today 141
today 141
The Plasser ATMO (Automatic Track Machine Oscillator) rail grinding trailer has been specially developed for urban tramway networks. It combines the sliding grinding method and the oscillating grinding method. The Plasser ATMO completed its first practical assignment in Denmark extremely successfully. Once again, the flexibility of the concept was proven.
In autumn 2022, the ATMO could undergo a practical test in Denmark. Odense on the island of Funen is the third largest city in the country with about 180,000 inhabitants. Until 1952 there was a tram, but it was taken out of service. As in many cities, the expansion of public transport started a few years ago. Since May 2022, a tram has been running in the city again under the name “Odense Letbane”. The first line has a length of 14.5 kilometres and has 26 stations. It connects Tarup in the northwest and Hjallese in the south with the city centre.
The task of the compact grinding trailer was to remove the layer of dirt stuck to the rail surface. This had accumulated over time and caused unpleasant noise and vibrations when the trams passed over it. Especially in the city centre, this had already led to major complaints from residents.
Over a total length of 29 km, the ATMO was able to remove the layer of dirt from the rails in several successive night shifts. The positive effect of the rail treatment by the ATMO was clearly noticeable immediately afterwards. What was special about this operation was that for the first time, the Plasser ATMO was used in combination with a tram wagon.
The project started with extensive parameter tests at the test site of Wiener Linien, Vienna's public transport operator. The focus was on finding out the ideal machine settings depending on the type of rail and grinding stone. This was followed by the first grinding operations on the open track network of the Wiener Linien.
The results showed that oscillating rail grinding – especially at high grinding speeds of up to 30 km/h – is superior to the sliding grinding method in rail surface treatment.
For further information on the ATMO please see:
https://aktuell.plassertheurer...
https://www.plassertheurer.com...
