TVSZ Completes 10,000th Wagon
On 17 July 2014 Tikhvinsky vagonostroitelny zavod (TVSZ) announced that it had completed its 10,000th wagon since the works was inaugurated in January 2012. The vehicle involved is a Model 19-9870 hopper wagon designed for the transport of mineral fertilisers. It is mounted on Barber S-2-R bogies with a 251 axle-load, and is destined for the Akron-Trans fleet.
It also incorporates certain technical and operational characteristics regarded as innovative. The extended dimensions of the bodyshell together with the 25 t axle-load enable the payload to be increased by between 5 and 6 t to a maximum of 76.5 t. The design of the wagon also enables it to be kept in service for up to either six years or every 500,000 km before it has to be subjected to a first depot repair. Conventional hopper wagons of this type require the latter once every three years or every 210,000 km. The resuIt is that the Model 19-9870 has substantially lower maintenance costs.
In 2014 OVK (Obedinyonnaya vagonnaya kompaniya, United Wagon Company, a management company for both TVSZ and RAIL 1520, see R 5/13, p. 60) plans to build up to 15,000 wagons with advanced technical and performance characteristics. This programme will be realised in conjunction with various partner wagon works. Most of the new wagons will be built fora 251 axle-load. Akron-Trans already has a number of Model 19-9835-01 wagons in service, mounted on 23.51 axle-load bogies, built by TVSZ.
