MBTA Cabot Carhouse

Rail Hoist Development, Design, and Installation

 

Light rail vehicle on a rail hoist

Early in 2015, the MBTA sought proposals to replace two low pressure hydraulic rail hoists in the Cabot Carhouse in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  Removing these lifts would involve major disruptive excavation and construction, and the project was estimated to take at least one year to complete each hoist. 

Ray-Jurgen suggested replacing the existing lifts with High Pressure Insert Systems, designed to fit inside of the existing lift casings.  We would remove only those components that did not require excavation or breaking concrete.  We would then machine the old lift casings that were set in concrete to accept our High-Pressure Hydraulic components, which were manufactured to fit inside of the casings.  This would result in all new structural components being installed in less than two months, with only the area around the lift to be affected.  The new lifts would be all-new, state of the art, electronically controlled, High Pressure Hydraulic Systems, installed  with minimal disruption and at a fraction of the cost of the traditional systems. 

The MBTA accepted Ray-Jurgen’s recommendation and both lifts we successfully completed as promised.

 

Workers installing a cylinder for an in-ground rail hoist
Rail hoist control system and pumps in a pit
Control console for a rail hoist with a light rail vehicle in the background