Tatiana Gorgol shunts freight wagons using a Unimog U 423
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When Tatiana Gorgol climbs into the cab, she becomes a part-time train driver. Her Unimog U 423 is a road-rail variant with which she shunts freight wagons.
The SGM company premises in Morsbach, Lorraine.
What looks a little bit like industrial waste-ground is actually houses 30 kilometres of rails, hundreds of brown freight wagons, a graffitied commuter train and an abandoned signal box with "Morsbach" emblazoned upon it in huge letters. Not far from the French-German border, this is where freight trains used to be put together on behalf of the state-run Charbonnages de France before being sent on their travels to steel refineries and coal traders.
Today, every now and again, a TGV or a regional train whirs past on the parallel-running railway lines which link Metz and Forbach. The only other thing you'll see here is a Unimog U 423. The yellow metal bars flanged onto the front and rear of the vehicle are visible from far away, as are the two huge yellow tanks on its load area.
Upon closer inspection, the four additional steel wheels ahead of and behind the tyres come into view. That can mean only one thing: this Unimog can also be used a locomotive.
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Join RoadStarsTeamwork on rails.
At the wheel of this extraordinary vehicle sits somewhat atypically a woman. She works for Société de Garage de Morsbach (SGM) and her job is to shunt freight wagons back and forth as well as to put together entire trains. Together with her colleague Christophe Blanchard, she manoeuvres the parked wagons. "For safety reasons, we always work in pairs," explains the young Unimog driver.
She presses the horn and a loud signal sounds, almost like those of the TGV high-speed trains when they tear past the abandoned railway station. "Although we're on private land and could theoretically do what we please, we have adopted the same safety standards as those used by the French national railways."
Slowly, the Unimog starts reversing and pushes back a combination of six four-axled bulk silos and flatbed wagons. No problem at all for the 170 KW Euro VI engine fitted in the Unimog U 423.
Equipped as a road-rail vehicle, the Unimog U 423 is a particularly flexible shunting assistant.
Equipped as a road-rail vehicle, the Unimog U 423 is a particularly flexible shunting assistant.
Equipped as a road-rail vehicle, the Unimog U 423 is a particularly flexible shunting assistant.
Equipped as a road-rail vehicle, the Unimog U 423 is a particularly flexible shunting assistant.
The separate, hydraulically controlled guide wheels at the front and rear keep it on-track and adapt the pressure which the tyres exert on the rails depending on the prevailing conditions. Contrary to a locomotive, the Unimog doesn't have a sand spreader to increase traction on wet or icy tracks.
Whilst the train gains pace, Christophe stands on the shunting step of the front-most wagon, watching out that the train is manoeuvred to the correct track. He gives Tatiana any instructions via radio. Shortly before a set of points, he has the Unimog come to a halt. He gets off and manually switches the points. Then they can carry on.
Tatiana and her colleague Christophe always have a complete overview from within the modern cab of the Unimog U 423.
Tatiana and her colleague Christophe always have a complete overview from within the modern cab of the Unimog U 423.
Tatiana and her colleague Christophe always have a complete overview from within the modern cab of the Unimog U 423.
Tatiana and her colleague Christophe always have a complete overview from within the modern cab of the Unimog U 423.
A worthwhile investment.
"Our company owns the only parking area for freight wagons in all of France," explains Tatiana. "All of the other sidings either belong to repair workshops or railway operators who don't rent them out long-term." On SGM's property, the wagons can remain parked for as long as the owners desire. If a wagon is needed, a simple e-mail containing the wagon number is all it takes. Tatiana and Christophe then shunt the wagon from its parking space to the delivery track. There, a locomotive picks up the requested wagons twice a week.
Among SGM's customers are many companies with very small wagon fleets as well as the three biggest providers in France – STVA, ERMEWA and VTG – who all own as many as 80,000 wagons. The Unimog U 423 is the ideal vehicle for this work according to Tatiana. "Unlike a locomotive, you don't need to warm it up an hour before being able to start working in the morning," she explains. "What's more, it can simply hop off the tracks when needed for shunting at the other end of a train."
"The Unimog U 423 is the ideal vehicle for my line of work."
Tatiana Gorgol, shunting specialist at SGM
The two big yellow tanks on the load compartment of the U 423 are compressed air reservoirs. "We need air at a pressure of five bar in order to release the pneumatic brakes of the wagons." The predecessor of the U 423 was also a Unimog, but its compressed air reservoirs were too small. "It took as many as 40 minutes before we were able to move a train. Per day, we'd lose around an hour and a half in this way." For Tatiana, there's no doubt that the new Unimog is a truly worthwhile investment.
Photos: Olivier Bos
Video: Hans
Müller
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19 comments
Immer wieder lesenswert, was Kolleginnen im Alltag - in der derzeit doch noch größtenteils von Männern dominierten Fahrerwelt - so leisten.
Schön, dass es solche Mädels/Frauen gibt, die ihre "Erfüllung im Fahrerjob" finden, wenns auch lang schon dank Politik u. Bevölkerungsmeinungen /-wertschätzungen kein "Zuckerschlecken" mehr ist 👌
Immer wieder lesenswert, was Kolleginnen im Alltag - in der derzeit doch noch größtenteils von Männern dominierten Fahrerwelt - so leisten.
Schön, dass es solche Mädels/Frauen gibt, die ihre "Erfüllung im Fahrerjob" finden, wenns auch lang schon dank Politik u. Bevölkerungsmeinungen /-wertschätzungen kein "Zuckerschlecken" mehr ist 👌
Top Bericht und super Bilder.
Gruss Andreas
Top Bericht und super Bilder.
Gruss Andreas
klasse dass wir dich so begeistern konnten! Wir sind auch ziemlich hin und weg von diesem Fahrzeug 😉
klasse dass wir dich so begeistern konnten! Wir sind auch ziemlich hin und weg von diesem Fahrzeug 😉
Wir tun, was wir können 😁 Vielen Dank für dein Lob!
Wir tun, was wir können 😁 Vielen Dank für dein Lob!
Deine Frage geben wir weiter und melden uns noch einmal, wenn wir Genaueres zum Aufbau wissen.
Hier geht's übrigens zu dem Kilometermillionärs-Artikel, von dem Thimo geschrieben hat:
https://roadstars.mercedes-benz.com/de_DE/community/2019/kilometre-millionaires/kilometre-millionaires-thimo-nass.html
Deine Frage geben wir weiter und melden uns noch einmal, wenn wir Genaueres zum Aufbau wissen.
Hier geht's übrigens zu dem Kilometermillionärs-Artikel, von dem Thimo geschrieben hat:
https://roadstars.mercedes-benz.com/de_DE/community/2019/kilometre-millionaires/kilometre-millionaires-thimo-nass.html