Road Rail Tractor unit in Canada

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I was reading about a shortline in Saskatchewan that uses a standard articulated lorry tractor unit converted as a roadrailer. Anyone have any photos or know if the line is still running. It was a cooperative grain hauler and the article was in Trains in the mib 90s

thanks

Kevin

2

There are plenty of hi-rail semi-tractor and trailer units down here in the lower 48 (UPRR in lust with them and two assigned to the construction of the the light rail line here in Denver) and then there is the Brandt RoadRailer unit that can tow just about anything…[alien][alien][alien]

3

My Local shortline used a roadrailer type unit too. It was a specially built Unimog (Mercedes-Benz truck). The Bay Colony used this unit until selling it in 1991. They used this unit as a mobile locomotive since it was street legal. It could slowely tow a few cars but they had trouble as they had a hard time stopping the cars. One employee told me that it would frequently derail trying to stop and would be pushed off the tracks!!! The employess also told me how when on the road it’s max speed was 45 mph and sometimes he would have to drive it to an isolated line almost 75 miles away!

4

Check out: http://roadrail.brandt.ca/video.html Brandt industries built the first unit in collaboration with the Province of Saskatchewan for use on non-contiguous short lines in the early 90’s. BN was the first U.S. line to purchase a unit (1993). It was successfully tested in revenue and MOW service. Consideration was give to use as power for satellite ramp-to-hub intermodal service, and there were numerous other ideas for revenue service. None of these ideas were adopted, but I understand that BNSF has nearly a dozen of the units deployed in MOW service. The potential for revenue service remains intriguing, I believe, because the unit can mimic the service of double and triple-bottom highway rigs, but with significant weight and cube advantages.

5

Nice

Thanks

Kev[;)]

6

cool beans

7

I would have liked to have seen that,but it keeps telling me I have to
subscribe,with price. No Way Jose!