Now transporting wood
Salzburger Eisenbahn Transport Gesellschaft (SETG) implements wooden wagon concept. On 15 March the ‘Sflexwood’, presented here a few months ago (see page 22 of ITJ 1-4 / 2023), was provided punctually for loading. The wagons of the first train composition had previously been manufactured, approved and delivered just as punctually by the Slovakian manufacturer Tatravagonka, in accordance with SETG’s specifications. This was no mean feat in times of high energy and steel prices.
The ‘Sflexwood’ represents more than 20 years of experience transporting timber by rail, numerous requests from customers and maximised flexibility and efficiency. It offers a loading length of 17.2 m, a G2 construction profile and 8.8 m² of loading cross-section – all ultimately the result of detailed planning. This represents the largest loading cross-section of log wagons in the whole of Europe. Its more than 68 t payload per wagon result in a maximum load weight of 2,380 t per train.
Flexible train lengths
Depending on the type of wood being carried, up to 2,500 solid cubic metres can be loaded on one train – or up to 4,200 m³ of sawn timber. Never before has there been room for so much on blocktrains for timber transport in Central and Eastern Europe.
The ‘Sflexwood’ can be used universally in most European countries – an important requirement in the flexible timber transport market. Its compact length allows flexible, customer-specific train lengths, fewer shunting movements for loading and unloading, and thus optimised utilisation of frequently short loading tracks.
Rail history in the service of industry
For the first time since the Second World War, a private railroad in Europe has invested in constructing new wagons for timber transport. This strengthens SETG’s position in its core segment – transporting forest products. In order for the ‘Sflexwood’ to operate in as streamlined a way as possible, years of experience and comparisons were necessary.
The absence of end walls, the central ‘fish belly’ as a frame girder and other construction aspects save up to 25% traction energy during operation, especially with empty sets.
In times of high and difficult-to-predict energy prices this represents great efficiency in wood logistics by rail with the ‘Sflexwood’, the most modern wood wagon on the continent. Customers and shippers have incorporated their requirements for quick and easy loading and unloading.
Both are reflected in the final result. Stanchions and obstacle clearance in the loading and unloading area in particular mean fast and easy handling times for customers and shippers.
A few more stake cars in the future
”We’ve always had a strong focus on transporting forest products. With the first new construction of a stake car fleet since World War II by a private railroad, we’ve written a piece of railroad history, so to speak. Initially, we’ve invested EUR 20 million in the ‘Sflexwood’ fleet, and will now use it to successively expand our stake wagon fleet of 420 wagons,” says SETG CEO Gunther Pitterka.
Rashid Engler, of SETG’s sales department, knows that for the company’s customers, one-stop wood logistics means that operations, wagons, planning and scheduling come from a single point of contact – a SETG employee, to be precise. “At the same time, we operate with as few interfaces as possible. The result is efficient forest product logistics by rail.”
Said Cosic, the head of SETG’s wagon fleet, added that “in the ‘Sflexwood’ we haven’t only designed an efficient wagon and put it on the rails, but have simultaneously also reduced interfaces in maintenance and upkeep. Our ECM certification is the basis for this.”