Keeping ‘Hud Rail’ on the right track with Ross Handling
As you may have noticed, we at Ross Handling have a weakness for an interesting customer story. The latest customer to peak our interest was the University of Huddersfield, who purchased six jacking castors to be used for a miniature railway locomotive competition which took place here in Leicestershire.
As you may have noticed, we at Ross Handling have a weakness for an interesting customer story. The latest customer to peak our interest was the University of Huddersfield, who purchased six jacking castors to be used for a miniature railway locomotive competition which took place here in Leicestershire.
In the IMechE Railway Challenge, engineering students and apprentices from across the UK design, manufacture, build and operate a 10.25 inch gauge miniature train, according to set regulations and rules. During the manufacturing process Team ‘Hud Rail’ realised a need for a suitable jacking castor solution and approached Ross Handling.
Project Manager, Peter Sparrow explains: “We needed castors which could work safely with a large load (700-800kg), had a high lift capacity and could provide a smooth transition to and from the track with sufficient clearance from the ground.
“We contacted Ross Handling as one of our potential suppliers and were immediately impressed. The sales team were genuinely interested in our project - they asked questions about the competition and worked with us to identify a product that best suited our design requirements.”
The six jacking castors were bolted onto jacking beams and fixed to the underside of the main car allowing Hud Rail to shift the locomotive on and off the track. After a gruelling two days of challenges and competitions, the Hud Rail team finished an impressive 5th place.
Peter concludes: “Ross Handling showed great interest in our project and did their best to provide a viable solution. We would definitely recommend the team, both for their diverse range of available products and their excellent customer service.”
