Russia: At the exhibition in August, UWC and RM Rail premiered a number of new cars, and Altaivagon presented rolling stock that was certified in 2022–2023.
The richest exposition was presented by the United Wagon Company (UWC). On the open rail track, the company demonstrated the 12-6744 gondola car, the 13-6741 articulated container flatcar, the 19-9591 mineral hopper wagon, and the 13-6747 special flatcar for long products. All the cars on display are equipped with 18-9855 bogies with a 25 tf axle load.
The 12-6744 gondola car with unloading hatches is designed for coal, metallurgical, construction, and mining companies. Although it has the same dimensions as the 12-9853 that is already in serial production, its payload has been increased from 75 to 77 t, and the body volume from 92 to 94 m³. The use of high-strength steel has enabled the tare weight to be reduced from 24.5 to 22.5 t. The car is equipped with standard loading hatches, which are used on most of the universal gondola cars operating on the network. According to the manufacturer, a trainset of such gondola cars can carry up to 550 t more than a trainset of analogues with an axle load of 23.5 tf.
The 12-6744 gondola car at the PRO//Motion.Expo 2023 International Railway Fair. Source: Alexey Stolchnev/ROLLINGSTOCK
The 13-6741 articulated container flatcar was developed by order of the TEXOL Group, and the work on it was announced in early spring this year. At present, it has no analogues for the 1,520 mm gauge networks. According to UWC, 25 tf bogies ensure the payload of a six-axle flatcar of 122 t. This means that an owner can transport either four 20-foot containers, two 40-foot ones, or a combination of two 20-foot and one 40-foot ones. The draft gears used in the flatcar enable it to carry containers with hazardous goods, and the twist locks prevent containers from tipping over without the need for additional fastening to the frame.
The presentation of the 13-6741 articulated container flatcar. Source: UWC/youtube
The 19-9591 hopper wagon is made to transport mineral fertilizers. It was designed to obtain a hopper whose technical and economic characteristics would take into account the operating experience of the 19-9835-01 produced in series. With a higher roof, the new car’s body volume increased from 101 to 107 m³ and the payload from 76.7 to 77.3 t. Four instead of two anti-vacuum valves are located in the end wall posts, which act as air ducts. The flatcar’s pivot assembly has also been reinforced. UWC points out that, at the customer’s request, the unloading mechanism can be equipped with reinforced axles of a larger diameter, in addition to the polyamide bushings, thus improving reliability and simplifying maintenance.
The 19-9591 hopper wagon at the PRO//Motion.Expo 2023 International Railway Fair. Source: Alexey Stolchnev/ROLLINGSTOCK
The special 13-6747 flatcar was developed at the request of EVRAZ, a transnational metallurgical and mining company, for the transportation of 8–25 m long rolled steel, rails, and 20- and 40-foot containers with a gross weight of up to 30.48 t each. It has a payload of 63 t and a loading length of 80 feet. Movable end walls and intermediate posts prevent the cargo from moving when the flatcar is in motion, allowing it to be loaded and unloaded without obstruction.
The 13-6747 flatcar at the PRO//Motion.Expo 2023 International Railway Fair. Source: Alexey Stolchnev/ROLLINGSTOCK
Another Russian player, RM Rail, presented new vehicles of its own design with 18-9891 bogies with an axle load of 25 tf and a previously certified 40-foot 13-1258-03 container flatcar.
One of the new products is the 16-1239 temperature-controlled wagon. According to RM Rail, it has the largest body volume of 164 m³ in its segment and a payload of 64 t. The wagon can accommodate 51 Euro pallets and features a floor area of 56.6 m2, an automatic coupling axle length of 22.1 m, door openings of 2700 x 2300 mm, a body heat transfer coefficient of 0.2 W/m2·°C. It has a design service life of 25 years, and thanks to reduced dynamic loads, its side frames also have a longer service life.
The 16-1239 temperature-controlled wagon at the PRO//Motion.Expo 2023 International Railway Fair. Source: Alexey Stolchnev/ROLLINGSTOCK
Another premiere from RM Rail was the 19-1298 grain hopper. The manufacturer emphasises its competitive advantage: an end-to-end loading opening in the roof, which is created when the covers are opened. The hopper has an increased body volume of 122 m³, a payload of 76.2 t, and an automatic coupling axle length of 14.2 m. There are six unloading hatches in the lower part of the wagon. The service life of the grain hopper is 32 years.
The 19-1298 hopper wagon at the PRO//Motion.Expo 2023 International Railway Fair. Source: Alexey Stolchnev/ROLLINGSTOCK
Although Altaivagon did not unveil any new vehicles, it did exhibit full-scale samples of freight cars: the 16-2155 refrigerator car, the 15-2167 tank car, and the 19-2165 grain hopper wagon. These have recently been approved for series production and operation.
