Railway Crane, Railroad Breakdown Crane

Railway crane and Railroad crane for sale from China SinoTrailers

What is a railway crane

A Railway crane is a type of locomotive with the function of lifting, and running on the railroad and specialized in heavy lifting works along the railroad. You may think it is a chassis of a mobile crane replaced by a train locomotive chassis, but more complicated than the mobile crane.

Why do we need a breakdown crane for the railway

The railway is an important national infrastructure, which is the artery of the national economy, railroad crane is must-have equipment to remain the railway running viably, the main purpose is for train rescue, if wrecking happens in a remote area, a mobile crane and crawler crane may not access the area, railroad crane will be the only solution to clear and maintain the railway. It is widely used for locomotive overturn rescue, cargo material handling, train derail recovery, and clearing of railroad malfunctions. The rail crane ensures smooth traffic for passengers and goods on the railway and also speeds up the construction of conventional railways and high-speed railway.

Most breakdown and derail of the locomotive on the main railway or one of the dual lines, to minimize the influence, railroad crane can only be allowed to run on this already blocked railroad. It requests the crane to be able to lift the malfunctioned locomotive when they are on the same line of railway.

Different types and specifications of railway cranes

16/25 tons railroad crane

Applied to erect poles, set up equipment, handle cargos, and tow rolling stocks. Worked as a member of the electrified railway breakdown group. The cranes have two types, one is a self-propelled type, and another is towed type, equipped with a moment limiter. Travelling chassis has two axles steering brackets or three loading axles.

1. 16 tons: lifting capacity 16 tons, track gauge 1,435mm, wheel diameter: 840mm, hydraulic and mechanical transmission, 216-243kw, curve capacity 145m, JZ-7 air brake, and parking brake, top speed 90km/h
2. 25 tons: lifting capacity 25 tons, track gauge 1,435mm, wheel diameter: 840mm, hydraulic and mechanical transmission, 216-243kw, curve capacity 100m, JZ-7 air brake, and parking brake, top speed 100km/h

63 tons rail crane

63 tons crane can move and extend boom with the load on. Consists of booms, rotating platform, chassis, turning bracket, steering bracket, driving system, air system, hydraulic system, and electronic system. Optional for grab bucket and electromagnetic chuck. The 63 tons telescopic railroad crane has double 63 hooks, and vacuum breakers and the chassis is welded by steel sheets.

100 tons railway crane

Long-stroke telescopic heavy railway crane has a 360-degree turning angle and two diesel engines, E-GAS. Track gauge 1,067mm, it can be customized by requirement. Max. torque is 1,000T.M, and the maximum extended length for the boom is 10 meters.

1. Maximum lifting capacity: 100 tons
2. Working range:
   • 360° rotating, landing leg span 6.2 x 6.2m(T100-5)/6 x 6m(100-1), working range 100t x 6m(T100-5)/100t x 5.5m(100-1)
   • 360° rotating, landing leg span 6 x 6m, under contact line system, working range 60t x 8.5m(100-1), 20t x 14.3m(100-1)
   • 360° rotating, landing leg span 4.8 x 8.5m, working range 97t x 5.3m(100-1)
   • ±20° rotating, landing leg span 4.8 x 9.11m, working range 100t x 7m(T100-5)
   • ±30° rotating, landing leg span 4.8 x 8.5m, working range 70t x 8.5m(100-1)
   • ±10° rotating, landing leg span 4.8 x 8.5m, working range 70t x 9m(100-1)
   • With landing leg, under contact line system, 30t x 10m(100-1)
   • 360° rotating, no landing leg support, working range 15t x 7m(T100-5), 15t x 6.5m(100-1)
   • ±10° rotating, no landing leg support, working range 15t x 8m(100-1)
   • No rotating, no landing leg support, working range 15t x 10m (T100-5)
3. Working speed:
   • Lifting speed with empty load: 0-11m/min, with load: 0-4m/min(T100-5), 3m/min(100-1)
   • Luffing time: ≤64s(T100-5), ≤70s(100-1)
   • Fully extended time: ≤60s
   • Rotating speed: 0-1r/min
   • Self-propelled speed: 10km/h(T100-5), 12km/h(100-1)
   • Hauling speed: 90km/h(T100-5), 80km/h(100-1)
4. Overall dimensions (exclude jib and hook): Meets with Tanzania railway regulation(T100-5), 11.4m x 3.38m x 4.6m(100-1)
5. Maximum lifting height of the main hook: 15±0.5m(T100-5), 8.1-13.4m(100-1)
6. Maximum lifting height of the second hook: 16±0.5m(T100-5)
7. Distance between two lifting hooks: 12m(T100-5), 11.24m(100-1)
8. Height of the main hook: 895±10mm(T100-5), 880±10mm(100-1)
9. Steering bracket quantity: 2
10. Axle quantity in each steering bracket: 3
11. Wheel diameter: 840mm
12. Turning radius of the tail of the rotating platform: ≤5000mm(T100-5), 5.8m(100-1)

