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TRACK MAINTENANCE er's Prime Mover Car is a power car that can tow flat cars and other equipment. Transit systems are generally looking for "what they call a workhorse," the company says, which can repair anything on the track that can only be accessed by rail. Whether it's replacing a piece of rail or repairing/replacing switch components, the Prime Mover usually has a crew cab on it to ft a certain number of people, depending upon what the customer specifes. Tese machines have a powerful engine and drive system to be used for rescue operations, such as a vehicle breakdown, so they can tow it away. Prime Mover machines are also equipped with a crane to do various lifting jobs. Some of them have large com- Sales Rep Contact an Espar Tailor Near You And Get Your Fleet Measured for New Heaters Espar Climate Systems a member of the Eberspächer group of companies Espar ... Because Off-the-Rack Just Isn't Good Enough www.espar.com // (800) 387-4800 / Hydronic LII 122,000 BTU 54 < mETRO mAGAZINE JUNE 2013 Hydronic M-12 42,000 BTU Hydronic D5 17,000 BTU pressors and generators on them for air and electric tools and other devices. The vehicle acts just like a power plant, in that it provides power and capacity to pull other vehicles, or just the power that gives you electricity, compressed air or hydraulics to operate other hand tools, according to the company. Mobile Maintenance Unit One new project is the Mobile Maintenance Unit, which is a three-machine consist to protect workers from passing trains when working on multiple track territory. This new concept, which was derived from a system in Europe, was introduced last year on Amtrak, according to Plasser. Te unit itself is fully enclosed and the sidewalls are movable to allow workers to be within the confnes of the machine on the ground doing track work. For example, when a worker is welding a rail joint or replacing switch parts, the machine can park over the area that you want to repair. By doing so, it provides protection from the weather and also passing trains on multiple track territory, the company says. The development of this particular equipment came into being after an inspection visit in Europe. Tere are several of these mobile maintenance systems being used in Europe, including Germany, Norway and Austria. Specialized Equipment Although track maintenance equipment can be more productive based on its larger size, some transit agencies are limited due to their infrastructure. Older transit systems such as New York City Transit and Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority have smaller clearances, which prohibits them from purchasing equipment that is too big because it won't ft. Because these agencies cannot purchase equipment "of the shelf," Plasser works with them to develop specialized equipment that can ft their system. Te basic functions will work the same as a standard size machine, but they are specifically designed for that property because they have to ft into a smaller clear- metro-magazine.com