Engineering News | Locomotives, Railway Trucks and Wagons

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Locomotives, Railway Trucks and Wagons

Specialty containers create easy access

30th July 2021 Niche market container product supplier Specialised Container Agencies (SCA) has developed SCA Intermodal Side Tipper Bins that ensure quick, safe and cost-efficient bulk handling in rail and road applications. “Robust Intermodal Side Tipper Bins have been designed for rapid and efficient... →

Gearboxes ensure increased safety

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 30th July 2021 Engineering solutions provider BMG supplies the local railway sector with custom-designed planetary gearboxes for use in railway maintenance programmes. Design customisations are adjusted according to the demand and physical requirements of the application. →

BMG’s Dinamic Oil gearbox in a warehouse

CARRYING THE WORLD BMG supplies the local railways sector with custom-designed planetary gearboxes for use in railway maintenance programmes

Production surplus meets growing rail industry demand

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 30th July 2021 Although stainless steel supplier Columbus Stainless can meet South Africa’s stainless steel material demands in all sectors, including the railroad industry, the apparent stainless steel consumption is too low to fulfil the mill’s total production capacity, says Columbus Stainless market... →

3CR12 grade steel train wagon transporting coal

STRONG AND STURDY Ferritic stainless steel contains at least 10.5% chromium

Revitalisation vital to economic recovery

30th July 2021 South Africa’s transport sector is central to trade, and modernising and revitalising it is critical to the country’s recovery from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, says railroad equipment supplier Gibela CEO Hector Danisa. The country's economy went into its deepest recession in a century... →

A front view of an operational train set in a warehouse

VITAL FOR SURVIVAL The transport sector’s importance to South Africa’s economy was underlined by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s 2021/22 transport budget vote

Company steers through Covid-19 challenges

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 30th July 2021 Railroad equipment supplier and manufacturer Gibela has not been immune to the challenges posed by the pandemic, particularly those presented by the third wave. “We have experienced a rise in cases within our company, which is impacting on operations. Most of our suppliers were also affected by... →

Gibela procurement executive Colette Yende stands outside in front of a train set at Gibela's premises

COLETTE YENDE What Covid-19 has taught us is to have and implement an alternative plan

Efficient wagon handling lowers operational costs

31st July 2020 The safe and efficient offloading of materials from both rail wagons and road trucks improves efficiencies, lowers operating costs and protects product integrity during bulk handling, says materials handling company Specialised Container Agencies (SCA). “SCA focuses on the design of containerised... →

ON TRACK TIPPER The use of containerised bulk materials handling solutions ensures safe and efficient offloading in road and rail hauling

Specialised steel extends life of ore wagons

By: Halima Frost 31st July 2020 Stainless steel manufacturer Columbus Stainless advocates that the much longer life span of ore wagons achieved using 3CR12, makes it clear why stainless steel is the cost-effective choice for equipment in ore-handling processes. “Owing to its excellent properties in wet sliding conditions, the... →

UP ORE DOWN Wagons manufactured by Columbus Stainless using 3CR12 transport ore for substantially longer with less degradation than those made of mild steel or other materials

Manufacturer obtains welding certification

By: Halima Frost 31st July 2020 Rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholdings (TMH) Africa, which acts as the centre of excellence for narrow-gauge rolling stock within the TMH Group, announced in March that it had been awarded the ISO 3834 welding certification. The certification was awarded to the company by the Southern... →

ACCREDITED FUSION Transmashholdings Africa have been awarded an International Standards Organisation 3843 welding certification which will help draw in new clients for the company

Workshop conversion back on track

By: Halima Frost 31st July 2020 Although the conversion of railroad equipment supplier Gibela Rail Transport Consortium’s training centre into a traction motor manufacturing workshop has been delayed because of Covid-19, the project is again on track for completion by the end of the year. The company says that the electrical... →

KEEP MOTORING Although setbacks have been faced Gibela is back on track to start manufacturing its traction motors by year end

Operator provides rail haulage services for project

2nd August 2019 Australian strategic metals company TNG has entered into a binding heads of agreement (HoA) with railroad owner and operator Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA), for the provision of rail haulage services for its flagship 100%-owned Mt Peake vanadium/titanium/iron project, located 235 km north of... →

Freight utility breaks record, tests 375-wagon manganese train

2nd August 2019 State-owned freight utility Transnet recently broke its own record by testing a 375-wagon manganese train representing the production train with the highest number of wagons globally. Transnet operates more than 30 000 km of rail network across the country and as reported last month holds the... →

Photo by Creamer media
STEAMING AHEAD Transnet is steaming ahead with its vision of being one of the top five railway companies in the world

Intervention in place to improve agency’s operational performance

2nd August 2019 A decisive intervention to turn around Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and improve its operational performance while rebuilding its engineering capacity to drive the modernisation programme is in place, said Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula in his first Budget Vote speech last... →

FIKILE MBALULA
Achieving efficiencies in rail will go a long way towards addressing challenges brought about by congestion on our road network

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
FIKILE MBALULA Achieving efficiencies in rail will go a long way towards addressing challenges brought about by congestion on our road network

