Blue Machinery Fuchs has sold two MHL360 F material handlers to Rail Freight Services, with the machines purchased to load and unload barges of aggregates and soil at a number of locations along the River Thames in London.
The Fuchs’ powerhouses have a reach of up to 18m whilst, Fuchs says, comfortably handing a 2,250litre clamshell grab. Both units are currently unloading barges carrying 500 tonnes of soil material which is used to restore a landfill site in Rainham, Essex.
Rail Freight Services (RFS) is one of the UK’s leading companies for the loading and unloading of bulk rail freight and water borne vessels. The company also operate intermodal and aggregate terminals, placing huge emphasis on having the right equipment to fulfil their various contracts right across the UK. It was due to this focus, Fuchs says, that RFS general manager Jim Flatman recently added the two new
The MHL360 F is said to offer speed, fuel efficiency and precision. The dual circuit hydraulics allow for quick working cycles, even under heavy loads, and movement is said to be perfectly jolt-free with the clever kinematics concept, meaning gentle yet accurate manoeuvres can be performed and executed.
A rear view camera with night vision option and travel alarm come as standard, however RFS have chosen an all-round vision option to meet the strict H&S compliance which many of their contracts demand. Operators also enjoy the comfort of the ergonomic operator seat with flexible setting options.
Commenting on the machines, Flatman said: “The benefit of these machines is the lift capability even on long reach. Of course we have the tide to contend with in this particular scenario, and these machines can lift the full clamshell grab weighing almost 6 tonnes from the barges beneath, even when the tide is low and the full 18m reach is required.”
At the moment the machines are unloading two 500 tonne barges, but the plan is to increase this to 2,000 tonne barges each day. Clearly however the challenge will be getting enough lorries to take the material away, as the Terex Fuchs machines provide a full load to these trucks in a matter of minutes, before waiting patiently for the next.”
Paul Hogan, HME fleet manager at RFS, also highlighted the benefits of working with Blue Fuchs. “The team at Blue Fuchs responsible for service and maintenance. Scott and Paul are always there to assist with any service or technical queries. They are always at the other end of the phone, no matter what time of day it is, which is vitally important to our operations, many of which operate 24/7.”
