Delivery of a major project for the German Railways
Safe bridges are not only essential for road traffic, but rail traffic in particular, with its ICE high-speed lines, is also dependent on the maintenance and repair of its bridges. This is exactly where MOOG from Deggenhausertal comes into play.
MOOG is manufacturer of under-bridge access units and has counted DB Netz AG among its loyal customers for many decades. A number of large projects have already been implemented together, but the fascination of seeing these impressive machines on site and in operation is still great.
This major project included the delivery of two MOOG MBS 110 with various additional equipment such as pier inspection and arch inspection, which are suitable for use on almost all viaducts on the ICE routes in Germany. Two special low-loaders were also developed and manufactured especially for the above-mentioned under-bridge access units, for transporting these machines including accessories to the respective sites of operation.
Once at the construction site, the under-bridge access unit is assembled and dismantled at night during the shutdown period with the overhead lines switched off, as the machines are lifted onto the bridges with the help of a mobile crane.
The under-bridge units for the German Railways are characterized by the fact that inspection work can also be carried out during normal train traffic without affecting it. This is made possible by the width of the chassis of just 3ft. 3in. when assembled. The ICE can therefore drive past the machines at 160 km/h during operation. The MBS has a hydraulic drive that can even overcome inclines of 40 ‰. Steering is carried out automatically by feeler arms that “feel” their way along the bridge structure.
MOOG and its team manufactured these machines with a very high level of vertical integration in Deggenhausertal, investing 20,000 working hours.
This major project was completed at the beginning of December 2023 with the handover to the customer and the training of the operating personnel on the first construction site.
MOOG wishes you a “safe and pleasant journey with the German Railways“!
