RM Rail bogie

RUSSIA: Rolling stock manufacturer RM Rail has developed a 25 tonne axleload bogie in conjunction with St Petersburg State Transport University.

The Type 18-9891 Type 3 GOST 9246-2013 bogie is designed to have less impact on the track than a 23·5 tonne design, while minimising flange wear, offering 500 000 km or five years before the first overhaul and a solebar and bolster service life of 32 years.

The bogie has a conventional three-piece layout and consists of a cast bolster and solebars, central spring suspension, wheelsets with adapters and cassette-type bearing units, removable rubber-sprung backlash-free bearers and brake rigging.

‘The design of the bogie is protected by five patents. However, we propose to make it a “people’s vehicle” and are ready to provide technical documentation for its manufacturing, repair and maintenance, exempting users from royalty payments’, said RM Rail Technical Development Director Sergey Drobzhev.

’The bogie’s future is not limited, it is suitable for an axleload of 27 tonnes. After change of configuration, it can be manufactured as Type 4 bogie for heavy rolling stock or Type 1 bogie for high-speed models. For “smart” wagons the bogie can be equipped with an electric power generator’, he added.