Repositioning railcars in a rail-switching operation has always been an arduous task....

Before the invention of the mobile railcar mover, large locomotives were most often used to move railcars. Locomotives are still used today, however many rail operations are switching to railcar movers due to locomotives’ ownership expense and immobility.

Railcar movers make moving rail cars a much easier process. The dual-mode capabilities offered by

Rail King offer versatility with off-track mobility which greatly reduces repair, maintenance, and fuel costs. Additionally, Rail King railcar movers offer safety features not found on standard locomotives.

On the reverse side of this flyer you will find some facts and figures furnished by Norfolk-Southern and CSX Railroad that highlight how purchasing a Rail King railcar mover is a sound financial decision for practicality, safety, and overall cost of ownership reasons!

Rail King® Railcar Movers

vs. Locomotives

Rail King vs Locomotives.indd 1 1/28/2011 9:05:30 AM

Rail King LocomotiveService

Current average annual cost per Rail King Model RK330 for repair and maintenance is $9,270 with all work being performed by the Rail King dealer. This number will vary based on application, environment and number of hours of use per year.

Average annual cost per intra-switching locomotive for repair and maintenance (not including fuel) is $56,663*.

The standard PM on a Rail King takes one technician 5 -6 hours and the 1000 hour or annual service requires one technician 12 hours.

To perform the required scheduled maintenance on a locomotive requires 3 specially trained technicians 8 – 12 hours each.

To service a Rail King no pit is required, only a safe working area, no special equipment needed.

When servicing a locomotive, the 4 traction motors must be lubricated from underside of the unit. This necessitates a pit to position the locomotive over.

Moving railcars with a Rail King will save time since it is not rail-bound and it can be placed easily on the tracks at any prepared crossing.

Intra-plant switching with a locomotive requires at least 2, and often 3 people. Because of the size of a locomotive, it would not be practical to have the operator leave the cab to perform any of the other work associated with the movement of the railcars.

Fuel ConsumptionThe average fuel consumption for a Rail King Model RK330 for most intra-plant switching applications is 2.0 gallons per hour.

The average fuel consumption for a standard locomotive for most intra-plant switching applications:

Throttle Position/Hour Gallons/HourIdle 3.01 5.02 6.1

3 (Average Throttle Position) 13.44 22.25 31.06 39.97 49.78 60.2

The Rail King may be shut down while not in use, conserving both the fuel and wear on the engine from unnecessary idling.

The electrical system on a locomotive is extremely complicated and subject to frequent failures. The normal plant electrician or mechanic is not able to troubleshoot or repair the system.

A conventional diesel-electric locomotive can not be shut down. When not in use, it must be left to idle. The average fuel consumption while idling is 3 – 5 gallons per hour. The average fuel consumption for a normal intra-plant application is 13.5 gallons per hour.

*Facts and figures furnished by Norfolk-Southern and CSX Railroad in 1983. Costs have increased since that time, but no documented figures were found.

Rail King vs Locomotives.indd 2 1/28/2011 9:05:34 AM