Germany: This year’s InnoTrans puts on display flatcars, hoppers, autoracks and tank cars from Tatravagonka, Greenbrier Europe, Nymwag and others as well as swap bodies.
Freight cars from Tatravagonka
Tatravagonka from Slovakia, Europe’s major freight car manufacturer, had the largest display. Outdoor exposition included the Sggnss LIGHT EIGHTY XLs freight car capable of moving at 160 km/h, the Sdggmrss articulated flatcar, the Laados and Laaers autoracks, the Lns flatcar and the freight car with a discharging container Grainbox. The company claims that all these railcars are compatible with the digital automatic coupling (DAC).
The Sggnss LIGHT EIGHTY XLs is an 80-foot flatcar with two 16 tf double-axle bogies, designed to transport containers and swap bodies at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. With axle loads of 20 and 22.5 tf, its top speed is reduced to 120 and 100 km/h, respectively. Compared with the XL presented at InnoTrans 2022, the new flatcar features electro-pneumatic brakes and is 2.2 t heavier (24.2 t), so reducing its payload from 68 to 65.8 t.
The Sdggmrss, a six-axle articulated basket car, is a well-type freight car that can be used for piggyback, or TOFC. It also features twist locks for containers and swap bodies and removable baskets. The latter are said to make it not dependent on the use of special loading cranes for semi-trailers. According to Tatravagonka, one car can carry two semi-trailers of 40 t each. The vehicles meet the European regulations, and the first customer is MFD Rail, a Swiss-based operator that plans to put the Sdggmrss into service in late 2024 – early 2025.
The Sdggmrss articulated basket car from Tatravagonka. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
Removable baskets of the Sdggmrss from Tatravagonka. Source: Railmarket
The Slovak freight car builder has also unveiled the updated Sgmmns 41 in series production, which is now equipped with the Grainbox, a discharging container for transporting grain. This container is a 40 foot-long swap body with a weight of 6.9 t, a payload of 51.1 t and a volume of 70 m3. According to the company, the Grainbox is loaded through an opening of 11,455×600 mm in the roof and unloaded through two special discharging openings between rails with an angle of repose of 34°.
Although the transport in the Grainbox is 21% lower than in a 95 m3 hopper, the former is versatile and can be used in the off-season to transport other cargoes, including coiled steel and containers.
The Sgmmns 41 with a discharging container for transporting grain, the Grainbox. Source: VUKV a.s.
Tatravagonka has also presented two autoracks. The three-segment, single-deck Laados is offered for the transport of agricultural machinery. According to the producer, it can carry three vehicles of 14.4 t each or six of 9.5 t each. The optimised car height makes loading and unloading of the transported vehicles easier.
The Laados autorack from Tatravagonka. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
Another Tatravagonka’s autorack, the Laaers, can carry passenger cars, SUVs and other small vehicles totalling 21 t on two decks, with the option of single-deck application. It is a four-axle unit consisting of two short-coupled segments with two axles per segment and a length over buffers of 31 m. According to the company, more comfortable loading is ensured by a reduced angle of inclination, wheel stops lowered to 110 mm and optimised guiding rails. The internal rubber coating protects the transported cars from damage.
The Laaers autorack from Tatravagonka. Source: Falk2/wikimedia
Last but not least, Tatravagonka presented in Berlin the Lns, a two-axle flat car. Twist locks allow it to be used for transportation of containers. According to the company, it has a tare weight of 12.5 t, a maximum payload of 32.5 t and a maximum axle load of 22.5 tf.
Freight cars from Greenbrier Europe
The European branch of the US company exhibited the Tagnpps and Facnps hoppers, the Laaers L08A autorack and the Sggrss articulated flatcar.
The Tagnpps hopper with an axle load of 22.5 tf is designed for grain, corn, soya and other bulk commodities. The car is loaded from the top through an opening under the movable roof, which can be opened manually at the car ends. Six separately operated bottom openings allow the Tagnpps to be unloaded. The carbon steel box has a volume of 96 m3, a payload of 90 t, and a tare weight of 19.6 t.
The Tagnpps from Greenbrier Europe. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
The Facnps hopper has been developed for transportation of various goods, including mineral fertilisers. According to the producer, it has a loading volume of 48 m3, a payload of 69.4 t and an axle load of 22.5 tf. When full, the Facnps can travel at 100 km/h. Its bottom flaps for unloading are mechanically operated individually.
The Facnps hopper from Greenbrier Europe. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
For transportation of passenger cars and other vehicles up to 2.8 t, the company offers a four-axle double-deck articulated autorack, the Laaers L08A. During loading and unloading, the height of the upper deck above the rail head can vary from 1,500 to 3,350 mm. The upper deck is equipped with an anti-self lowering device, and the entire Laaers L08A has 56 wheel blockers.
