DMF RW-1630/RW-1650 Railgear Equipment

DMF RW-1630/1650 Railgear DMF’s RW-1630 railgear is our original and very successful hi-rail gear for large trucks. The front guidewheel assembly attaches to the frame and front axle and lifts the front wheels off the track, thus utilizing the vehicle’s front suspension. This design supports the vehicle as it was intended and helps the truck navigate curves smoothly and damp out the effects of track irregularities. The rear assembly attaches directly to the truck frame behind the rear axle/tandem spring hangers. It deploys with an articulated dual scissor action that allows the rear railgear to be moved both vertically and horizontally. This mechanism provides the “side shift” action which has made DMF gear so well known in the industry. It gives operators a greater margin for aligning the vehicle to the track which speeds and simplifies the process of getting the vehicle on rail.

RW-1630/RW-1650 Specifications:

FRONT:

Std: Attached to front vehicle springs.
Ground clearance retracted: 10″

REAR:

Std: Installation is to vehicle frame (bolted and clamped) below the top-of-frame line and directly behind the spring hangers.
Ground clearance retracted: 10″

BRAKES:

Air external shoe, actuated by vehicle brake pedal operation

CAPACITY:

40,000 pounds per guidewheel axle @ 20 MPH

INSTALLED WEIGHT:

Front: 1385 lbs.
Rear: 1185 lbs.

AXLES:

Large 3 1/4″ 120,000 PSI yield axle with 2 7/8″ spindle
Two cast steel 16″ wheels per axle with two Timken roller bearings per wheel

SUSPENSION:

Std: Front uses front vehicle suspension
Rear acts as a rigid member between the rail and frame

GAUGE:

56 1/2″ standard (Other gauges available as an option)

PIN OFFS:

Front – Rail Mode: Design is overcenter so support is through design and welded stops
Front – Highway Mode: Mechanical safety pin-offs with optional remote feature
Rear: Mechanical safety pin-offs are provided for rail and highway positions. Remote cable or air operated pin-offs are optional.

HYDRAULICS:

Typical requirements: 5 GPM @ 2,000 PSI
Pressure source: PTO/pump
Valves: Control valves are located at each assembly
Hose and fittings: SAE 100 R1, JIC swivel ends
Cylinders: Manufactured by DMF
Manual control valves raise and lower wheels and are located near assemblies to provide visual inspection during operation.

Typical Chassis

DMF RW-1630 railgear is designed for vehicles with GVWR’s 33,000 lbs. and above, such as:
- International 7600
- Freightliner FL112
- Sterling LT 9500 series
- Mack Granite
For greater capacities, you can upgrade to our RW-1650 rear gear. It can boost your hi-railing weight capacity by supplying a larger axle, bigger bearings, and special hardened rail wheels.

Optional Features:
There are several options available for RW-1630 railgear. The most commonly ordered options include rail wheel brakes for improved stopping on rail, insulated wheels to prevent crossing signal actuation, rail sweeps to clear the rail of potentially damaging materials, and remote pin-offs for ease of operation. Other less common options are non-standard track gauges and slotted links for improved hi-rail performance at crossings.

Materials:
All structural members and brackets are constructed of carbon steel. The 16″ guide wheels for DMF RW-1630 railgear are machined from hardened steel castings and are fitted to high strength alloy steel axles with heavy-duty tapered roller bearings.

RW-1630 Installation:
Both DMF front and rear guidewheel units bolt to the truck frame using only hand tools found in any shop. They are designed to minimize the amount of space required and in many cases fit within the existing boundaries of the vehicle. The front units, however, sometimes require a bolt-on frame extension to complete the installation. Rear RW-1630 railgear mounts below the top of frame and directly behind the chassis spring hangers.

Brakes:
The optional RW-1630 rail brakes are of the air actuated external Cobra shoe type. The rail brakes use a truck style air chamber to supply the clamping force. Supply pressure comes from the vehicle’s air system. A pressure protection valve separates the railgear and the truck’s air systems, preventing a failure in the rail brake system from adversely affecting truck braking. The rail brakes are applied simultaneously with the truck brakes when the operator presses the brake pedal. There is also a dashboard-mounted switch that permits the operator to enable or disable the rail braking system.

Operation:
The truck is pulled onto a crossing and the wheels aligned to the tracks with attention being paid to the front. The operator then activates the hydraulic power unit pulling the lever of the hydraulic valve to raise the railgear off of the pin-off device. The safety pins are removed and the lever pushed forward lowering the rail wheels to the track. The front gear will lift the front of the truck and go over center. The rear is operated similarly. The gear is raised to lift the weight from the pin-offs, and the pins are removed. The gear is then lowered via the two handled valve at the rear of the truck. Each spool may be operated independently to articulate the rear gear and engage the rail even if the rear wheels are not perfectly aligned. Once the rear gear is fully deployed, the pin offs are re-inserted to lock the gear in place.

Steering Wheel Lock:
The steering stop is provided with the optional railwheel brake assembly. If the unit is not equipped with optional brakes, a steering wheel lock is provided, requiring no modifications to the column.