Not every train runs on tracks. Some run on steel, scrap and sheer engineering prowess.
Meet the “scrap wagons”—a custom fleet of reversible Hamilton trailers designed to link up and move like a train. Forward or backward, it doesn’t matter. These carts flex with the flow of a facility that never really stops moving.
And this one doesn’t.
Built for a brand-new aluminum coil processing operation, these wagons have one job: keep scrap moving, cleanly and constantly, from production lines to the remelt area. Sounds simple, until reality kicks in: tight aisles, outdoor conditions, a steady 2.5% ramp and trains of up to five wagons hauling north of 66,000 pounds.
No room for guesswork.
Each wagon is fully reversible, allowing operators to tow them in a continuous line without repositioning. Forklift pockets along the frame streamline loading and unloading, and the entire system is designed to handle the elements without flinching. Over five weeks, we delivered 25 units—five per week—ready to roll.
But the real story isn’t just in the steel. It’s in our customer collaboration.
Because this wasn’t a “build to print and ship it out” kind of job. The facility itself was evolving in real time, which meant turning radii, spacing and operational constraints were moving targets. Our engineering team had to dial in a solution that could make a full 180-degree turn in a 20-foot-wide aisle—while fully loaded and running in sequence.
That kind of precision doesn’t happen from behind a desk.
It comes from showing up in the field, walking the floor and working alongside the customer to make sure what gets built actually works where it matters. The result: two train systems running up to 300 hours a month, covering 2,400-foot routes, and keeping operations moving exactly as planned.
Not our first wagon ride.
XT3750 Reversible four-wheel steer trailers
Capacity: 13,309 lbs. (each)
Frame Size: 78" Wide x 114" Long
Running Gear:
15" diameter x 6" wide press on polyurethane wheels capable of speeds up to 10mph
Note: Load rating decreases with speed
Coupling: Spring loaded loop type towing tongue & pintle.
Note: Tongue equipped with a pin to enable locking, in an upright position, on opposite side of tugger
Other:
Fork pockets along sides of trailer frame
Pick/lifting points for lifting with crane - each to be labeled with capacity of the pick point
Guards (24" on length side, 8" on short side; takes into consideration leaving an opening for fork pockets but also off-center placement of bins