Rolling stock

Don’t wash the soap away

Clean rolling stock not only looks good, it is more efficient too. Regular cleaning of vehicles is proven to reduce maintenance costs and almost certainly prolong the useful working life of stock. However, wash plants are extremely expensive pieces of plant equipment, which need to be maintained regularly. Frequent checks can lead to substantial financial savings and vital resources such as water are also wasted if washing machines are not operating to their full potential.

In a recent investigation, worn nozzles on a machine resulted in a wash plant running on 17% more chemicals and water than originally designed. By implementing a regular maintenance programme on the wash plant the company was able to drastically reduce the amount of water and chemicals being consumed resulting in a direct cost saving.

Effective audits on wash plants are also essential in helping companies to comply with their consents to discharge restrictions through the monitoring of waste effluent produced by the wash plant. Scientifics has been carrying out independent audits on wash plants for train rolling stock for many years and introduced the SOAP testing system (scientific on-board assessment panel) patented by Scientifics Ltd. It is a specially designed panel, which attaches to the side of the vehicle as it passes through the wash plant. This panel is then removed and analysed in state of the art laboratories to gain a percentage of the physical cleaning performance of the washer itself.

The testing system also audits the effectiveness of the wash plant by looking at the flails, brushes and other physical components to ensure they are operating effectively and preventing damage to paint and bodywork. As part of the SOAP audit service, Scientifics can also provide wash plant appreciation courses for staff that use the machines on a day-to-day basis to enable them to gain a greater understanding on the changes necessary to provide long-term benefits and cost savings.

Dave Gough, Scientifics' environmental divisional manager, explains: “The SOAP system is unique to Scientifics and has proven to be an extremely valuable tool to rolling stock operators when measuring efficiency of wash plants. All the audits are carried out by fully trained and experienced personnel who can advise and give recommendations often on site, on achieving the full potential of the wash plant. This information is vital in ensuring that equipment is being used to its optimum efficiency and that stock is being cleaned to the required standard. It is also important to see that the substantial investment made in the wash plant, whether through terms of leasing or maintenance expenditure is being wisely spent.'

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