January 16, 2013. The designers of Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) Scientific & Production Corporation’s head plant created a special flat car meant for the technological haulage on the premises of Novovoronezhskaya Nuclear Power Plant 2. This item is currently unique to Russia and was produced under a strict deadline by the order of OAO Yugelectro, the corporation’s press service reports.

Only one copy of this 23-5166 flat car exists at the moment. The vehicle is meant to be used as the load-bearing part of an intra-station platform that is used at Novovoronezhskaya Nuclear Power Plant 2 for moving around transfer baskets and hermetic casing baskets during reactor reloads and checkups.

This flat car is unique in the way it is designed: the car’s center sill has no central piece, yet it is capable of enduring all the operation loads in accordance with the requirements set for the nuclear industry facilities. The body of the flat car is a full metal structure consisting of a frame with some fencing around the perimeter. The body is mounted on a standard UVZ-produced 18-100 bogie. The central part of the frame (the side rails and the cross-bearers) creates an opening for inserting the transfer basket supports in; these are to be developed by the technical customers Atommashexport. The operational reliability of this flat car is proved at the lower working value of 52 degrees centigrade and at the extreme lowest limit of minus 61 degrees centigrade. The lifespan of the vehicle is 35 years.