What do you build for a global powerhouse in next-generation mobility solutions that moves full-size railcar panels like tugboats turning a tanker? Something strong. Something smart. Something that can pivot—literally.
At this cutting-edge facility, subway cars, locomotives and passenger railcars roll off the line in pieces so large, they’d send a forklift back to the gym. The rigid side panels alone are 40 feet long, and get hauled in and out of the hangar throughout the day. That’s a 40,000-pound problem in constant motion—and Hamilton’s solution was an 80-foot custom trailer designed for serious mobility.
Built from two 40-foot halves joined onsite, the open-frame trailer is deceptively simple: 98 inches wide, no deck, just muscle. The key? Its steering setup. Swivel casters at each end make turns possible, but it’s the rigid-mounted wheels in the center that unlock the magic: a single pivot point that lets the entire trailer spin like a top. Picture a compass needle circling back to home base, rail panels in tow.
To maneuver this leviathan, the team deploys two Master Mover machines—one on each end—linked by remote to coordinate movement, execute a U-turn, and come back through a different bay. Until those machines arrive (they ship from overseas), the trailer pulls double duty with forklift compatibility. A Hamilton-designed tongue adaptor lets operators switch towing modes with ease. Tool storage at both ends ensures essentials stay close. We even future-proofed the design: mounting plates allow the trailer to be split back into two independently steerable units again. Because in high-stakes manufacturing, flexibility isn’t optional—it’s everything.
That’s pivoting like a pro.
XT3717 - Frame & Profile Transport Trailer
- Capacity: 40,000 lbs. combined (20,000 lbs each smaller trailer)
- Cart Dimensions: 2 frames, each 98” wide x 480” long
- Deck Material: Open frame
- Steering Type: Swivel caster
- Running Gear: (4) Press-On polyurethane
- Couplers: Tongue with towing eye on both ends