Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent Hunter UK
4x4s have been used in RL as road-rail vehicles or even converted to haul small trains.
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In World War 2, jeeps were fitted with flanged wheels to run on rail. The heaviest consist I'm aware of being pulled by one was a 52-ton train in the Philippines, which was hauled at 20 miles per hour. Not bad for a vehicle with a 1000-pound cargo capacity.
Modern road-rail vehicles tend to be more easily convertible between modes than the jeeps were.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic
Here in Australia we have quite a number of 4x4s converted in such a way, the railways use them as inspection vehicles. Plus they have some larger vehicles (I think they're 2-4 tonne types) used as workshop vehicles for repair crews.
Works out better/cheaper when you considered that a good portion of the rail lines are in uninhabited regions and the inspection/repair crews may have to travel by road to get to the nearest town.
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Two weeks ago Aries Rail
was testing a 20-tonne road-rail vehicle.