Shunting operations on the rails with environmentally-friendly truck engines and further improved traction – the new road-rail Unimog is the perfect answer. At Innotrans in Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for the rail transport sector, the first of the new Unimog generation was handed over to Sasol Germany GmbH in Brunsbüttel. The company with a workforce of approximately 600 does the bulk of its logistics by rail. The U 423 Unimog will manoeuvre tank wagons, alongside the road-rail Unimog U 400 which Sasol has been using for the last ten years.
Good environmental track record in shunting operations
By making this investment, Sasol, a manufacturer of fatty alcohols and their derivates, and highly purified clay, is sending out a positive signal. With the Unimog, the tough on-road emissions standards are extended from the road to the rails. This means the Euro VI engines for trucks reduce diesel particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 90 percent compared with Euro V, and in comparison with 1990, emissions from commercial vehicles have been lowered by between 88 percent and 98 percent. Also, the increased engine efficiency, which enables considerable fuel savings, improves the environmental balance even further. Furthermore, the acquisition cost of the Unimog for shunting operations is far lower than that of a shunting locomotive, and the running costs are low. The engine output of the Unimog U 423 is 170 kW (231 hp). The new generation of Unimog implement carriers with Euro VI engines was presented in 2013.
Safe lane keeping and powerful braking system
The Unimog U 423 which has now been handed over to the customer has a lane keeping system with CAN bus safety control newly developed by body manufacturer Zagro. This ensures safe lane keeping and conforms to the latest safety regulations. The control unit communicates with the CAN bus of the base vehicle. The railway wagon braking system of the shunting vehicle is driven by the Unimog’s engine power take-off and, with a delivery output of 1750 l/min with a 425 litre air reservoir volume, guarantees that the coupled wagons fill quickly. The Unimog U 423 with 3000 mm wheelbase has a GVW of 13,000 kg. When shunting, a Unimog can tow a load of up to 1000 t. Its huge towing capacity with a comparatively low vehicle weight is achieved thanks to the Unimog’s favourable friction coefficient between rubber and steel. The compact axle dimensions ensure that the road-rail Unimog does not need a separate rail gear. The torque-converter clutch available ex factory increases the engine pull-away torque, thus enabling smooth towing without wear and tear to the clutch.
Rapid switch between road and rail
For Sasol’s purposes, the Unimog is the right shunting vehicle because it can switch quickly between road and rail, which means that the wagons can be transferred especially quickly.
Truck comfort makes day-to-day work more pleasant
The road-rail Unimog conforms to high truck standards with its proven, and now further optimised, “clear-view cab”. With its large panorama window it provides ideal, safe vision, which, together with the new multifunction steering wheel, the adjustable steering column and the powerful heating and air-conditioning system, makes day-to-day work easier.
