Sanding of Rail Locomotives
The Olds Elevator has been adapted into the 'Sand- piper’, a portable unit, featuring a built-in sand hopper with a 1.25 tonnes capacity (figure 16). Rail locomotives carry sand in boxes, which is dispensed onto the railway tracks to aid traction in slippery conditions. The Sandpiper refills a locomotive's sand boxes in minutes, often saving a time-consuming trip to the service yard. Various models are in use in Queensland and New South Wales including a self- propelled version with wheels and Olds Elevator