125 tons railroad crane

The crane adopts an adjustable counter-weight, hydraulic drive crane with a self-propelled engine and auxiliary engine, and two telescopic jibs. Easy for maintenance and traveling in the tunnels, mountain areas, and other narrow space areas that have limited turning radius sites.

1. Maximum lifting capacity: 125 tons
2. Working range:
   • 360° rotating, landing leg span 6 x 8.4m, working range 125t x 5.5m
   • ±30° rotating, landing leg span 6 x 8.4m, working range 125t x 7m
   • ±10° rotating, landing leg span 6 x 9.52m, working range 125t x 8m
   • 360° rotating, no landing leg support, working range 20t x 5.5m
   • No rotating, no landing let support, working range 21t x 8m
3. Working speed:
   • Lifting speed with empty load: 0-12m/min
   • Luffing time: ≤63s
   • Fully extended time: ≤50s
   • Rotating speed: 0-1r/min
   • Self-propelled speed: 12km/h
   • Hauling speed: 120km/h
4. Overall dimensions (exclude jib and hook): 15.4m x 3.2m x 4.6m
5. Maximum lifting height of the main hook: 17.5m
6. Working range: 5.5m-18.3m
7. Distance between two lifting hooks: 11.6m
8. Height of the main hook: 880±10mm
9. Steering bracket quantity: 2
10. Axle quantity in each steering bracket: 3
11. Wheel diameter: 840mm
12. Turning radius of the tail of the rotating platform: 4.2m-5.8m

160 tons railway breakdown cranes

160-1 is the old type of railroad crane with a fixed jib. 160-2 has two telescopic booms and 160-3 with three telescopic beams. The main lifting hook capacity is 160 tons, the second is a 50 tons load hook, two diesel engines(can work together or separately), a hydraulic drive, and the boom is 27.5m when fully extended. It is the biggest capacity rescuing and maintaining crane in China, which is covering almost all lifting tasks on the rail and utilizes its function to max degrees. The counterweight at the end of the crane train ensures the maintenance crane balance while the lending leg retracted back.

Railroad crane type: 160-1

1. Maximum lifting capacity: 160 tons
2. Working range with landing leg span 6 x 10.54m:
   • With counter-weight, working range:
     • 160t x 10m at ±10° rotating
     • 160t x 8m at ±10°-±30° rotating
     • 160t x 6.5m at 360° rotating
     • 84t x 4.7m at ±30° rotating
   • Without counter-weight, working range:
     • 125t x 8m at ±10°-±30° rotating
     • 100t x 5.5m at 360° rotating
3. Working speed:
   • Lifting speed with empty load: 0-4m/min, with load: 0-2m/min
   • Luffing time: ≤2.5m/min
   • Rotating speed: 0-1r/min
   • Self-propelled speed: 12km/h
   • Hauling speed: 85km/h
4. Overall dimensions (exclude jib and hook): 12.6m x 3.3m x 4.55m
5. Maximum lifting height of the main hook: 15m
6. Working range: 5.5m – 16.5m
7. Distance between two lifting hooks: 12.6m
8. Height of the main hook: 880±10mm
9. Steering bracket quantity: 2
10. Axle quantity in each steering bracket: 4
11. Wheel diameter: 840mm
12. Turning radius of the tail of the rotating platform: 5.8m