The Laaers L08A autorack from Greenbrier Europe. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
With a maximum load capacity of 34 t, the upper and lower decks can each carry 17 t. For use as a flatcar, the upper deck can be lowered to the level of the lower deck. According to Greenbrier Europe, the upper and lower decks are equipped with a staff safety railing and their running decks have an anti-skid coating. The length over buffers of the Laaers L08A is 31 m.
The Sggrss articulated flatcar from Greenbrier Europe. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
The Sggrss, a six-axle articulated 80-foot platform, is designed to carry 20-, 30- and 40-foot containers and swap bodies. Its parameters are: an axle load of 22.5 t, a length over buffers of 26.4 m, a tare weight of 27 t and a payload of 108 t. With a maximum flatcar weight of 135 t and 120 t, the maximum speed will be 100 km/h and 120 km/h respectively.
Freight cars from Nymwag
The Czech manufacturer exhibited the ARROW Sdggmrs six-axle articulated piggyback flatcar, designed to transport 40- and 45-foot containers and semi-trailers. The flatcar has a length over couplers’ pulling faces of 32.7 m and features a payload of 80 t.
The ARROW Sdggmrs flatcar from Nymwag. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
The new Spina tank cars with a cubic capacity of 62 m3 and 75 m3 were also presented at the exhibition. According to Nymwag, the new-generation rolling-stock is intended for transportation of heavy oil products, phenol, acids, fertilisers, molten sulphur, and other chemicals.
The 75 m3 Zac(e)ns tank car. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
The frame design will ensure easy assembly of a tank car of different specifications and the appropriate cubic capacity, which can vary from 40 to 75 m3, depending on the type of freight. The car can be modified according to the customer’s requirements in terms of materials used, filling method, and grade of insulation. The producer plans to deliver the first Spina cars to customers in early 2025.
Freight cars from other producers
Other exhibitors of this year Berlin show are Duro Dakovic from Croatia, ŽOS Trnava from Slovakia and Erciyas Rail, Gök Rail and BCY from Türkiye.
Attention of the visitors attracted a four-axle LPG tank car with a cubic capacity of 117 m3 from Erciyas Rail. According to the company, it was developed by order of VTG Rail, a European lessor. As Kamil Emre Erciyas, CEO of Erciyas Rail, told AA in his interview, the spiral welding process used to produce tank shells is 30 times less time-consuming than traditional methods. “Sheet metal tank cars used in conventional tank wagons usually have 10 to 20 ‘T weld zones’ on the seam, while a new tank has only 0 to 2”, he highlights, specifying that their tank is 13% stronger.
The LPG tank car from Erciyas Rail. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
Another remarkable railcar was presented by RailRelease, a European leasing company. This is the Sggmrss reefer container flatcar from Gök Rail. During transport, the containers are claimed to be powered by an 80 kW⋅h battery pack mounted on a bogie. The pack itself is charged at a speed of more than 30 km/h when an axial generator switches on. The battery capacity ensures 16 hours of autonomous operation.
The Sggmrss reefer container flatcar from Gök Rail. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
Duro Dakovic demonstrated the Rens universal flatcar for long and bulk cargoes with an axle load of 22.5 tf. The flatcar can have a steel or wooden floor, brackets and folding side and front flaps. Other parameters are a payload of 67.5 t and a maximum speed with full load of 100 km/h.
The Rens flatcar from Duro Dakovic. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
ŽOS Trnava displayed a four-axle Faccns hopper for bulk goods. The automatic hydraulic drive of the unloading system activates chutes and pushers to unload the vehicle through four hatches. With a loading volume of 45 m3, the Faccns, equipped with Wabtec brakes, has a payload of 66 t, a length over buffers of 12.6 m, an axle load of 22.5 tf and a maximum speed with full load of 100 km/h.
The Faccns hopper from ŽOS Trnava. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
Austria’s TransANT, in which Ukraine’s TAS Group has a majority stake, unveiled a flatcar with a detachable modular body for scrap metal. The first two prototypes were handed over to Voestalpine, a steelworks in Austria, in early June. By the end of the year, they will be deployed on the main lines in Austria and Germany. Being made of special steel, the bodies are said to have a 30% higher payload compared to cars for scrap metal by other manufacturers. The company notes that the frames were made in Austria and their bodies were produced at Dniprovagonmash, a Ukrainian plant belonging to the TAS Group.
The MultiBOX flatcar with a detachable body from TransANT. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
The Turkish company BCY exhibited the Sggmrss flatcar, which can carry two 45-foot containers. A vehicle equipped with Wabtec brakes has a length over coupler fulling faces of 28.3 m and a maximum payload of 109.5 t.
The Sggmrss articulated container flatcar from BCY. Source: Kirill Balberov/1520today.ru
Read our reviews of InnoTrans 2022: MUs, locomotives, LRV, track machines
