UK: QTS Group has unveiled its Mega Chipper V2 rail-mounted chipper, an automated 460 hp machine which can chip a 600 mm diameter tree in 10 sec.
A successor to the railway contractor’s original Mega Chipper, the V2 is more powerful and efficient with a revised blade configuration to make the machine operate more smoothly. Other features include a personnel carrier for up to four operatives, SMS fault reporting and remote diagnostic access.
The rail wheels are hydrostatically driven when in work mode and can be fully operated via remote control, enabling the operator to be located in a position of safety. The rubber tracks can be used for climbing steep embankments and road travel.
The Mega Chipper V2 is currently being used to clear vegetation on the East Kilbride line near Glasgow as part of electrification works.
‘With track access becoming increasingly limited, efficiency is more crucial than ever’, said Managing Director Alan McLeish. ‘My vision behind the first Mega Chipper was to create a machine that could handle large trees and chip them on site, saving both time and manpower. The QTS Mega Chipper was the world’s largest and only rail-mounted chipper, however, we wanted to continue to innovate and improve on the original version.’
- QTS is fitting its chipper fleet with metal detectors to prevent rail fastenings which have been discarded into lineside vegetation from going through the chipper and damaging the blades.
