The Situation
Scotch blocks are temporarily fitted to rails in order to hold the wheel of a train, for instance, during maintenance activity. Traditionally, these blocks are made from wood. The main problem with this is the risk of derailment when the train moves up to and across the scotch block. Train derailment is a serious concern, both in terms of safety for personnel and the costs involved in reinstating the train back into service.
The Solution
The team from HAYLEY DEXIS Rail worked closely with engineers to understand the issues around the use of traditional scotch blocks, before collaborating with a trusted manufacturing partner to develop a solution. The solution is a compressible safety scotch block, made using polyethylene foam and designed to prevent derailments and also reduce damage to both wheel sets and tracks inflicted by wheel-to-rail bounce. Vivid colours have been used on the produce to make it easier to identify and prevent it from being mistakenly left behind after use.
"THE PRODUCT IS NOW BEING ADOPTED AT MANY DEPOTS WITH FURTHER TRIALS CONFIRMED WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS."
The Result
The unique product innovation has dramatically reduced the risk of train derailments, which have the potential to cost the operator in the range of £400k each time. This cost includes the loss of revenue generated from the train being in service, and the expenses involved in engineering, inspection, and recommissioning to get the derailed train back on the tracks. The safety of maintenance engineers has also been improved. Following successful trials with several rail operators, the product is now being adopted at many depots, with further trials confirmed with other HAYLEY DEXIS customers.