Vol. 18 No. 1
January, 1988
|
Make Tomorrow Happen
|
World's Biggest All-Terrain Vehicle Heads for
Russia By Earl Olson
Calgary -When the soviet union needed an all-terrain
vehicle with a larger payload they looked to Canada for help, and found it at Canadian Foremost Ltd.
The Calgary company and the Soviet Union formed a joint venture to develop the vehicle, and before it was off the
drawing board, CP Rail had become involved.
"We have sold smaller vehicles to the Soviets for years", said Barbara Karran, administrative services
manager for Canadian Foremost, "so when they needed a bigger machine they came to us".
It became obvious from the outset that the design of the new vehicle needed to take into consideration transportation
to Russia.
"They came to us at the very early stages of design to make sue they didn't come up with something that would
present a transportation problem", said Keith Hurd, CP Rail's director, service, Alberta.
With the dimensional requirements known well in advance, planning for car supply and loading was much easier.
CP Rail has moved many of Canadian Foremost's smaller vehicles to the Soviet Union in the past, but this one
presented a new challenge.
"However, with all of the new criteria available well in advance of the shipping date, we were able to come up
with a rate and service package that met everyone's needs", said Scott Vince, director, sales, Calgary.
70-TONNE PAYLOAD
Named the Yamal because it is to be used in the Yamal Peninsula in Russia, the new vehicle is the largest
all-terrain vehicle of its kind in the world.
It is designed to haul 70-tonne payloads over snow or swamp conditions where conventional transporters
cannot operate.
The CP Rail shipment involved two vehicles - Prototype 1, which was completely built in Canada by a Canadian
Foremost-Soviet Union joint venture, and a second partially constructed unit which will be completed in
Moscow.
The vehicles had to be dismantled for loading onto four rail cars for the Calgary to Montreal leg of the trip to
Russia.
"CP Rail did their job just fine", Canadian Foremost's Ms. Karran said, "the tie-down
crew did a super job and everything went as planned".
Ms. Karran says the prospects for the manufacture of additional Yamals looks good. When that happens, CP Rail is
eager to handle the transportation.
This CP Rail News article is copyright
1988 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with
their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Company.
|
