This report describes a means of transferring goods between road and rail in which the cost per transfer is largely independent of throughput. Transfer is important in terms of haul length and rail-system access. After a description of the equipment, safety is examined through structural tests, a survey of demountable operators and their equipment, vehicle manoeuvring speeds, and a theoretical analysis of vehicle/unit impacts; these components are brought together to derive a measure of safety - the impacts that could be resisted in service. Pilot shipments of goods have been made, and the experience gained, together with extrapolations into operational modes, are discussed. Operating with current practices and attitudes that prevail in the demountable field, the units appear to offer a freight transfer system with unit transfer costs largely independent of throughput, and very competitive with current practices. They might thus lead to a greater number of interfacing points between road and rail than is currently practical. (Author/publisher)
Abstract