The Loco Buggy system

The protection of our environment is also one of our top priorities. We are therefore delighted that we are able to prevent countless truck journeys through our in-house transport system Loco Buggy and in this way prevent CO2 emissions. Up until now, rail vehicles with a different track gauge could only leave the factory by road. With our Loco Buggies, the way (or rail) is also now clear for narrow and broad gauge trains.

Our patented bogies are also a valuable help to vehicles using the same gauge. Reasons to use Loco Buggies include a gearbox for a local transport vehicle not designed for a long distance without intermediate stops, a non-conforming wheel profile of an export vehicle or even a wheel damaged in an accident. If a very wide vehicle was to come too close to the platform edge, we would be able to put it on Loco Buggies and bring it away from the critical profile area and enable its transport by rail.

We provide different types for different uses as well as ramps for loading. Rolling out transport goods from an asymmetric three-rail track into a symmetrical operating position is achieved using a special ramp construction.

Coupling cars

European railway trains have always featured two different coupling systems. Classic locomotives and cars have a coupling hook to transfer the traction force and two buffers for the compressive force. The mechanical mountings of these components on the vehicles are designed for the corresponding forces. Most multiple units/railcars, on the other hand, have a central buffer coupling, which, together with its mounting on the vehicle frame, is designed for both tensile and compressive forces. There is no provision for coupling the two different coupling systems during operation.

In exceptional cases, both coupling systems must be used in one train. This can happen, for example, when a railcar is no longer in a driveable state and needs to be towed away by a locomotive. In this case, a drawbar carried in the railcar is used to link both vehicles, which is mounted onto the coupling hook of the towing locomotive. A relevant vehicle-specific regulation is required to ensure this is carried out safely as, in the absence of buffers, the coupling hook may be applied using compressive forces in this exceptional case. According to the general traffic law, towing is defined if there is an emergency assistance concept and the vehicle to be towed away can no longer be driven.

Secure interface for vehicles with centre buffer coupling

Planned transport without a technical emergency, on the other hand, is described in transport law as haulage. An example of this is the transport of brand-new export vehicles from the factory to the port. In these cases, the towing locomotive and the vehicle being towed are connected using a coupling adapter car. These special vehicles are equipped at one end of the car with buffers and coupling hooks compatible with the locomotive and at the other end of the car with a central buffer coupling that matches the towed train. Coupling adapter cars are therefore the secure interface between two vehicles with different coupling systems. RailAdventure has a fleet of coupling adapter cars available for its customer orders to tow trains. For test runs, some cars in the fleet are designed to run at speeds up to 220 km/h.

Our coupling adapter cars enable variable settings for a wide range of coupling heights above rail level. All vehicles can be coupled, from the tram with its very low coupling height to the high-speed train attached to the Loco Buggy.

RailAdventure has a wide variety of coupling types in its portfolio that can be mounted onto the coupling adapter car.