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7/28/2016

Aldon Co.: SPARK-PROOF urethane double wheel chock

Aldon Co. has introduced its new "SPARK-PROOF" urethane heavy-duty double wheel chock for loading and unloading hazardous materials on tank cars and other heavy freight-cars. The units can be used in lieu of steel wheel chocks, which can spark and ignite dust or fumes, according to the company.

Urethane combines a high resistance to loads with the ability to compress to half its thickness and spring back to its original shape. In addition, the material won't degrade from corrosive materials and most chemicals, Aldon Co. officials said in a press release.

The SPARK-PROOF wheel chocks are tough enough to block a tank car, but resilient enough that a car can be pulled over the chock by a locomotive without derailing. When it's time to move, train operators pull the car over the chock and retrieve it later.

Aldon's new chock was successfully tested at the Association of American railroad's testing facility in Pueblo, Colo. In another test at a short-line railroad, the SPARK-PROOF chock held steady a six-axle locomotive and a 100-ton hopper car on a 1.5 percent grade, the company said.

At four inches high, the unit is ideal for chocking locomotives, according to Aldon Co. The chocks are available in exposed rail or flush rail version, and the handles are 24 inches long. When installed on flush rail, the handles are one-and-a-half inches above the pavement for easier grasping.