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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 6 (December 1, 1931)

How the Railways Meet Special Transport Problems

How the Railways Meet Special Transport Problems.

In the course of their operations, railways are called upon to transport many strange loads. Out-of-gauge consignments are constantly passing between works and docks, and recently the Southern Railway of England conveyed over their system a huge collection of wild animals. All the Home railways include in their wagon stocks vehicles specially strengthened to convey elephants, page 20 while many strange types of freight car are available for handling other exceptional loads.

The large numbers of railway locomotives built at Home for shipment overseas have been responsible for the putting into traffic by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway of a new type of high-capacity wagon capable of conveying large loads of this kind between the makers' shops and the ports of shipment. The car takes the form of a 65-ton trolley, so constructed that, on arrival at the port, the locomotives may be run directly on their own wheels to an accommodation track alongside the ship. The design which provides for this end off-loading is unique, and the new trucks are claimed to be the first of their kind in the world.

The trucks are built in detachable sections, each comprising two six-wheeled bogies, two end cantilever sections, and one main beams section. The bogies and end section are linked in the usual way by steel centre castings and pins, and the end sections support the centre beams on high tensile steel hangers, and are connected through a steel pin at each corner of the well. The trucks are 72ft. in length, and have a well 40ft. in length. The tare weight is 49 1/2 tons.
Looking Forward to the Journey. Here's an unusual “out of cage” load recently conveyed over the Southern Railway of England.

Looking Forward to the Journey.
Here's an unusual “out of cage” load recently conveyed over the Southern Railway of England.

Four pressed steel cantilevers, reinforced and connected by steel plates and pressed steel crossbars, the whole being attached to the rolled steel joist bolsters, form the end section. The outer cantilevers carry the suspenders through which the main side beams, are attached, and the centre cantilevers support the centre beams. To the rolled steel joist crossbars at each end of the main beams section there are fitted two hydraulic jacks, these supporting the trolley and its load on the rail after the bogie and end section have been removed. Removable rails support the locomotive on the truck, and the rails are capable of adjustment to suit the different gauges of the locomotives that are shipped.