Valtra tractors improve road safety in Norway

10/25/2007

In wintertime these tracks are frozen for practising driving in slippery conditions. In summertime biodegradable oils are used for the same purpose. The association has 450,000 members.

“Each track is the responsibility of a single track supervisor who uses a tractor to keep his or her track in good condition. In wintertime the tracks have to be snowploughed and in summertime brushed. We have one tractor per track, and each tractor is driven around 500 hours per year,” explains Jonn Eilert Rovelstad, who is responsible at the NAF for the practice tracks.

The unique work creates its own demands for the tractors. Naturally they must be agile and a reasonable amount of power is needed, although the work itself is not that heavy. The tractors must be extremely reliable in even the coldest Arctic conditions. They must be equipped with a front loader, turbine clutch, industrial tyres, rotating lights on the roof, an electronically operated joystick for controlling the front loader, and hydraulic linkage levelling. And, of course, service must be available fast and within close proximity of each track.

“We received offers from three different manufacturers. Valtra was neither the least nor the most expensive, but it was certainly the most appropriate in terms of content. Everything we demanded could be delivered directly from the factory. Furthermore, working with the people from LMB was nice, and all the deadlines were kept to,” says Rovelstad.

Rovelstad himself visited the Suolahti factory to watch eight N91 tractors “being born” at the end of October. Some of the tractors have already been delivered, while deliveries of the others will be made into next year. The goal is for all of the NAF’s tractors to be renewed within the next couple of years.

Back