A locomotive suited for use as a switcher for road and/or yard work is provided. The switcher comprises a mother unit having an engine for converting fuel into electricity. The mother unit includes two trucks supporting wheels on a plurality of axles, and a plurality of traction motors to provide tractive force to the mother unit's axles. The switcher also includes a slug unit operatively coupled to the mother unit in a manner to transmit electric power, signals and hauling force. The slug unit can include at least one truck, which can be removed from a retired locomotive and at least one traction motor electrically coupled to the mother unit and operatively coupled to the axle(s). Sufficient ballast can be added to equalize weight per axle. The switcher combines the power of a locomotive with more axles with the maneuverability of a locomotive with fewer axles.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots through a network of tracks comprising intersecting vertically and horizontally oriented tracks. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.

A conveyor system, comprising a conveying section and at least one conveyor carriage that carries a drive of its own, and with the drive is movable along the conveying section, wherein the drive includes a drive motor and a separation device, by means of which the power flow between the drive motor and the conveying section can be separated. In order to move a left-behind conveyor carriage out of a difficult-to-reach segment of the conveying section, the separation device is configured to be activated by a separating carriage that follows the conveyor carriage along the conveying section and/or precedes the conveyor carriage along the conveying section in order to separate the power flow between the drive motor of the at least one conveyor carriage and the conveying section.

A conveyor system, comprising a conveying section and at least one conveyor carriage that carries a drive of its own, and with the drive is movable along the conveying section, wherein the drive includes a drive motor and a separation device, by means of which the power flow between the drive motor and the conveying section can be separated. In order to move a left-behind conveyor carriage out of a difficult-to-reach segment of the conveying section, the separation device is configured to be activated by a separating carriage that follows the conveyor carriage along the conveying section and/or precedes the conveyor carriage along the conveying section in order to separate the power flow between the drive motor of the at least one conveyor carriage and the conveying section.

A train system having a train element consisting of a single train car configured to travel along a rail system, and including an enclosed first use area and a flat car section. The flat car section includes a drive-on loading area configured to enable a vehicle to be driven onto the flat car section and then transported by the train car. Train element includes a drive system for moving the train element along the rail system and a control system for autonomously controlling the operation of the train car. A sensor system collects sensor data and provides the sensor data, as inputs, to the control system. Sensor data is used by the control system in operating the train car. Lastly, a power system independently powers the drive system and control system.

A train system having a train element consisting of a single train car configured to travel along a rail system, and including an enclosed first use area and a flat car section. The flat car section includes a drive-on loading area configured to enable a vehicle to be driven onto the flat car section and then transported by the train car. Train element includes a drive system for moving the train element along the rail system and a control system for autonomously controlling the operation of the train car. A sensor system collects sensor data and provides the sensor data, as inputs, to the control system. Sensor data is used by the control system in operating the train car. Lastly, a power system independently powers the drive system and control system.

A shelving block comprises a first and second shelving units facing from opposite sides of an aisle. The first shelving unit defines a first crate storage location and a second crate storage location that different in height. The first crate storage location is accessible to a robot between a pair of neighboring horizontal rails having a first vertical spacing between them defining a height of the first crate storage location. The second crate storage location is accessible to the robot between another pair of neighboring horizontal rails having a second vertical spacing between them defining a height of the second crate storage location. The first vertical spacing is larger than the second vertical spacing. The robot carries crates according to instructions from a computerized control.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots through a network of tracks comprising intersecting vertically and horizontally oriented tracks. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.

A direction switching module for lift robots using a pair of pinions coupled to a rack for propelling vertically and horizontally according to the track's orientation, is disclosed. In a linear motion mode both pinions rotate in the same velocity. In a direction switching mode, when changing from vertical to horizontal motion mode and vise versa, the module is capable of propelling one pinion on a vertical track and its counterpart on a horizontal track, simultaneously, each pinion in a different velocity. A bogie propelled by two pairs of said module is also disclosed, and a controller configured to drive both pinions in same velocity during linear motion and each pinion in a separate appropriate velocity during the direction switching mode. A method for turning a pinion-driven lift-robot in an intersection of rails and a controller for controlling the linear motion modes and the direction switching modes of the lift robot are also disclosed.