons. There does not appear to have been any attempt to operate train-loads of crocodile wagons to diminish the disadvantages of the break of gauge.
A key dimension is whether the narrow gauge wheels fit between the broad gauge wheels, or whether the narrow gauge wheels have to travel on top of the broad gauge wheels.
The GWR
GWR
GWR is an acronym that can stand for:* Great Western Railway , the name of several different railway operators* The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway — a heritage railway that has taken the initials of the former Great Western Railway Company* Great Whipsnade Railway* GWR Group, former...
also had crocodile waggons, which may be where the name in Australia came from.
See also
- Rollbock
- Train on TrainTrain on Trainis the name given to the concept being developed by Hokkaido Railway Company in Japan as a means of transporting freight at higher speeds through the undersea Seikan Tunnel when Hokkaido Shinkansen high-speed passenger services through the tunnel commence in 2015.-Overview:When the Hokkaido...
, an experimental concept for hauling narrow-gauge container wagons on standard-gauge ShinkansenShinkansenThe , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
tracks in Japan - Keith Smith (engineer)Keith Smith (engineer)Keith Archibald Smith, OBE, AM, MIE Aust, FCIT, was Chief Mechanical Engineer, and later Commissioner, for the Commonwealth Railways of Australia, which operates mostly in remote and desolate areas railways for the Federal Government.Before joining the Commonwealth Railways, Keith Smith graduated...
- devised transporting vehicles by the trainload in Australia the 1950s - East African Railway Master PlanEast African Railway Master PlanThe East African Railway Master Plan is a proposal for rejuvenating existing railways serving Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and extending them initially to Rwanda and Burundi and eventually to South Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond...
- Weltrol - a standard gauge well wagon for carrying narrow gauge rolling stock ; built 1960
- Leek and Manifold Valley Light RailwayLeek and Manifold Valley Light RailwayThe Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
1904 used a Rollbock like wagon.
Road Transporter Trains
Transporter Trains are also used to carry road vehicles such as cars, lorries and buses through long rail tunnels, including:- Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
- Simplon TunnelSimplon TunnelThe Simplon Tunnel is an Alpine railway tunnel that connects the Swiss town of Brig with Domodossola in Italy, though its relatively straight trajectory does not run under Simplon Pass itself. It actually consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 20 years apart...
- Lötschberg TunnelLötschberg TunnelThe Lötschberg Tunnel is a long railway tunnel on the Lötschberg Line, which connects Spiez and Brig at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland. Its ends are at the towns of Kandersteg in the Canton of Berne and Goppenstein in the Canton of...
- Motorail
- Rolling highwayRolling HighwayA rolling highway is a combined transport system to transport trucks by rail....