An outstanding air cargo shipment had been arranged recently by Transgerma Riedl & Kiehntopf GmbH from Italy to Canada.
By order of her Swiss partner, a 93 ton generator in addition to auxiliaries were lifted from the Italian supplier’s works within an inter-modal integrated transport chain land/air/land to Flin Flon, Manitoba province. Including a transport frame specially designed to fit into the heavy-lift aircraft Antonov AN-124, the transport unit aggregated 93 tons.
Auxiliary equipment partly was shipped in a 40’ ISO container, partly as lose parts which in total almost made up to the maximum capacity of the AN124 of 128.5 tons, Transgerma’s managing director Mr Hans Kiehntopf stated. Nevertheless, air cargo shipment due to the height of the transformer could be arranged only by replacing its cover by a flat plate.
The height of the transport unit even for pre-carriage from supplier’s works to the Italian airport of Bergamo required the operation of a girder bridge. One the airport two mobile cranes handled the generator onto the aircraft’s own shifting track, as seen in our photographs. The flight was routed from Bergamo via Prestwick, Scotland and Gander, New Foundland to Winnipeg, Manitoba.
On the Winnipeg airport again two mobile cranes handled the transformer onto a low loader for intermediate haulage to a nearby railway station. From Winnipeg rail station final leg of transport chain on a 650 miles (1,050km) railway line leading northward directly to Flin Flon was carried out on a special heavy-duty rail car equipped with spring mounts, after careful securing and lashing of the cargo.
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ITJ
Heavy Lift Europe
