Delta Railroad Services unveils automated Rail Unloader Car

The new Rail Unloader Car is designed to safely and efficiently unload continuous welded rail strings. | Source: Delta Railroad Services

More robots are coming to railways. Delta Railroad Services yesterday introduced a new, rail-bound, custom-engineered and built automated Rail Unloader Car, or RUC.

The company said it designed the RUC to improve the speed, efficiency, and safety of unloading up to 1,600-ft. (487-m) continuous welded rail (CWR) strings from railcars. It said the RUC streamlines the end-to-end rail unloading process, a task traditionally performed manually, which can be both time-consuming and dangerous.

The system’s design allows for the efficient and precise distribution of CWR strings directly from railcars onto the track bed, the company asserted. Linda Laurello, CEO of Delta Railroad Services, called the new unloaders a “game changer for the rail industry.”

“We’ve taken a labor-intensive, hazardous process and transformed it into a safe, automated operation,” she added. “This not only protects our front-line construction crews, but [it] also dramatically increases productivity for crews across the United States and North America.”

RUC increases track unloading speed and safety

Delta Railroad Services listed features of its RUC system:

• Automated unloading: The RUC uses a self-contained system to precisely offload CWR strings along tangents and curves, without the need for manual intervention, minimizing the risk of injury, claimed the company.
• Increased speed: The machine can unload a single railcar in a fraction of the time it takes using traditional methods, accelerating project timelines, according to Delta.
• Enhanced safety: By minimizing worker interface during unloading, the RUC can reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
• Superior versatility: The unloader is adaptable to various types and lengths of railcars and rail size (115#, 136#, 141#).
• Fully integrated: The RUC can move freely throughout a railroad network without limitations like a railcar.

Delta Railroad Services serves infrastructure needs

Steven Pratt, chief operating officer of Delta Railroad Services’ Machinery division, Quality Track Equipment, touted the company’s focus on the user. “Every machine that leaves our shop is built with our customer in mind—their comfort, safety, and operational needs,” he said.

Founded in 1957, Delta Railroad Services is part of the Salcef Group. Today, it is a railroad construction and maintenance company, a manufacturer and remanufacturer of maintenance-of-way (MOW) equipment, and an equipment rental company.

The Ashtabula, Ohio-based business said it aims to serve the growing railroad infrastructure needs in the U.S. and throughout North America.

Editor’s note: RoboBusiness 2025, which will be on Oct. 15 and 16 in Santa Clara, Calif., will include an expanded track on field robotics. Registration is now open.

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