Willys made a variety of Hi-rail vehicles - trucks and wagons - for use on both highway and railroad tracks. These were US manufactured and titled by Fairmont and referred to as Hi-rail vehicles. Hy-rail is short for Highway-railroad.

Fairmont Railway Motors Inc, located in Fairmont, MN, developed road-rail technology in the 1940s to improve flexibility of vehicle use for railroad maintenance. Fairmont was bought by Harsco in the late 1980s. Hy-rail is still a trademark of Harsco Track Technologies and they still sell conversion kits called Hy-Rail Guide Wheel Attachments.

Hy-rail Production Notes:

A-30 Truck

• Started in 1948
• 1st. unit to Louisville & Nashville RR in 1949
• Discontinued in 1960
• 3 versions: A-30-A, B, C

A-31 Wagon

• Introduced in 1950
• Solid tube axle suspended in front of bumper, normal bumper placement but bumper is narrow to allow wheels to fold up and away from vehicle

A-34 Wagon

• Replaced the A-31 series in 1955
• Independent arms that swing down, bumper extended in front, wheels fold toward vehicle, allows full width bumper

A Pictorial History of Willys Hy-rail Vehicles

a30-a_01.jpg	a30-a_02.jpg	a30-c.jpg
a30-c_01.jpg	a30-c_02.jpg	a31-a_01.jpg
a31-a_02.jpg	a31-a_03.jpg	a34-a_04.jpg
image001.jpg	image002b.jpg	image003.jpg
plate_01.jpg	plate_02.jpg	plate_03.jpg

A special THANKS to Paul Barry for sharing these pictures and production notes