Strengthening your supply chain one link at a time.
A little known and somewhat of a rarity within the fork truck industry, is a piece of equipment known as the “Boxcar Special”. Several manufacturers of fork trucks offer boxcar specials, with the power supply being anything other than electric. Fewer and fewer warehouse operators even have it on their radar when it comes to purchasing or leasing new equipment.
Initially designed for loading and unloading of rail boxcars, this piece of equipment contains an oversized metal counterbalance weight at the rear of the fork truck, allowing for a much shorter wheelbase than conventionally configured trucks. This allows for a tighter turning radius when working in confined spaces, such as box cars, isolated storage rooms, and/or narrower aisle configurations.
The shorter wheelbase of the truck does not support the physical size requirements of a conventional battery compartment, thus the restriction to a combustion engine for this type of equipment.
Comparing specifications
Comparing a conventional electric Crown counterbalance truck (CB40X-7) to a Crown Box Car special (CGC35S) truck in the areas of Load Capacity, Head Length (Length of the truck less forks), Overall Truck Width, Turning Radius and travel speed yields the following results.
Such a lift truck variant exists simply because the most common lift truck evironments, aren’t the ONLY environments requiring fork lift operations. Unique environments require unique solutions, and Box Car special fits the bill to a unique “T”.
—Kevin Harrison, St. Onge Company
