Speed, safety, innovation and versatility. These are some of the characteristics of family business Van Oosterwijk Molenschot, which has specialized in track works for almost 50 years. From rental of track cranes with attachments to the dispatch of machinists.
When a client calls, Van Oosterwijk Molenschot never sells "no" and every effort is immediately made to help. Acting quickly is central to the railroad crane rental company. Marcel van Oosterwijk and Linda Michielsen-van Oosterwijk run the company together and form a strong team as brother and sister. A rail crane and operator schedule is always on the move, which is why they can be reached 24/7. "Whether it is a calamity or something else, we are always on site within a few hours, in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium," says Michielsen-van Oosterwijk. "That is the strength of our company." The Molenschot-based firm, which specializes in track works, rents out track cranes including drivers, as well as all possible attachments.
Replacing complete concrete portals using 3 rollers with work bucket and extension boom.
The company rents two types of rollers (crane on lorry): the Atlas 1604 which is used mainly for heavy lifting and the Atlas 1404. All rollers are equipped with load moment protection (LMB). If the operator hoists with the LMB on and the load is too heavy, the machine stops automatically. The rollers are used for both catenary and track work, from replacing gantries, rail and sleeper renewal to finishing footpaths.
Both types of trolls are rented with attachments, many of which the company owns. These include aerial work buckets, stop units, braked combi trucks, ballast vacuums, a rail cutter, spray containers and post cutters. In total, Van Oosterwijk Molenschot BV has 17 rollers, 9 of type 1404 and 8 of type 1604. One roller 1604 is extra heavy and can lift 18 tons with LMB and even 4.5 tons with the extension boom at a height of 14 meters. It is the only troll in the Netherlands that is allowed to drive on railroad tracks with a load of 18 tons! The company also owns 4 truck combinations that transport the cranes with attachments to work. Van Oosterwijk: "Our fleet of machines and attachments includes the most modern equipment. What is nice about this is that all the machines produce less CO2emissions thanks to built-in soot filters, which also allow us to work in tunnels. Furthermore, as a VCA company, we meet all legal requirements and ensure that everything stays in order through repeat inspections of machines, tools, attachments and drivers."
Very flexible because of own truck combinations.
Van Oosterwijk Molenschot BV is very innovative and always responds directly to the market. If new attachments are needed, they are developed immediately. If ProRail sets a new safety requirement for the roller, the rollers are also adapted in no time. Safety is of paramount importance to the family business. Since, for safety reasons, nowadays only two tracks instead of one track are taken out of service, much of the work has to be done during the weekend. Michielsen-van Oosterwijk finds that as a result, preventive track maintenance is becoming less and staff shortages are also increasing. "As a result, we are constantly looking for drivers. With us, we demand a lot. Our machinists are aware of HSE rules and regulations, they are flexible and have taken courses such as VCA, Rail Safety, Tool Driver and Roller Driver. But there is also a lot in return, including a good salary, good working conditions, and above all a pleasant collegial working atmosphere. Reasons why our machinists stay with us for years."