Clayton Equipment tastes sweet success in Australia

Mackay Sugar, Australia’s second-largest sugar milling company, has awarded UK-based Clayton Equipment Limited a contract to supply five Hybrid Locomotives and additional support Brake Vans for their fleet.

The order incorporates Clayton’s Hybrid Technology. The loco being supplied is a CBD40, which is self-contained with onboard charging capability to enable long-range use without mains charging, and offers a low-to-no emission solution for transporting cane to Mackay Sugar’s factories. This allows Mackay Sugar the effectiveness of a loco twice the size but in a carbon-efficient way, with reduced maintenance and operational costs. In addition, the loco’s regenerative braking ensures reduced brake wear, and with the innovative Battery Technology, the loco charging time is reduced substantially when mains charging is used.

In addition, the locomotives are fitted with the latest diesel engines, again providing the most efficient and cleanest technology available in the market today. This supports Mackay Sugar's objective of achieving reduced carbon emissions during their rail operations whilst also helping to create a greener future for the local industry.

Along with the CBD40s, Clayton will produce the brake vans that will run at the rear of the train, and with improved radio communication the vans can be effective when more than 1.7km from the loco.