Liebherr A922 Rail Wheeled Excavator

The Liebherr A922 Rail is a versatile excavator, equally at home on the road or on rails thanks to the undercarriage options including standard, narrow track and friction wheel designs. Depending on configuration, the machine weighs between 20 and 23 ton and is powered by a Liebherr D834 4-cylinder engine delivering 150hp. Boom options and a wide range of attachments allow the A922 Rail to perform all manner of tasks, from lifting, digging and grading to track maintenance, mulching and tamping.

NZG has been commissioned to produce the new version of the Liebherr A922 Rail which is a completely new model when compared to its predecessor, the A900C ZW. The undercarriage has rail wheels at each end which are hydraulically height adjustable and connect with the ridge on the included section of track frame.

The 4-point outriggers can be lowered and are stiff enough to allow the wheels to lift off the ground. Each of the pivoting pads is painted yellow, just like the full sized machine and this is something that was missing on the earlier A900C ZW. The front axle has functional steering with two different styles of rubber tyre fitted to the wheels, the inner ones having a flatter tread profile to give more traction when running on the rail tracks.

The body looks to be the same design as the A918 Compact, complete with side oriented engine and multi-layer printing of the grills which really does look effective. The rear of the model has raised rear facing light housings with additional lights fitted to the roof line while the usual fine detailing parts include metal grab rails, front and rear window wipers, safety mirrors and highlighted panel handles.

The extended size cabin has both operator and observer seating with a fully kitted out interior showing the joystick controls, steering wheel and contoured side console. A number of warning and safety labels are printed on the body sides which certainly add to the realism and the German Railway yellow and black decoration certainly stands out.

Another difference to the earlier model is the choice of boom configuration. The A922 Rail is fitted with a two-piece 3.4m boom with a Likufix quick coupler mounted to the stick, complete with flexible supply lines.

The wide, tilting grading bucket looks to be the same as that on the original although it has been reworked to fit onto the coupler. Unfortunately, this is the only attachment in the box and it would have been good to see at least one additional tool. The coupler has the same dimensions as the A918 Compact so attachments can be interchanged.