Track Technology Plasser’s Monster Millennium Machine

the early 1970s. ‘‘A good bearing subsoil the required moisture content. Six plate raises not only the stability of the perma- consolidators compact the material. Plasser & Theurer has developed nent way and the track geometry, but also Ballasting is performed in two phases, the Millennium Machine, a has an extremely positive effect on the life first being filled into the area underneath cycle of the entire permanent way material. the skeleton track, and then with selective formation rehabilitation Consequently there is an enormous reduc- ballasting of the tamping zones. The FPL machine with integrated ballast tion in track maintenance costs,’’ claims and additional new ballast is supplied from Plasser. units at the rear of the machine. Finally, the recycling. It is the longest For the first time, RPM 2002 allows all track is lifted, lined, levelled, and tamped machine the company has ever necessary formation rehabilitation work to by the integrated tamping machine. A be performed in one operation. The se- measuring-recording unit records track built. quence starts with removal by an excavat- geometry. The RPM 2002 can complete ing chain of the upper layer of ballast. Some the rehabilitation process at the rate of LASSER & THEURER put its new of this can be recycled. Cohesive material about 100m/h. RPM 2002 Millennium Machine on that fouls the ballast is cleaned using a According to Plasser, the advantages of P the market at the start of the new Wiebe star screen unit. using the RPM 2002 are, from a technical millennium in the belief that substructure Ballast then passes through a metal point of view, the high quality of work improvement will become increasingly im- separator before reaching a cone crushing resulting from carrying out all stages of portant to many of the world’s railways in plant where the stones are sharpened. work in one operation. The trackbound star the next few years. The first RPM 2002 Processed ballast is taken to the ballast screen unit also guarantees highly efficient machine was handed over to the mainte- distributor units. cleaning of the recycled ballast. nance contractor, RPM Wiebe & Swietels- The excavation chain then removes the The incorporation of ballast recycling ky, on January 17. remaining material down to subsoil forma- within the machine replaces a large number RPM 2002 is designed for the fully- tion. Excavated material and spoil from the of transport runs that would otherwise be mechanised insertion of a formation pro- star screen and vibration-screening unit is needed either by rail or using highway tective layer (FPL) and a ballast bed with transported to the front of the machine and trucks. Another advantage is that the integral ballast recycling, and for lifting, loaded into hoppers. operation of the machine does not hinder lining, levelling, and tamping the track. It is A geotextile can be laid at this stage traffic on an adjacent track. 140m long, weighs 560 tonnes, and has a using an unrolling device. Next, the FPL is Thanks to short preparation times, short total engine output of 2467kW. inserted, using a regulating device and a track possessions can be utilised cost- Mechanised insertion of an FPL is an slewing conveyor belt to distribute the FPL effectively and the completed track can effective and well-proven method of forma- material evenly over the entire width. be re-opened immediately for traffic at tion rehabilitation that has been used since Controlled addition of water guarantees 70km/h. IRJ RPM 2002 Excavated ballast Cleaned ballast/new ballast Spoil New formation protective layer (FPL) material

Reprinted from the March 2000 issue of International RailwayJournal