UWC to launch dumpcars

(Posted on 08/04/19)

Research and production corporation United Wagon Company (UWC) has expanded its product portfolio and introduced dumpcars to the market, intended for the transportation and automated discharge of bulk and lump construction aggregates and ore mining products.

Dumpcar prototypes are currently subjected to a variety of preliminary and certification tests to qualify for an FBO “RC FRT” certificate. Their mass production is scheduled to start before the end of 2019. The first lots of 25 and 20 units will be forwarded to the transportation companies TC “Fast Delivery” and RPC “BrIK”, respectively.

The Holding offers two dumpcar models with drop sides and two-way discharge: Model 32-6982-01, fitting best for fine bulk cargoes, and model 32-6982 for coarse ore rocks.

The 32-6982-01 dumpcar with no damping floor has an increased body volume of 42 m³ and a payload capacity of 72 tons, which renders cargo transportation more efficient compared to that of the counterparts. This car is able to accommodate up to 10 tons more of freight, which reduces the required fleet by up to 15%.

The other dumpcar, model 32-6982, features a damping floor, payload capacity of 71 tons and body volume of 42 m³. The car structure endures higher impact loads during the loading process.

The design of the dumpcars allows them to be incorporated in any freight train type and be operated using the existing shippers’ and consignees’ infrastructure. With a side opening mechanism and a pneumatic discharge system the car body can tilt 45° to either side with simultaneous opening of the sides, returning then to the transport position.

Using the 18-9855 bogie to equip the dumpcar extends the period between repairs which allows to substantially reduce operating costs throughout the entire dumpcar life cycle, which is 32 years (for reference, a typical counterpart serves 10 years less with a life cycle of 22 years).

The UWC’s dumpcars have been developed by All-Union Research and Development Centre for Transportation Technology, and their serial manufacture will be conducted at TikhvinSpetsMash, a car production facility (both companies are part of the UWC).

Konstantin Uvarov, CEO at LLC TC “Fast Delivery”, said, “When opting for the UWC’s freight cars, we relied on several factors. Our calculations showed that only the dumpcars made in Tikhvin, towing to their remarkable technical parameters, are able to ensure profitability of transportation and returns on investments related to the fleet acquisition. Another important reason was the high quality of railcar maintenance and repairs offered within the UWC’s vast service network throughout the warranty period and post-warranty operation.”

The existing Russian dumpcar fleet seems to be rather worn and obsolete. Some 30% of the railcars have surpassed their life span, and the service life of another 45% will expire within the next 5 years. Almost 99% of the fleet has a loading capacity of 60 to 68 tons, significantly lower than the capacities of UWC’s models. It is against this background of the fleet worn to a high extent that a more efficient car design is expected to revive the demand in this segment.