Warsteiner Brewery enhances visitors’ experience with smooth tour transport
WARSTEIN, Germany – Since 1753, Warsteiner Brewery has produced its world-renowned Pils beer. Now, as one of the largest privately-owned breweries in Germany, about 50,000 guests come to its visitor attraction annually, touring the 119-acre facility aboard a 95 ft-long, three-car, rail-less tram.
The company has been using trams since the 1970s, which is unique in Germany. Recently, the brewery specified a new, third generation tram and towing unit based on a Mercedes-Benz Atego 922 AF chassis equipped with an OM 924 LA four-cylinder engine. Importantly, the new tram featured a fully automatic transmission from Allison Transmission. This was not only to give guest groups of up to 28 tons (when fully occupied) a very quiet and comfortable ride during the one hour round trip but to tackle steep hills and tight passages.
From “Warsteiner World” with multimedia theater and museum, a three-mile-long visitor’s show-jumping course leads across the premises with inclines of up to 10 per cent which is typical for the Westphalia Sauerland region. The biggest challenge for the visitor tram is the tight brew house, which has many narrow doors and gates leaving less than an inch between walls and the 7.5 ft vehicle body. According to Christian Huber from Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH, the Passau specialist vehicle company that remodelled the chassis, the transmission is a great help in negotiating tight passages. The new tram performs well in these difficult geographic conditions and in varying operating conditions such as rain, snow and storms.
“During product development, we had to mind a narrow width as well as high traction and towing capacity. In addition to optimal body mounting suitability, a low frame height and easy handling were important factors,” said Huber. “The Allison transmission provides a smooth, jerk-free ride, and the drivers are very satisfied. Without having to shift manually, they can fully concentrate on maneuvering.”
The all-wheel drive function and 50-foot turn radius are also paying off at the Warsteiner Brewery.
07 Aug, 2014
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has more than 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.
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SOURCE Allison Transmission Holdings Inc.