Czech rail switches will be installed in the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. The switches will be customized dual gauge.
Pražská
strojírna, which is a subsidiary company of the Prague public transit company,
obtained the first contract in New Zealand. The Czech company will supply two
atypical tram rail switches to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT)
in Auckland. Switches will be delivered in May this year.
The subject
of the contract is dual gauge rail turnouts with switches, which allow
operating trams with a standard wheel gauge of 1435 mm and also trams with a
wheel gauge of 1219 mm. Instead of a single-pin tongue design, the switches
will have three-pin tongues for increased safety.
General
Manager Robert Masarovič of Pražská strojírna said that after considering the
specific conditions in the Museum, where the rail track is being used by
various historical trams, we proposed designing switches containing three pin
tongues to ensure that the operation of various trams from different time eras
is safe. A big role in securing the contract was played by great references
from Public Transport Victoria, which is one of the biggest clients of Pražská
strojírna.
The Museum
of Transport and Technology in Auckland has a tradition from the 60s of the
20th century. Today the collection has grown and has over 300,000 articles. The
museum also stores and operates a fleet of trams which used to be operated in
New Zealand and Australia. The museum also has some rarities such as a
double-decker tram or a steam-powered tram. Each part of the museum is
connected by a 2 km long rail track which is being used for transporting
visitors. Pražská strojírna is connected with the tradition of the British
businessman Joseph Ruston and his factory. The Czech company manufactured since
the second half of the 19th century in Prague mainly steam machines and steam
boilers. In 2007, the company went through reorganization and started focusing
on foreign markets. The company supplied switches, for instance, to Sweden,
Germany, Belgium, Algeria, Australia, and Estonia.
Source: https://zdopravy.cz/
CzechTrade
Australia