Railway crane type: 160-2

1. Maximum lifting capacity: 160 tons
2. Working range with landing leg span 6 x 10.54m:
   • With counter-weight, working range:
     • 160t x 6.5m, 52t x 12m at 360° rotating
     • 160t x 9m, 70t x 12.6m at ±10° rotating
     • 84t x 14.7m at ±30° rotating
   • Without counter-weight, working range:
     • No landing leg, 27t x 20m at 360° rotating
   • Under the contact line system, the jib can be extended or retracted within 12.5m with 60 tons load
3. No landing leg, no balance weight, 26t x 8m at ±10° rotating
4. Working speed:
   • Lifting speed with empty load: 0-7m/min
   • Luffing time: ≤1.5min
   • Fully extended time: ≤1.5min
   • Rotating speed: 0-1r/min
   • Self-propelled speed: 16km/h
   • Hauling speed: 120km/h
5. Overall dimensions (exclude jib and hook): 12.6m x 3.3m x 4.71m
6. Maximum lifting height of the main hook: 20.5m
7. Working range: 6.4m-21m
8. Distance between two lifting hooks: 12.6m
9. Height of the main hook: 880±10mm
10. Steering bracket quantity: 2
11. Axle quantity in each steering bracket: 4
12. Wheel diameter: 840mm
13. Turning radius of the tail of the rotating platform: 5.8m

Railroad crane type: 160-3

1. Maximum lifting capacity: 160 tons
2. Working range with landing leg span 6 x 10.54m:
   • With counter-weight, working range:
     • 160t x 6.5m at 360° rotating
     • 160t x 9m, 52.2t x 19.8m at ±10° rotating
     • 84t x 14.7m at ±10°-±30° rotating
   • Without counter-weight, working range:
     • 160t x 6.5m at ±10° rotating
     • 125t x 7m at ±10°-±30° rotating
     • 138t x 6.35m at 360° rotating
   • Under the contact line, without balance weight, 45t x 18m at ±30° rotating
   • Under the contact line system, the jib can be extended or retracted within 11m with 60t load at ±30° rotating, and 70t x 9.75m at ±30° rotating
3. Working speed:
   • Lifting speed:
     • Main engine with empty load: 0-9m/min, with load: 0-3m/min
     • Second engine with empty load: 0-4m/min, with load: 0-1.3m/min
     • Double engines with empty load: 0-13m/min, with load: 0-4.3m/min
   • Luffing time: ≤1.5min
   • Fully extended time: ≤1.5min
   • Rotating speed: 0-1r/min
   • Self-propelled speed: 12km/h
   • Hauling speed: 120km/h
4. Overall dimensions (exclude jib and hook): 12.6m x 3.3m x 4.71m
5. Maximum lifting height of the main hook: 10.83m-21.7m
6. Working range: 5.07m – 23.95m
7. Distance between two lifting hooks: 12.6m
8. Height of the main hook: 880±10mm
9. Steering bracket quantity: 2
10. Axle quantity in each steering bracket: 4
11. Wheel diameter: 840mm
12. Turning radius of the tail of the rotating platform: 5.8m

Railway crane type: 160-4

The specification is the same as above 160-3, the difference between 160-3 with 160-4 is 160-3 is controlled by hydraulic, and 160-4 is controlled by electronic-hydraulic proportional. The engine is with CAN-Bus technology, simplifies the control and management of the railroad crane, and also makes the operation more accurate and easy for maintenance.

