The road-railer Unimog has long become one of the familiar sights at the open air area of the international leading trade fair InnoTrans Berlin. (September 23 to 26, Open Air area South, booth G4/16). This year Mercedes-Benz is able to put forward a very special message: The new Unimog professional implement carrier puts the strict European exhaust emission standard Euro VI on the tracks. That is a new standard of environmental compatibility and efficiency for shunting work (with a howling power up to 1000 t) as well as maintenance work on the infrastructure of the tracks of the railway and local transport – the typical work fields of the legendary road-railer Unimog. The exhibited Unimogs show new and practice-oriented overall solutions for special operations that have been developed in co-operation with internationally acclaimed implement manufactures.
90 percent less emissions compared to Euro V
And that´s what the technical progress looks like in numbers: The Euro VI engines for trucks reduce diesel particles and nitric oxide emissions by up to 90 percent compared to Euro V, compared to the state of affairs in1990 the emissions resulting from utility vehicles have decreased by values of 88 percent to 98 percent. Furthermore, the new engine generation is very efficient, due to its low maintenance and high-torque quality and makes significant saving potentials possible when it comes to fuel consumption compared to shunting locomotives that run on diesel. The Unimog U 423 is the vehicle predestined to be a road railer with a performance of 170 kW (231 hp).
Innovative transmission technologies with up to 50 km/h in both directions
The permanent all-wheel-drive that is typical for the Unimog series with longitudinal locks, as well as separate differential locks at the front and rear axis, the single tyres as well as the torque-converter-clutch for pulling heavy weights predestines the Unimog for road-railer operations. The transmission with eight forward gears and eight reverse gears enables speeds of up to 50 km/h in both directions. Part of the railway-certified equipment are also – depending on the customer´s demand -for example railway lightening systems, dead man´s handle or railway radio system.
The synergetical driving system “Easy Drive”, yet another innovation of the new Unimog, is of great benefit to the road-railer. It allows a smooth increase or decrease of the working speed of up to 50 km /h without using the clutch and an easy change between a hydrostatic drive system and mechanical transmission while driving.
Newly arranged driver´s cabin with well - conceived control concept
The “clear view cabin” – unobstructed view due to an extra large panorama window pane – of the new Unimog generation Euro VI presents itself in a new and modern design. The visual and functional effect of the short cap is thus even more emphasised. The new bumpers have integrated LED-lights as well as day time running lights. For a better view the windscreen wipers are now positioned above the windscreen. The clear view driver´s cab thus offers an optimal and secure overview on the operation area, further improved through the newly available frontal camera monitor system.
The best working conditions are to be found by the driver and co-driver inside the cabin: A multi functional steering wheel, an adjustable steering column or the high-performance heating and air conditioning system. The instrument cluster for the driver´s instruction has been newly conceptualised and has a large bright display. The controls have also been optimised. For example, there is now a control stalk to operate the driving functions like the transmission gear shift or the new premium engine brake.
No separate driving system required
What makes the Unimog so interesting for road- railer operations is that due to its compact axle dimensions it does not require a separate driving system even with different track widths. Using special rims and tyres the Unimog can be driven on both standard (1435 mm) and different international broad-gauge tracks on its road wheels. A hydraulically retractable rail guiding gear ensures a safe rail guiding system on the track. At a level access to the track of a minimum length of five meters, for example at rail crossings, the Unimog can simply off-track and keep on driving on the road with up to 90 km/h to the next work site. For its use on tracks in local transport there are rail guiding systems available that enable to drive curve radii of 18 meters. Various operations can be done with the road-railer Unimog, as for example greenery care alongside the road, cleaning the trackbed and train path and performing cleaning and maintaining work of signal stations or at the contact wire.
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