For a pumped-storage plant in Kaprun, the company Felbermayr Transport and Hebetechnik heavy load specialists took on the task of transporting a 220 ton transformer. The transportation route to the final destination over 300 km away was mastered by means of a low-bed railway car and 16 SCHEUERLE SPMT axle lines.

With a length of around 10 m, a width of 3.5 m and a height of 4.3 m, the transformer was a considerable size for transporting into the power station cavern. To ensure that this unique special transportation assignment went ahead as smoothly as possible, Felbermayr carried out a test run in the 5 km long Limburg tunnel system with SCHEUERLE SPMTs in order to check the spatial geometry of the galleries. Together, the SPMT units + side girder deck + dummy transformer constellation had a total transportation weight of 420 t and had to negotiate a gradient of 12%. A SPMT transport of this kind is unique world-wide.

After completing the test run, the actual transport took place. Following the arrival of the transformer by rail in Maishofen, the load was placed on 16 axle lines of SCHEUERLE SPMTs (self-propelled modular transporters). For this, 2 x 8 SPMT axle lines were used in the so-called loose coupling mode and included two Power Pack Units of the type Z350. By means of the SCHEUERLE electronics system along with a data cable link between the two engine units, this combination could be steered using only one remote control and by one person. For mastering the twenty kilometre route up to the construction site facility and the subsequent 12% gradient, a special construction was realised which facilitated the use of an additional tractor - coupled as a precautionary measure - for supporting the 1,000-horsepower Power Packs of the SCHEUERLE SPMTs. A further reason for the successful completion of the transportation assignment was the use of a special SPMT series featuring 4 driven pendulum axles per 4-axle unit resulting in a total of 2,080 kN tractive power. Five of the last six kilometers passed through the so-called Schrahnbach Tunnel. The extremely narrow conditions presented a particular challenge to the transport team. However, due to the almost unrestricted maneuverability of the SCHEUERLE SPMT technology and extensive experience of the Felbermayr transportation team, the transformer could be safely moved to the power station inside of the mountain.