(Photo courtesy of Mecalac)
Equipment manufacturer and distributor Mecalac recently introduced its next generation 216MRail for North America. A dedicated railroad excavator for railway construction and maintenance, the dual-drive compact machine offers agility and flexibility for use in confined areas, making it ideal for light-rail, metro systems and tunnel applications.
The excavator is based on Mecalac’s MWR wheeled excavator series and can be operated as a wheeled excavator off the rails. The largest machine in the MRail series, the 216MRail weighs in at 44,902 pounds (20 tonnes) and is designed for heavy lifting, towing and working with large buckets, mowers, grapples, and more.
The dual-drive system gives operators a choice of placing the machine’s wheels directly on the rail for increased traction, or completely off the rail for less wear and tear on the tires and to prevent damage to equipment along the track, such as rail sensors. As with the company’s 106MRail and 136MRail models, the 216MRail is equipped with a hydrostatic transmission, enabling the machine to be propelled without the road wheels.
The upgraded 216 features a rail-dedicated boom specifically designed for the rail industry that offers a lifting capacity of up to 8.5 tons (8 metric tonnes) on rails over the front. Its articulated boom design can extend almost entirely straight or fold back on itself, making it agile in confined spaces.
“The 216MRail is a new alternative for heavy-duty rail equipment,” said Peter Bigwood, general manager for Mecalac North America. “The machine’s power for heavy applications, combined with the boom’s flexibility and the safety of the double cab, highlight Mecalac’s commitment to providing innovative machines for efficient and safe railway work to the rail industry.”
Additional features of the machine include anti-drop safety check valves, load sensing and flow sharing. A double cab allows space for a second crew member when accessing the job on rails. The cab also has windows on all sides and a low-height hood behind the cab, providing operators with 360-degree direct visibility.
