INTEGRATED RESEARCH OF MULTI-PURPOSE STANCHION BASKETS FOR TRANSPORTING TIMBER AND CONTAINERS

Analyses of cargo transport in 2021 show that despite the increased volume of cargo transported by all types of transport compared to 2020, road transport is still dominant compared to rail transport. Therefore, all actions aimed at improving these unfavorable relations (rail transport vs. road transport) in transport, particularly cargo transport, should be considered purposeful and justified. One such activity is the ongoing work on the design and construction of freight wagons for specialized transport. Unlike universal wagons, specialized wagons are characterized by a limited ability to transport a wide range of material groups. An example is the transport of timber. However, the development of new transport technologies, and above all, technical and organizational progress, force the organizers of these transport modes to look for new logistic and rolling stock solutions. The aforementioned transport of timber is an example of this. The transport of wood does not constitute a large volume of transport, but taking into account its transport issues (transport with large truck tractors, high axle loads, and high risks for other road users), it is a classic example of the fact that it should not be carried out by road over long distances. Therefore, all actions aimed at reducing these issues and improving efficiency by using rail transport are desirable and even necessary. The article presents an innovative design solution in the form of a stanchion basket installed on flat wagons, allowing the use of standard wagons of this type to transport both containers and timber as well as loads such as beams and pipes. Such a solution will allow the use of empty runs of these wagons after unloading wood at the destination station for further transport of containers and vice versa. The considerations described in the article show the research process at the construction stage and testing the prototype of the built basket and the wagon with the stanchion basket structure placed on it.