New Equipment Enhances Capabilities in Ontario Northland's Remanufacturing and Repair Centre
NORTH BAY, ON, Feb. 7, 2018 /CNW/ - New line boring equipment recently obtained by Ontario Northland positions the company as the only railway in Canada offering in-house line boring capabilities to external customers.
Line boring is an essential mechanical procedure used when overhauling locomotive and other industrial engines. Line boring restores worn or damaged bores, returns the engine to proper alignment, and corrects bore centres.
"Our line boring machine is a portable computerized unit that is capable of driving multiple different cutting heads, we can bore 6 to 15 inches in diameter, allowing us to work on a greater variety of engine types," says Dan Monfils, Senior Manager of Ontario Northland's Locomotive Repair Shop. We are currently equipped to line bore EMD645 and EMD710 engine blocks.
Previously, this type of work had to be shipped out of the country, adding five to seven weeks to complete locomotive engine overhauls. The addition of this equipment shortens timelines for engine overhauls, increases efficiency, introduces new opportunities and retains the expertise and work in Canada. Shortened timelines for this service will decrease equipment downtime for railways and improve asset utilization.
"This new equipment enhances our capabilities and improves timelines," says Dennis Higgs, Vice President of Rail Mechanical and Remanufacturing. "It will allow us to quickly return our locomotives requiring maintenance back to service. This news will also please our current clients and attract new customers who are looking for quality locomotive repair work that can be completed quickly in Canada. Providing engine overhauls for marine, power generation and other transportation providers is now an exciting possibility for Ontario Northland."
Facts:
- Rail mechanical shops in North Bay and Cochrane maintain the Ontario Northland's fleet of 24 locomotives.
- The shop facility in North Bay currently provides remanufacturing and repair service to 2 North American railway and transit companies (CN and G&W).
- Current investments in the locomotive shop include an engine block cleaner and a standalone test bed.
- Diesel Mechanics, Electricians, Painters, Railcar Technicians, Engineers, Machinists, Quality Assurance and Project Managers in addition to other tradespeople, work in the company's Rail and Remanufacturing and Repair Centre.
SOURCE Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
about Ontario Northland please contact: Renée Baker, Communications Manager, [email protected], Tel: 705.472.4500 or 1.800.363.7512 ext. 530, cell 705.499.7573; For sales inquiries please contact: Stephen Hamilton, [email protected], Tel: 705.472.4500 or 1.800.363.7512 ext. 208, cell 705.471.1773
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