Standard Car Truck Company has announced that at the inaugural United Kingdom RFG Rail Freight Group awards on 16 September 2008, Jim Longton, managing director of SCT Europe, and Ian Whelpton, sales director of W.H. Davis, accepted the award for Best Technical Development. This was for a joint submission, based on the development of a new railway freight car, which transports high cube containers on restricted loading gauge railway networks.

SCT Europe designed and developed the new bogie, the Barber Low Ride, which enabled W.H. Davis to design and build a wagon with a platform height of 720mm above rail. The wagon, named the SL45, can transport 45ft x 9ft 6in containers on UK W8 gauge effectively, increasing UK rail network capacity for high cube boxes by 21%. This increase in rail capacity will allow a major transfer of freight traffic from road to rail.

Jim Longton said, “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of SCT Europe. It reflects the expertise, creativity and ingenuity of our team.” He continued: “This demonstrates what can be achieved by two companies with a vision, working together from initial concept through to final delivery.”

Ian Whelpton added: “We faced and resolved many problems during the development of the wagon. Today we have a superb product of which we are very proud. It is an honour to receive this award from the RFG.”

The Barber Low Ride bogie can be adapted to suit different rail gauge requirements and offers a solution to capacity problems of restricted loading gauge rail networks, wherever they occur.