Jib carrier for Japanese rail companies JR East and JR Central

The summer of 2015 will see a first for the East Japan Railway Company, (JR East) when the first of two Kirow Multi Tasker 810 railway cranes starts tracklaying in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The jib carriers to tow them to where they are needed have been developed and built by HeiterBlick and will also accommodate the counterweights of the cranes. As a special feature, the crane and jib carrier communicate with one another when in transit so that travel can be controlled from the cabin of the crane or the jib carrier. The operator can view the status of the other unit from an easily readable display. The driver’s cab of the jib carrier should always lead in the direction of travel. As in the crane, a live ring between the carrier's traveling gear and superstructure helps rotate the latter, and the cab, through 180°. This is especially important in the cramped conditions of Tokyo and avoids expensive, time-consuming shunting. HeiterBlick’s experience as a specialist supplier of LRVs makes it an important partner for Kirow in this project. Manufacture of the vehicles is now underway in Leipzig.