Mecalac’s New Next-Gen 216MRail Railroad Excavator
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Mecalac’s 216MRail Railroad Excavator
Courtesy of Mecalac
NORFOLK, Mass. – Mecalac introduces a powerful railroad excavator that can be operated both on and off the rails.
Mecalac North America, a manufacturer and distributor of construction equipment, has revealed its new upgrade to its lineup of MWR wheeled excavator series. The 216MRail Railroad Excavator is especially designed for the construction and maintenance of rail. According to forconstructionpros.com, the excavator is “equipped with new features, such as dual drive, along with a power-to-weight ratio that offers the performance of a large railway maintenance machine.” The 216MRail is also “designed for light-rail, metro systems, and tunnel applications.”
The 216MRail can also be used off the rails and is the largest machine in Mecalac’s MRail lineup, weighing in at 20 metric tons. One such feature, the dual drive, allows those who use the excavator, the ability to place the wheels directly on or off the rail. This gives operators the flexibility to choose, based on the need to prevent damage to other rail equipment (like rail sensors) or to reduce wear on excavator’s tires. Similar to other machines in the MRail series, the 216MRail also has a hydrostatic transmission that enables it to be propelled without wheels and therefore moves smoothly along the track.
It can tow rail cars and other rail equipment, but it is still compact enough to perform work in smaller, more confined areas like tunnels, thanks to its boom design that allows it to “extend almost entirely straight or fold back on itself.”
Other features of the 216MRail are its “anti-drop safety check valves, load sensing, and flow sharing.” Additionally, the cab is large enough to accommodate a second crew member and has windows on each side with a low-height hood. This gives operators complete visibility from all directions. Inside the cab are color display monitors, measuring 7 inches and are “configured to provide data in real-time. . .[with] driver-assistance functions such as rail mode.” The 216MRail also has a pneumatic braking system and an automatic hook for towing.
The General Manager for Mecalac North America, Peter Bigwood, highlighted the power of Mecalac’s 216MRail and its ability “for heavy applications, combined with the boom’s flexibility and the safety of the double cab, highlight Mecalac’s commitment to providing innovative machines for efficient and safe railway work to the rail industry.”