Designs of locomotive crane

1. Booms (jibs) – All railroad cranes have two types of jibs, fixed-length jib, and telescopic boom. A fixed-length jib is more stable and cheaper compare to an extendable jib, but the working range is narrower. Telescopic jibs are getting popular because of their versatile usages. All sections of the telescopic lifting boom through finite-element analysis, minimize the self-weight of the boom and crane without sacrificing any ability of it. The boom is welded by high tensile steel, and it is extended and retracted by hydraulic jacks. Normally, the weight of a jib is 10% – 15% of the crane’s weight, so the trend of designing jibs toward light self-weight.
2. Backup hydraulic circuit – If failure happened in the main diesel engine or main pump, we may use a second backup diesel engine (25.7kw) and hydraulic loop to continue the maintenance work, but the backup system cannot support the load on the lifting hook. Adopt Rexroth as the supplier of all main hydraulic parts like hydraulic pumps and motors.
3. Flatcar – To be suitable for different environments, the 160 tons crane is normally equipped with a newly designed auxiliary train (flat car). The auxiliary flat wagon train equipped with a generator can be started at a low temperature. The length of the idler car (flatcar) is 24.5 meters, the first section is a low-fenced area for the diesel generator unit, railroad crane jibs, bracket for booms, rigs, and crossties, and under the platform are stainless steel backup fuel tank and tool kit box. The second section is an accommodating room and office for workers. Custom design of flatcar is available from HUGEIRON, it can be designed to move oversize and strange shape goods
4. Adjustable counter-weight – Adjustable counterweight (extendable and retractable counter-weight) is vital to make sure the crane has the best performance when it is rotated for other directions lifting work, the adjustable weight is adjusted along with the centerline of the railroad which makes the crane more safe and reliable.
5. Overall size – Railway is narrow and the railroad crane is not able to move latitudinal on the track, so designing of overall size for the crane is pretty compact, because the huge size will increase its turning radius and then limit the working environment. You may imagine that once the crane turned some degrees for a side lifting job, the huge body probably will interfere adjacent railway.
6. Landing leg – using landing legs enable the crane to fulfill its maximum lifting capacity.
7. Double rotating system – Double rotating system enables the jib to rotate separately from the balance weight, making sure the ongoing lifting work has no influence on the railway next to it.
8. Overall future designing – Future design of railroad cranes is seeking higher lifting capacity, higher working efficiency, stronger adaptability, and higher reliability.

Features of railroad crane

1. Newly designed safety control system
2. Landing leg sensor
3. Counterweight condition sensor
4. Crane body incline sensor
5. The safety monitor system is available for old generations railroad cranes
6. Auto record safety data
7. The wrecking crane is driven by a generator and internal combustion engine, electrical drive, hydraulic lifting, and telescopic extended
8. Maximum lifting capacity when the crane turns in +/- 30 degrees
9. Counter-weight is easy for assembly and disassembly, it is adjusted by the hydraulic cylinder according to the weight on the lifting hook
10. 360 degrees rotating

Applications of railway crane

1. Railway track-laying
2. Railroad bridge construction
3. Overhead contact line (system) maintenance
4. Able to work under the overhead contact line in different working conditions
5. Load and unload overweight cargo

How to choose a suitable breakdown railway crane manufacturers

German manufacturers are still leading the worldwide market for designing and manufacturing the railroad crane, like GOTTWALD and KIROW. But nowadays China railway crane manufacturers are minimizing the gap between the two countries, the stage of borrowing experience from Germany is finished, and innovation is the next target for us to achieve. So now China-made railway cranes are a good choice for you to consider. The main difference between Germany-made and China-made rail cranes is process control, for designing and manufacturing ability almost the same between the two countries.

1. The turning radius of the tail part of the crane can meet up all kinds of railway conditions
2. Maximum load moments with landing gear and without landing gear
3. The extended length of the boom
4. Maximum available working range along the direction of the railway
5. The adjustable counter-weight can be fully extended when turning the angle of the crane over 30 degrees

Railroad crane for China’s high-speed railway

China’s high-speed railway has expanded rapidly in recent years, railroad cranes specialized in high-speed railway rain are crucial for its development. Considering features of China’s high-speed railway, conventional railway, railroad bridges, and tunnels, we have designed and manufactured our own 125 tons railroad crane. It covers crane demands in single and dual lines and rail slopes. Most parts of the high-speed railway are bridges, so working on bridges is the first priority for high-speed railway cranes. Compared with the KIROW crane, we have improved more landing legs for the crane, and intellectual control to monitor the payload on each leg which is safer to protect the high-speed rail and bridge. Supporting brackets increase safety factors when the crane travels on the railroad with a load on the hook. New design and technology used in crane jib, swing extendable counter-weight reduces the dead weight of the crane. The intelligent trouble diagnosis system is also adopted in the crane which makes the crane more reliable and easy to operate.

China supplier of heavy railway rescuing cranes – HUGEIRON We have exported different types of railroad rescuing cranes to Brazil, Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Angola.

China manufacturer of rail cranes – SinoTrailers

To transport a railway crane on a public road, you may need a multi-axle trailer.