Trans Alpine & Trans Coastal Trains
FDL was very privileged to be involved in the creation of the new Trans-alpine and Trans-coastal trains built at Hillside. Unlike the previous carriages, which were refits of old carriages bought from the UK and assembled in NZ in the 1960's, these were entirely Kiwi made. An enormous jig was constructed to test the chassis, all built by the team at Hillside. FDL produced numerous components for the fit out, including window surrounds, display consoles, toilet cubicles, exit doors, and HVAC ducts. Some 14 carriages were built and are now successfully travelling up and down the country.
We were also involved in the construction of the new Trans-alpine and Trans-coastal trains built at Hillside. Unlike the previous carriages, which were refits of old carriages made in the 60's, bought from the UK, they were built entirely in NZ. An enormous jig was made to test the chassis' all built by the team at Hillside, which showed there was very capable enterprise down there and around the country. FDL produced numerous components for the fit out, including window surrounds, display consoles, toilet cubicles, exit doors and HVAC ducts to name a few. Some 14 carriages were built and are now successfully travelling up and down the country.
FDL also supplied Wellington based design company Merje DDM with fibreglass seat backs for the scenic train carriages.
FDL also supplied Wellington based design company Merje DDM with fibreglass seat backs for the scenic train carriages.
In 2013 we won 2nd at the design awards
Britomart Trains
The Fibreglass Developments team was involved in the design and manufacture of fibreglass components for the new Britomart Trains in Auckland.
With the opening of Auckland's Britomart passenger terminal in July, it was decided to treat the newer (ADL/ADC class) trains to an aesthetic makeover.
The exteriors were originally to be left untouched with the main focus on cleaning up the interior. But the designers were insistent the exteriors needed something else. And that something else became a nose cone.
Safety was an important issue - Fire retard resin was used in the fibreglass components, four steel posts and a plate steel bar were put in place across the front to act as driver protection in the event of an accident. New bright blue and yellow colours, along with ditch lights, were incorporated as another safety feature making the trains easily visible at crossings.
Finally, with an ‘unfinished look' to the bottom of the older style trains, a bright yellow cowcatcher was introduced.
FDL's role was to produce the following fibreglass components - nose cones (the front of the trains), cowcatchers (the two triangle shaped objects at the bottom of the nose cone), and all fibreglass carriage interiors including walls, ceilings, seat backs and bases.
FDL's design and technology team found it necessary to adapt specifications, with good old kiwi ingenuity, working with designers, and contributing to the adaptations to meet some of the challenges faced by adjusting moulded units for tolerances to accommodate variations in the train's original construction.
One particular challenge was to allow size tolerance into the carriage walls and ceilings. As not all of the carriages were identical sizes inside - there could have been several centimetres difference between carriages. The fibreglass interiors had to be able to cope with that, while still achieving a clean finish.
The Britomart trains are all currently in use in Auckland.
With the opening of Auckland's Britomart passenger terminal in July, it was decided to treat the newer (ADL/ADC class) trains to an aesthetic makeover.
The exteriors were originally to be left untouched with the main focus on cleaning up the interior. But the designers were insistent the exteriors needed something else. And that something else became a nose cone.
Safety was an important issue - Fire retard resin was used in the fibreglass components, four steel posts and a plate steel bar were put in place across the front to act as driver protection in the event of an accident. New bright blue and yellow colours, along with ditch lights, were incorporated as another safety feature making the trains easily visible at crossings.
Finally, with an ‘unfinished look' to the bottom of the older style trains, a bright yellow cowcatcher was introduced.
FDL's role was to produce the following fibreglass components - nose cones (the front of the trains), cowcatchers (the two triangle shaped objects at the bottom of the nose cone), and all fibreglass carriage interiors including walls, ceilings, seat backs and bases.
FDL's design and technology team found it necessary to adapt specifications, with good old kiwi ingenuity, working with designers, and contributing to the adaptations to meet some of the challenges faced by adjusting moulded units for tolerances to accommodate variations in the train's original construction.
One particular challenge was to allow size tolerance into the carriage walls and ceilings. As not all of the carriages were identical sizes inside - there could have been several centimetres difference between carriages. The fibreglass interiors had to be able to cope with that, while still achieving a clean finish.
The Britomart trains are all currently in use in Auckland.
