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A
ABB
Continues Rail
Tradition
25 year tradition of providing freight
ore, shipping containers, rail track sleepers,
wagons continues with ABB Engineering
hot coils from steel mills to ballast plough
Construction Pty Ltd (AEC). AEC is one of
vans. Over 3000 wagons of various designs
Australia’s largest construction and steel
have been produced to date.
fabrication companies. As we move towards
the new millennium, AEC continues to lead the
Innovation
way in the design and manufacture of railway
rolling stock.
The hopper wagons produced for ballast and
coal showed innovative features. The
Freight underpins the viability of rail systems
workhorse ballast wagons, designed in 1990
and subsidises the non-profitable area of
were ahead of their time, with aerodynamic
passenger traffic. In bulk commodities (coal,
styling and user friendly on-board control.
iron ore etc), freight wagons form a
These can dump ballast selectively or
substantial link in the chain that bolsters
simultaneously to the left, middle and/or right
Australia’s economy.
side of the rail track.
In the past, ABB Transportation and later
This level of wagon design has not been
AdTranz were engaged in the production of
equalled. Not to be outdone, AEC is already
locomotives and the more visible passenger
planning the next generation of ballast wagons
with heavier axle load and health and safety
orientated remote control.
In the early 1980’s, AEC designed a 100 tonne
coal wagon with air operated ‘bomb bay’
doors. This was a first in Australia. An order for
a fleet of 700 wagons was fulfilled for the SRA.
These had authentic stainless steel hopper
bodies. The design was faithfully copied by our
One of the 600 open top wagons AEC
Just a fraction of the 700 wagon fleet
produced in the late 1970’s
vehicles. AdTranz is no longer part of the ABB
family, as Daimler Chrysler acquired ABB’s
competitor in a following contract, confirming
shares in the company. However ABB
the quality of design.
continues to be involved in railway rolling stock
in the less glamorous area of freight wagons.
Heavy loads
AEC commenced producing container
In 1989, AEC designed and supplied to
wagons and open top wagons by the
Queensland Rail (QR), the first 90 tonne coal
hundreds from 1975 for the State Rail
wagon to operate on Queensland’s narrow
Authority of NSW (SRA).
gauge network. Until then, 80 tonne wagons
were as heavy as the track would take. This
In the 1980’s and 1990’s, AEC produced all
design dominated all others for several years
manner of special purpose wagons. These
until QR upgraded to a 104 tonne design. This
ranged from wagons for the cartage of coal,
latest heavy wagon owes its design to the
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12/1, AUGUST 1999
original AEC design, and QR engineers have
AEC’s railway rolling
gracefully recognised and acknowledged this.
stock division is one
AEC pioneered the use of ferritic stainless steel
in wagon hoppers in Australia, creating a de
of innovation and
facto standard for all coal wagons since built in
NSW and Queensland.
continuous
improvement and is
well positioned to
continue well into
the new millennium.
The result is personnel are no longer required
at track-side in the dust laden environment to
operate doors. Using the motion of the train
through the terminal, the wagon doors are
tripped open over the receival bin and tripped
closed as the wagon leaves the terminal. AEC
holds Australian and international patents on
this most effective system, which has also
been adopted by dumping terminals
throughout Queensland and in New Zealand.
Cleaning up their act - the design that has
reduced exposure to dust
New Generation Design
AEC’s railway rolling stock division is one of
The highlight of achievements goes to the
innovation and continuous improvement and
introduction of the first 120 tonne coal wagons
is well positioned to continue well into the
into the Hunter Valley from 1992. This truly
new millennium.
new generation design also incorporates an
The highlight of
automatic door operating system that has
Alex Kwok
revolutionised bottom discharge of wagons.
ABB Engineering Construction
achievements goes to the
introduction of the first
120 tonne coal wagons into
the Hunter Valley from
1992. This truly new
generation design also
incorporates an automatic
door operating system that
has revolutionised bottom
discharge of wagons.
The design to take rail freight into the new millennium
12/1, AUGUST 1999
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