55 Broadway; Cambridge, MA 02142

22 -- RAIL-TO-SHIP SPREADER BAR SYSTEM SOL DTRS57-99-R-00016 DUE 041999 POC Point of Contact -- Teresa Lee-Fierstein, Contract Specialist, (617) 494-3024 (Fax) WEB: Volpe Center Acquisition Division home page, http://www.volpe.dot.gov/procure/index.html. E-MAIL: Contract Specialist, leefierste@volpe.dot.gov. This is not an invitation for bid, a request for proposal, or a request for quotes. The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center is conducting market research, with the intention of issuing a solicitation in the near future, for companies that have the capability to design, fabricate, deliver, install, test and provide necessary training to operate under normal conditions a spreader bar system as specified and defined by the following requirements. The rail-to-ship/ship-to-rail spreader bar system shall provide for quick and accurate positioning of the containers under the crane on the rail cars; it shall also be able to compensate for any remaining container misalignment. In addition, the system must be able to pick up two twenty-foot containers from rail cars and then bring the con tainers together for placement into a typical ship s cargo cell. Also, it shall work this process in reverse. The spreader bar system shall have a capacity of up to 50 Long Tons and telescoping grips to lift 20/40/45/T20 standard cargo containers. The spreader bar shall also permit the center housing vertical mobility of 5-3/8 inches and independently floating housings to enable a twin lift spreader to handle unevenly stacked or deformed 20-ft containers. The spreader bar system shall provide a side shift motion, (along the path of the rail) of +/- 18-inches to compensate for any gross misalignment of the containers under the crane. Also, the spreader bar system shall include an independent control system to pick up two twenty-foot containers that are separated by any distance from 0- inches to 36-inches. The spreader bar system shall include a vision system to provide live video views of the containers below the crane to the train operator. The vision system shall be rugged and withstand marine environment and meet applicable explosives handling signal transmission and safety requirements. The spreader bar system shall be configured for installation on the existing Paceco gantry cranes, dockside at the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Port, Southport, NC. The Government desires delivery of the spreader bar system by September 1999. If interested and have the capability to construct and deliver the spreader bar system within the requested timeframe, please send the company s name and qualifications. Responses are due by Close of Business April 19, 1999, and may be s ubmitted by mail or e-mail. Send mail to Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Attn: Ms. Teresa Lee-Fierstein, Contract Specialist, DTS-853, 55 Broadway, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02142-1093. Send e-mail to leefierste@volpe.dot.gov. Posted 04/07/99 (D-SN317365). (0097)

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