Namibia’s strategy to put more containers on rail has been given a boost by the entry of Hammarlift into the country.According to Bertil Stokke, executive director at Hammar South Africa, the company’s range of sideloaders is suited to sidings with rough terrain and low volumes.“If you’re looking to use a sideloader as a dedicated lifting tool, they work best at smaller or mid-sized terminals. “Sideloaders might also be an alternative if you have relatively unprepared terrain and want to avoid the large investment of preparing the terrain for something like a reach stacker,” he told Freight News.Advantages of the sideloader include lower cost than dedicated lifting equipment, minimal terrain preparation, mobility, and the ability to work between multiple rail lines due to a low footprint. “They can also be used for the full transport chain to and from the train – replacing both lifting and transport equipment.”The equipment is controlled remotely from outside the vehicle by a single operator, who stands a safe distance away. This also allows for accurate placement of the containers. Stokke recommends the Hammar 110 model for Namibian operations. It has a versatile two-mode support leg and a lifting capacity of 36 tons. The 110 can work with containers on the ground, and also transfer between rail and road.
