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Dispensing sand or grit on the rails in railcar moving operations is simply a fact of life. Regardless of what type of vehicle is being used to move railcars, dispensing some sort of grit for additional traction on the rails is often a necessary part of being able to move the cars. Filling sander boxes on a Railcar Mover has always been a chore. The material to be dispensed is heavy, awkward to handle, and most often the fill ports located in difficult to reach places are clogged because the material tends to absorb moisture and clump together, and clean up after filling is necessary to prevent accidents.
By nature of their function sanders must be located near the drive wheels where space is usually limited. At Shuttlewagon, Inc. careful attention to this often overlooked detail was incorporated early in the design of the "Commander" series. The result is the Commander's sanding system consists of four bi-directional dispensing boxes composed of high density crosslinked polyethylene, making the containers lighter, easier to handle, stronger than fabricated steel, and impervious to rust. The boxes are located beneath the deck outboard of the tires on sliding rails that allows them to be slid out for filling, maintenance, and access to the tires. Wide mouth hinged lids protect the material from the elements and permit easy filling from ground level. Spillage of material during filling is limited away from the vehicle's deck and walkway, minimizing cleanup. Incorporating forward and reverse dispensing from a single container reduces by half the number of boxes that must be maintained, and is simply an easier way to do an old job.
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