Schnabel Railcar Multi-Axle Transport Manual
Engineering specification for extreme high-and-wide rail shipments: 36-axle Schnabel cars (CEBX 800, WECX), hydraulic clearance shifting, middle-ordinate curve throw, and Class I railroad track weight distribution.
01 Transformer Payload & Track Geometry
02 High-and-Wide Clearance Telemetry CLEARANCE APPROVED
Lateral hydraulic shift accommodates 6.5° curve throw. Axle line loadings are within Class I main line bridge and rail profile limits.
Hydraulic Lateral Shifting
The Schnabel car carries on-board diesel-hydraulic power packs allowing operators to shift the transformer horizontally up to ±22 inches (560 mm) while moving at crawl speed (under 5 MPH) to clear bridge truss members and track signals.
Vertical Clearance Elevation
Hydraulic lift cylinders raise the entire load up to 36 inches above top of rail (ATR) to clear low-platform passenger stations, turnouts, switch frogs, and highway grade crossings, or lower it to clear low overhead tunnel portals.
Dedicated Special Train Service
Schnabel moves operate exclusively as Unit Special Trains with dedicated locomotives, escort cabooses/passenger coaches for hydraulic technicians, empty buffer cars, and mandatory daylight-only restrictions on double-track corridors.
Orchestrate Specialized Rail Clearance with Exspeedite
Manage high-and-wide rail clearance documentation, Class I track authorizations, and multi-modal transload transfers in Exspeedite Rail TMS.