The RPM 2002 and RPMW 2002-2 built by Plasser & Theurer are machines of the latest design for fully mechanised installation of a formation protective layer, followed by placement of the ballast layer, using recycled ballast material.

Early in 2000 the RPM 2002 brought decisive innovations for RPM Wiebe Swietelsky in the integration of m aterial recycling. The high cleaning quality, the integrated ballast recycling plant, the enormous savings in new ballast and the handling of the entire transport logistics on rail caused the German Environmental Ministry to endorse this technology. In August 2002 the second machine of this design, the revamped RPMW 2002-2, was presented to H.F. Wiebe.

Washing and re-processing the ballast integrated into the machine

Excavation - smoothing the earth formation - installation of a new protective layer laid on a geotextile

Unrolling the geotextile

The movements of material within the machine are performed in direct lines and without unnecessary detours. The ballast excavating chain picks up the top layer of ballast (the recyclable part of the old ballast bed). The required excavating depth can be adjusted exactly. This ensures that as much re-useable ballast can be reclaimed as possible. The RPMW 2002-2 separates the ballast from cohesive material using a star screen (system Wiebe) as well as a high pressure water spraying unit before it is processed by the cone crusher and the vibrating screen for re-use.

The formation excavating chain removes the remaining material down to the earth formation with a maximum excavation output of 800 cubic metres per hour. Excavation width, excavation depth and formation crossfall can be adjusted exactly and steplessly.

The resulting subsoil formation is consolidated using smoothing devices. If required, a geotextile can now be laid. A slewing conveyor belt distributes the FPL material uniformly across the entire width. The profiling device grades the material deposited and six plate consolidators compact the FPL material to make the finished formation protective layer.

The recycled ballast is inserted in exact quantities through distributor chutes. The packing device can be used to fill the ballast underneath the track. Other distributor devices fill the area of the tamping zones with ballast. If required, new ballast is transported from the specially adapted material conveyor and hopper units to the ballasting area.

To complete the working process the track is tamped. The final track geometry is measured and recorded by the plotter unit.

Ballast recycling with cone crusher and vibrating screen

Tamping machine unit for levelling, lifting, lining and tamping the track

Successful operation of the RPM 2002 in Romania

Apart from the many operations in Germany, the two formation rehabilitation machines also work in Austria and the Czech Republic. A track construction project being carried out by CFR, the Romanian State Railway, took the RPM 2002 to Romania.

As a member of the consortium with the Austrian firm Swietelsky and the Romanian firm CCCF, the German firm Wiebe was commissioned to carry out track renewal on the 90 km section of track Bucharest-Ploiesti-Campina. The double track design amounted to a total volume of around 180 km of track renewal in the short construction period of only 600 days.

The work encompassed formation rehabilitation (installation of a formation protective layer with a thickness of 50 cm - reinforced with geogrid and geotextile), various work in stations and the laying of new track. The material required for this included 20.000 tonnes of rails and around 310.000 ties. During this project the RPM 2002 excavated a total of 1.200.000 m³ of used material and installed a total of 600.000 m³ of new substructure material. The average output achieved per day was 300 metres of new track with complete formation rehabilitation (peak outputs up to 700 m). The necessary quantity of new material of 2.100 m³ per day posed great challenges to the logistics. Never before has a construction project of this scale been carried out in any country in the south eastern region of Central Europe.

This project in Romania is part of the modernisation programme of the railway line from Bucharest to Brasov which is being financed by the European Investment Bank and with the support of the EU.

• Machine for fully mechanised installation of a formation protective layer and a ballast bed, with integrated ballast recycling
• High working output of approx. 100 metres per hour
• Operation even in short track possessions
• Pre-cleaning and fine cleaning of the old ballast
• Enhanced cleaning quality due to use of a rail-mounted star screen unit and a high pressure water spray unit
• Crushing plant to sharpen the old ballast
• Material transport only in the track under repair
• Transport of new material in MFS units
• Integrated levelling, lifting, lining and tamping

RPM 2002 / RPMW 2002-2

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