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Manchester South Project McCulloch Rail Track Laying System McCulloch Rail was asked by Volker Rail's project manager to develop a track relaying system capable of delivering to site and installing twin block Fastclip sleepers at 26/Length and 18.288m rails to form a twin track railway at a cost effective output rate. McCulloch Rail has developed a system comprising the following elements: 1. Delivery System 4 x 18.288m (60ft) lengths of track are loaded and delivered on to 3 x 10 tonne McCulloch Rail Trolleys and propelled to site using an on-track Unimog. The 8 off rails are loaded to form a platform and the 104 x sleepers are loaded in 6 stacks of 16 sleepers with 1 additional group of 8 on top. 2. Sleeper offloading system Sleepers are offloaded in groups by an excavator working in crane mode with a purpose made sleeper bale capable of unloading 8 sleepers per lift. 3. Sleeper laying using FLASS (Fine Lining & Sleeper Spacing) machine FLASS lifts 16 sleepers from the group of 32 and positions them in a fine lined, correctly spaced position without any need for manual handling. The sleepers are laid and the FLASS returns to lift the second set of 16 sleepers. This process is repeated until 96 sleepers are laid from the start of the existing track. The last 8 sleepers are then lifted and brought to the end of the row by the FLASS. The 104 sleepers form 4 x 60ft lengths. The sleeper beam is offloaded at the end of the laid sleepers. 4. Rail installation system Rails are lifted from the trolleys onto twin carriers on the FLASS units. 4 rails are carried and dropped 2 per length into the Fastclip housings. The process is repeated until all 8 rails are installed. Using multiple trolley sets, the loading process is ongoing while the track laying process is in progress. This allows approx. 24 lengths (439m or 480yds) to be laid per 10 hour day.  McCulloch Rail Trolleys loaded with rails and sleepers ready to be propelled by our Unimog to the starting position.  McCulloch Rail's unique sleeper grab unloading 8 off sleepers.  The FLASS machine moved into position where it will drop the sleepers in a fine lined and correctly spaced position without the need for any manual handling of the sleepers.  The FLASS machine carrying 4 x 60ft lengths of rail to be positioned in their cradles.  The process goes on until completion.
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