KiwiRail has a presence across New Zealand – from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island. Each day, the state-owned rail network moves huge amounts of freight and a significant number of people around the country. So, ensuring the rail network infrastructure is running safely, efficiently and on time is paramount.
When a breakdown happens on the tracks or in tunnels, KiwiRail relies on a small number of heavy-duty rail cranes to swing into action and to remove any obstacles that might slow down operations.
Recently, NZ-based Shaw Diesels Ltd was given the task of replacing the engine in one of the 60-tonne cranes. The crane was previously powered by a Rolls Royce engine but the organisation decided to replace the engine to meet emission regulations and targets.
“I flew to Wellington to meet with KiwiRail and to see the crane on site and then we went to tender and were successful,” says Pete Shaw, Director of Shaw Diesels Ltd.
“We knew we had to select an engine that could match the power and ability of the previous engine but with fewer emissions. KiwiRail wanted an engine with a sustainable future – they didn’t want an engine that would need replacing five years down the track.”
Shaw Diesels opted for a DEUTZ TCD 7.8 L6 engine. The frame of the original Rolls Royce engine was flown to the company’s workshops in Auckland so the new DEUTZ engine could be built to exact specifications and so bolt straight back into the crane with minimal effort. Shaw Diesels carried out a number of modifications, also building a radiator package for the engine.
“We chose the DEUTZ engine because of the power required and because of the engine’s efficiency. It’s the latest and greatest so it was an easy choice – plus we knew we’d have plenty of technical support from DEUTZ when we needed it,” says Pete.
When work on the engine was complete, it was sent to KiwiRail’s depot in Wellington. From there, Shaw Diesels’ South Island Regional Manager, Paul Saville, fitted the electrics onto the engine and put the engine through its paces.
“There were a few teething problems with the hydraulics initially – the hydraulics were complicated and many of them were the original 1980s spec so there were a few leaks to be dealt with. Once the KiwiRail engineers had those fixed, the engine commissioning was very smooth and the engine ran the hydraulics exactly as it was supposed to,” says Paul.
“This was one of the most interesting projects I’ve worked on. I loved the challenge of wiring up such a large project and working with the KiwiRail team was great – they are very passionate about what they do and the electricians and engineers I worked with were very clever people.”
The crane is now fully operational across the KiwiRail network and Shaw Diesels Ltd has since acquired a few projects requiring similar builds.
“There aren’t too many people out there doing this kind of work – retrofitting modern engines into older machines. With the help of DEUTZ Australia, we have our finger on the pulse of those kinds of projects and we have a lot of people coming to us with similar work,” says Pete.
“We’re a one-stop shop and do everything from the engineering and the metrics to the design, supply and consultation,” adds Paul.
“Because we cover everything and we keep what we do in-house, communications are always clear, customers only deal with a limited number of our people and we form great working relationships that make for a smoother project and result.”