McCulloch Group
Scottish Innovators ‘Do It Again’
This article first appeared in the Railway-News Magazine Issue 3 2023.
Scottish-based McCulloch Group, which has been operating since 1992 in offering rail solutions including contracting services, has developed a reputation for the creation of bespoke on track plant which utilises the group’s unique methodology.
Having successfully rolled out a range of kit including their Track Rail Transformers (TRT™), Panel Lifters, Track Cable Transporters, and the McCulloch Multi-Purpose Vehicle their latest innovation is due to be finished testing this September.
Following a rigorous development process which has been strongly influenced through their thirty plus years of experience working on the infrastructure, the McCulloch Group is proud to unveil the McCulloch Turnout Solution (MTS). The MTS has been designed by their in-house design and engineering team following an initial concept from inventor and co-owner Billy McCulloch. With each individual piece of plant able to lift an impressive 25 tonnes – and when working in pairs 50 tonnes – the MTS has been designed to alleviate many of the problems known when installing, removing and moving turnouts across the infrastructure. The MTS has been uniquely designed to lift off tilting wagons, move larger panels in multiple directions and work within confined spaces – without the need for additional pieces of equipment such as cranes.
Following a successful unveiling at this year’s Rail Live in June with their two prototype machines, McCulloch has been inundated with enquiries for the MTS across the globe. The once small family business based in Ayrshire, Scotland, now regularly works across America, Australasia and Europe to name but a few of the far stretched areas of the globe their track has made its footprints. The MTS, like all McCulloch plant, will begin its life working on the UK infrastructure with the first job planned for the end of October; following which a strong demand from client partners in Australia will see several of the machines heading ‘down under’.
