Unveiled at Bauma 2022 in Munich as a highlight and transport system of the future, the new »FT SERIES« of pivot-mounted heavy-duty modules proved themselves in various operations in 2023. The positive customer response to the »FT SERIES« is underscored by orders placed totaling more than 350 axle lines. The following two examples of jobs handled with the »FT SERIES« in 2023 offer a convincing introduction to the heavy-duty module of the future.

In April 2023, a track geometry inspection car of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) weighing a total of almost 50 t had to be moved from the shunting yard at Stadthafen Linz across the Danube to the Urfahr railroad station in the center of Linz. For periodic inspection work on the track, which is part of an island rail operation, the experienced heavy-haul experts of Prangl GmbH were commissioned to transport the car. With its new pivot-mounted »FT SERIES« 2+4 combination with a rail vehicle deck, the entire 47 m long rig weighing a total of 135 t was maneuvered through the city center at night without any problems. Furthermore, Prangl was able to significantly reduce its capital outlay because, despite the new bogies, it was possible to use a loading deck from the company’s existing fleet – thanks to the universal combination options of Goldhofer’s »FT SERIES«.

Hackl used the »FT SERIES« to transport a Sennebogen 870e Hybrid material handler from Straubing in Bavaria to Bremerhaven.

The return trip to the shunting yard, again at night, began with a challenge: Because of the extremely limited space available, the combination had to be reversed over a distance of about 300 m to a junction where it could turn around. Thanks to an extra wide steering angle of ± 60°, that was no problem at all for the Prangl team. From there, the journey continued through the city center, where the new »FT SERIES« heavy-duty modules once again proved their worth: Having been perfectly configured for use in confined spaces during the ordering process, including a low loading height achieved with the help of 205 tires, the combination – with a total height of 4.6 m – was able to pass under the inner-city overhead lines and traffic lights and various road signs. The final act was an approx. 5 km section of wrong-way driving on the closed Austrian A7 to the shunting yard at Stadthafen Linz. “With the new heavy-duty modules in the »FT SERIES« we can respond flexibly to any challenge, be it maneuvering in confined spaces or the need for different module combinations. With the »FT SERIES« we can quickly adapt to requirements,” says Jochen Schmidt, Head of the Heavy Haul and Special Transport Department at Prangl.

The Bavarian company Hackl Spezial-Transporte GmbH ordered the new »FT SERIES« at Bauma 2022 and has been using it in a crawler deck combination since mid-2023. The ten-axle combination can be adapted as required for the load, with the single-axle chassis providing additional flexibility for optimizing the centre of gravity. “What we particularly like about the »FT SERIES« is that we can always assemble the exact combination required for the payload, just like with a Lego construction kit,” says Florian Hackl, Managing Director of Hackl Spezial-Transporte GmbH. The original order was configured for a transport weight of approx. 90 tons. Thanks to the unique scope of the »FT SERIES« for adapting the modules retrospectively after purchase, Hackl has since been able to increase the maximum payload to 110 tons.

In November 2023, Hackl used the »FT SERIES« to transport a Sennebogen 870e Hybrid material handler from Straubing in Bavaria to Bremerhaven. With a total weight of more than 100 t, a length of almost 16 m, a width of 3.8 m and a height of 4 m, this was a challenging transport operation on public roads. To deliver this colossus safely to Bremerhaven, Hackl opted for a ten-axle »FT SERIES« combination (4+6) with a five-axle excavator boom recess module at the rear. “The excavator boom variant is another advantage of the »FT SERIES«. The boom recess is large and wide and also open to the rear, and that helps us transport today’s larger, heavier and increasingly complex loads to their destination without any problems,” says Hackl. “Goldhofer is made in Bavaria and stands for quality. That’s why we opted for Goldhofer. The combination of product and service gives us a coherent overall package.”