Rail Move March 2015 - Houston, TX to Alexandria, ND

(Houston, Tx)-  Hansa Meyer Global Transport had a busy 1st quarter for 2015.  Among several international and domestic projects that launched the New Year, we are highlighting this project because it was challenging, time critical, and highly visible.  The project consisted of 7 vessels discharged in the Port of Houston and 1 vessel with an origin in Minnesota.  All equipment was under a strict deadline that added to the complexity and critical nature of these transports.

The team developed a rail solution to ensure delivery prior to changes in the local seasonal road regulations.  From the Port of Houston the 7 vessels including (5) Slug Catchers and (2) Storage vessels, were discharged from the ship and loaded on to (7) 8-line rail cars with 70'decks.  Center of gravity offsets were created using multiple 16,000 pound I-beams welded to the cars.  Using a special train the transit was six days, well ahead of all deadlines.  Below is a short video of the pieces coming from Houston and being set into place at the job site.

The part of the project not covered in the video, but challenging as well, was transport of the 135' long, 330,000lbs vessel that came out of Minnesota.  Using Push and Pull trucks equaling 1,300 horse power, identifying the  best route, and executing without delays, the team avoided frost regulation problems and delivered precisely on-time.  Below are some pictures of the Minnesota transport.

Steady below zero temperatures made even the simplest tasks difficult.
Above a torch is used to soften the rubber inlays for the saddles 

20'wide duel-lane dolly setup

The customer was pleased with the technically-engineered solution, the timely and flawless execution, and the exceptional hands-on service provided by the entire Hansa Meyer Team. 

The communication between all team members, our customer, fabricators, truckers, and other contributors to this project was executed with precision and attention to detail.  Critical information pertaining to this project was available real-time and shared via a cloud-based tracking system.  If you have any questions, please reach out to our office in Houston and we'd be happy to speak with you.

As always, your comments and feedback is welcomed.