Northern’s Post

A new wheel lathe, named 'Tina' by Northern’s engineers, has been installed at Allerton TrainCare Centre as part of an £8.9m collaboration between Network Rail and Northern. This machine replaces the older 'Charlotte' and doubles the depot's wheel-lathing capacity. The machine reshapes and balances train wheels to mitigate wear and tear in service, leading to a smoother ride for passengers while reducing track impact. Jack Commandeur, Our Engineering Director at Northern, said: “This has been a significant project to deliver requiring perseverance and co-operation on all sides and I am thankful to the team at Network Rail, my colleagues here at Northern and our suppliers for delivering this fabulous new capability.” To accommodate the new wheel lathe, 1,600 tonnes of soil, stone, and concrete were excavated, with 184 tonnes of concrete used for installation. Engineers at Allerton TrainCare Centre have been receiving training on how to use the new wheel lathe in the last couple of weeks and she will now enter regular service. Clinton Ralphs, North West route sponsor for the project at Network Rail, said: “This joint venture with Northern has allowed us to revive a key aspect of Allerton depot’s history, by installing the new wheel lathe equipment at the depot, giving improved capacity, performance and reliability for Northern." Read more about the story here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dV3U_zKQ