Railway company receives €45-million order

2nd August 2019 Rail transport company Alstom has received an order of about €45-million for the delivery of eight Coradia Lint regional trains from passenger railway operator Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn. The trains will be built at Alstom’s site in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, and will be delivered in the second half... →

Rail company supports community development

3rd August 2018 Train manufacturer Gibela launched its Make a Difference campaign, which recognises the importance of educational support at all levels in the communities neighbouring its Dunnottar factory, in Gauteng, in May. The company launched the campaign at an event at Mom Sebone Secondary School in... →

ON FLEET
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa assigned Gibela the task of replacing its ageing metro fleet with a modern service

Photo by Creamer Media
ON FLEET The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa assigned Gibela the task of replacing its ageing metro fleet with a modern service

Rail infrastructure in state of neglect

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 3rd August 2018 South Africa’s railway infrastructure is in a state of neglect, says rail consultancy and rolling stock supplier African Railway Systems technical manager Dylan Knott. “Rail has been in decline for the past three decades, and with it, almost all the once thriving branch lines have closed. The... →

BAD CONDITION
Without direct investment in infrastructure, locomotives, rolling stock or skills, the future of the South African rail industry does not look positive

Photo by Creamer Media
BAD CONDITION Without direct investment in infrastructure, locomotives, rolling stock or skills, the future of the South African rail industry does not look positive

Road-rail vehicle innovator introduces RailBus

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 3rd August 2018 Olifantsfontein-based road-rail vehicle (RRV) manufacturer RailPro has developed a bimodal vehicle that transports people and goods on road and rail, says MD Ed Magan. The vehicle, called RailBus, was launched in June. →

FACILITATING MOBILITY
Thousands of rural dwellers are situated close to existing rail lines and the RailBus will allow for exploitation of underused rail routes

Photo by Bloomberg
FACILITATING MOBILITY Thousands of rural dwellers are situated close to existing rail lines and the RailBus will allow for exploitation of underused rail routes

Forum to address rail maintenance and rehabilitation

4th August 2017 A delegation of international rail maintenance and rehabilitation professionals, together with an “unbeatable” line-up of thought leaders in Africa’s transport sector will be in Durban, South Africa in October to address challenges faced by the rail fraternity in Africa. →

First delivery of locomotives expected in Q4

By: Simone Liedtke 4th August 2017 Rail technology provider Bombardier Transportation (BT) will hand over the first of 240 Bombardier Traxx Africa locomotives to State-owned freight utility Transnet, during the fourth quarter of this year. →

Rail is the future of Africa’s industrialisation

4th August 2017 Rail infrastructure upgrades remain a core focus of the ongoing industrialisation of Africa, where the transportation of goods and commodities is often difficult and costly, owing to underinvestment in rail infrastructure, says multinational power and engine manufacturer and distributor Cummins. →

Station’s strategic location to improve corridor capacity

By: Simone Liedtke 4th August 2017 Rosmead station, in the Eastern Cape, was identified as strategic in improving operational capacity along the export corridor and forms part of Phase 1 of State-owned freight utility Transnet’s Port of Ngqura manganese export expansion project. →

Successful event to be held again next year

4th August 2017 Following the success of the Africa Rail exhibition and conference in 2017, the event will be held again on June 12 to 13 next year at the Sandton Convention Centre, in South Africa. →

LYC bearing range available from ISO Bearings in September

4th August 2017 With changes in South Africa’s economic landscape forcing many companies to increase their prices to meet their bottom line goals, bearings supplier ISO Bearings has remained undeterred, continuing to provide flexible pricing solutions that assist its customers in meeting business objectives. The... →

Analogue gauges outweigh benefits of electronic instrumentation

By: Simone Liedtke 4th November 2016 The structure and robustness of analogue pressure-type gauges, coupled with the guaranteed availability of spare parts for locomotives in South Africa, outweigh the benefits of electronic instrumentation that has to be sent away for repair or recalibration, says pressure and temperature... →

GAUGE PRODUCTION All SA Gauge gauges are sent for quality control before distribution

Custom-made hoses to be used by railway groups

4th November 2016 Benoni-based automotive tyre and industrial rubber products producer Dunlop Industrial Products has a high penetration in the African continent where it supplies custom-made solutions, such as the design and supply of vacuum and air brake hoses for State-owned utility Transnet, Passenger Rail... →

CUSTOM MADE Dunlop Industrial Products supply custom-made solutions for railway groups and companies globally.

