SUSTAINABILITY/ENVIRONMENT
78
Rail Engineer • November 2016
Greenman is now using the shear on roadway contracts because it deals with overhanging branches easily and can be used safely around the public.
Operator comfort Chris Theobold of Fen Contracts had a similar first experience when he bought and used the shear in Park Lane, Ramsden Heath. It was for the CP5 Earthworks Package, an Anglia Route collaboration for VolkerFitzpatrick. “We used it on the Up side of the railway and cleared 1,200 metres in a day and a half,” he enthused. “All cut and stacked ready to be chipped. Guys on saws, working with a digger and grapple, would have probably taken three days and, per day, it's still cheaper to use the shear.” The shear is good for certain applications, although there is still a need for handwork. However, as Chris explained, the more that the shear is used, the better as it reduces operator fatigue, hand-arm vibration, and the number of people working in exclusion zones. Environmentally, it has the benefit of lower noise pollution as the excavator is much quieter than a team working on saws.
More to come TMK also offers accessories for the shear, which can be retro-fitted if customers find a need for them later. These include a de-limber and the popular collector bucket, which enables operators to cut and collect several smaller trees before placing down in a pile. The newest addition is the Telescopic Extension Beam, currently in use in Finland and soon to be CE approved and available in the rest of Europe. The beam will help the shear reach out even further and handle tougher jobs, which Nick feels is perfect for the railways, especially when attaching the shear to a road-rail excavator. With a growing waiting list for customers to see the product demonstrated, NCD set up a YouTube channel dedicated to showing the shear in action. It’s found simply by searching NCD Equipment in YouTube and farmers and contractors alike have taken to buying directly after seeing how quickly the shear can get through the work. TMK’s motto is “Simply Efficient” and NCD Equipment’s is “Half the cost, half the time”. It would be a welcome addition to the larger toolbox of anyone involved in tree or vegetation management.