Subcontractor working on expansion and skills development programmes

By: Simone Liedtke 4th November 2016 Tier-two subcontract manufacturer to original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) IEC Holden, which supplies electric motors and generators to the railway, power generation, oil and gas, and mining industries, is currently directly contracted to OEMs that supply the Transnet Freight Rail rail... →

PRODUCT SUPPLY A drive for electric freight locomotive, tested and ready for dispatch

Locomotive fleet to benefit from electromotive diesel technology

4th November 2016 A South African locomotive fleet that is powered by an electromotive diesel two piston V8, V12 and V16 diesel engine configuration will be the first to benefit from comprehensively equipped heavy diesel engine and component remanufacturing company Metric Automotive Engineering’s sophisticated... →

Photo by Duane Daws
IMPERATIVE STRATEGY Localisation of skills have been cited as a strategic imperative for the railway industry

New technology extended to wagon and passenger bogies

By: Simone Liedtke 4th November 2016 Having become the first rolling stock company in the southern hemisphere to pioneer its own fabricated lightweight, cost-competitive locomotive bogie, South Africa-based locomotives company DCD Rolling Stock is extending its technology to wagon and passenger coach bogies aimed at the global market. →

DCD ROLLING STOCK The company has moved away from the traditional casting-based bogie construction and designed its own fabricated bogies using hot rolled steel

Modified wagon designs to increase volumes per trip

By: Simone Liedtke 4th November 2016 By modifying construction materials and wagon design, original-equipment manufacturer Galison Group believes that the lighter weight of a wagon will significantly reduce transport and production costs, by enabling customers to increase their production volumes per wagon per trip. →

MODIFIED WAGON DESIGN The train system at Pulong copper mine will be a fully automated and driverless system

Transnet ranked a top employer in S Africa

4th November 2016 Last month, State-owned freight and logistics company Transnet was ranked one of South Africa’s top employers for providing its employees with an exceptional working environment. →

Welding certification to become unavoidable for rail industry

By: Simone Liedtke 4th November 2016 With infrastructure development planned to take place rapidly in the rail industry, the Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) believes that EN 15085 certification is crucial to upholding the quality and safety of railway vehicles and components in the local industry. →

WELDING CERTIFICATION SAIW offers training, qualification and certification programmes to meet international requirements

Track system to benefit railway contractors

By: Simone Liedtke 4th November 2016 Railway track manufacturer Tubular Track adviser and business development head of T-Track Global Jaap van der Merwe believes that contractors awarded Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) tenders can use Tubular Track’s tubular modular track (TMT) to build and rebuild track and platforms... →

PRASA INTERCHANGE The Tubular Modular Track product allows for rebuilding and rehabilitation of railway tracks

University completes bogie certification tests

By: Donna Slater 6th November 2015 In conjunction with the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) Centre for Asset Integrity Management (C-AIM), UP’s business division, Business Enterprises, which is situated at UP, has completed a series of static and fatigue tests on a locally manufactured locomotive bogie as part of State-owned... →

TEST RIG The test involved a large-scale application of wire strain gauges, with simultaneous data logging of over 100 channels

Bearing company trials new product on railway vehicles

6th November 2015 Bearing company SKF’s intelligent bearing technology is being deployed on a railway vehicle in a new project to monitor axle bearings wirelessly. →

INTELLIGENT BEARING SKF’s intelligent bearing integrates a self-powered sensor and wireless device within a conventional bearing envelope

Locomotive autopilot achieves 100-million miles

6th November 2015 Multinational conglomerate and locomotive manufacturer General Electric (GE) Transportation announced last month that its locomotive auto-pilot control system Trip Optimizer has clocked 100-million auto-pilot miles in locomotives equipped with the software. →

Drive components tested on Russian locomotive

6th November 2015 With considerable investment in railway infrastructure upgrades in South Africa, drive components and systems company Voith is well-positioned to add substantial value to this market with its tried-and-trusted and internationally recognised product offering. →

HARSH TESTING The Russian locomotives will undergo a number of tests and certifications over a six-month period

Rail certification secures international orders

6th November 2015 Having received its manufacturing technology EN13261 certification in July, Germiston-based railway axle manufacturer Swasap is now able to supply to any European railway operator, and has since secured a significant order from French train company Bombardier – one of the third largest... →

MANUFACTURING FACILITY Swasap supplies Transnet with most of its axles

Rail system requires efficient streamlining, says consulting firm

6th November 2015 South Africa’s extensive railway system is an infrastructure requirement that cannot be overlooked, says engineering and consulting firm GIBB technical executive electrical engineer Dr Willem Sprong. →

ENHANCING OPERATIONS To be efficient, high levels of productivity with a minimum level of wasted effort or expense are required

Engine remanufacturer expands locomotives services

By: Donna Slater 6th November 2015 Germiston-based large-engine remanufacturer Metric Automotive Engineering has invested in new equipment to extend its services to larger engines for the locomotives industry, says operations director Andrew Yorke. →

CRANKSHAFT GRINDER
Metric Automotive Engineering’s crankshaft grinder can grind crankshafts up to 4.7 m long and weighing up to 5 t

Metric Automotive Engineering operations director Andrew Yorke tells Engineering News about the company’s latest investment

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COAL LITIGATION

Three civil society groups have taken the South African government to court over its plan to build 1 500 MW of new coal capacity in line with the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019. In September, lawyers for groundWork, the African Climate Alliance and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action wrote to Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa demanding that the plan be scrapped. After not receiving a response, litigation was launched this month on the basis that the plants would violate the constitutional right to an environment not harmful to health and wellbeing. Photograph: Reuters

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