“The current Optums are a 270, 300 and 340 with a 6.7-litre engine,” says J.E. Cadle, North American marketing manager for Optum tractors.

“This is 360, 390 and our top model we call a 440, but it’s 435 maximum horsepower, and it’s the 8.7-litre. And it’s constant power. When we say 435, we’re delivering that 435 all the time.”

READ MORE: Scott’s high-horsepower tractor guide for 2026

To back up the bigger engine and deliver power, the three new models get a sturdier version of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) the brand has been offering in the current Optums.

“This is a CVT with our CVXDrive transmission. It’s a 4 X 2,” he says.

“It’s very similar to the one that’s in the Optum today, but it’s bigger, beefed up to handle the extra horsepower. That 4 X 2 design gives us more mechanical efficiencies. It’s a proven design, very quiet.”

The CVXDrive version in these Optums can hit 37 m.p.h. (60 km-h) on the road.

However, in order to cram that bigger engine and transmission into an Optum, Case IH’s engineers had to start from scratch and re-engineer the tractor.

“Even though the Optum name is not new for Case IH, this tractor really is new from the ground up,” says Cadle.

WATCH: Greg Berg shows us the new Optums at Agritechnica

With the new big three Optums able to deliver more power in the field and handle bigger implements, the hydraulic system needed to be ramped up as well.

A standard flow rate of 58 g.p.m. (219 l/m) comes from a single-pump system, but there is an option to go for a dual, twin-flow system now. Two pumps will boost flow up to a total of 95 g.p.m. (360 l/m). That allows the tractors to run bigger implements or run at a lower engine r.p.m. and still get high flow rates.

There is also a larger reservoir to allow for a higher volume of oil to flow, which accommodates the demands of larger or more hydraulic cylinders on an implement.

To help improve traction and smooth out the ride, the suspended front axle gets a redesign.

“Suspended front axle was standard on the current Optum … but an independent front link, a double wishbone suspension is what’s new,” says Cadle.

“So this is a totally different CNH-designed, independent front-link suspension. We get a really nice ride out of this tractor. It will keep power to the ground if you’re on a slope or uneven terrain. Its handling on the road is awesome with this new suspension.”

Added to that is an improved hydraulic braking system and the addition of an engine brake, making these tractors ideal for road haulage. There is also an option for built-in auto tire inflation system.

“The braking system on this tractor is outstanding,” says Cadle.

“It’s got an engine brake. You barely touch these brakes and the tractor stops on a dime if you need it to.”

Inside, the cab won’t see any significant changes. It will carry over the design, which was introduced a couple of model years back. The new Puma range of tractors uses the same cab.

The Optums get a facelift too, with a redesigned hood and overall appearance change that is in line with the look of the current Steigers, sprayers and the newest Pumas.

One unique feature of the redesign is the IH emblem built into the rear taillights.

Getting into the cab, steps are built into the 180-gallon fuel tank at a more gentle rake to make access easier.

New cats out of bag

Speaking of the Puma line, the brand just announced the debut of three new models — 155-, 165- and 185-horsepower versions made their debut.

Puma buyers can choose between the CVXDrive continuously variable transmission or the ActiveDrive 8 dual-clutch transmission.

Since the Optums made their debut at Agritechnica, Cadle says the brand has had a lot of positive feedback from potential customers waiting for their release on this side of the ocean.

“We got a lot of response in North America organically from that. We really didn’t put anything out in North America about it. Customers were contacting their dealers. They saw it on social media. So we’ve been getting a lot of positive response from customers out there already.”

Optums will be available for ordering in June. Buyers can expect deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

The post Case IH’s newest Optum tractors make North American debut appeared first on Grainews.

So the entire electrical system, including the brakes on heavier trailers, needs to work. Here’s a look at what you’ll find when you pull the wheel hubs off, and what you need to consider doing to keep trailer brakes in good condition.

First, you need to understand how they work. When electrical current runs to the brakes from the towing vehicle, that causes an electromagnet in each trailer hub to slide outward along a short shaft and attract itself to the inside of the rotating drum. As the drum turns, it pushes the magnet toward the rear of the trailer. The magnet is connected to a lever arm, which forces the brake shoes outward into contact with the drum, providing friction and, therefore, braking.

Because the magnet also comes into contact with the drum, there is an additional wear surface on the drum, one on the face where the magnet rubs against it and the other where the shoes touch. And the magnet, too, is subject to wear, just like the drum.

When removing the drum to inspect the brakes, be prepared to catch the outer wheel bearing, which will fall out from behind the nut as you slide the drum off. Keeping it out of any dirt on the shop floor will save you some work later on cleaning and repacking it when reinstalling.

Inspect the inside of the drum and ensure the wear surfaces where the magnet and shoes contact it are smooth and there isn’t excessive wear. If there are wear grooves, you’ll need to replace or resurface it. The shoes should be changed if you replace or resurface the drums.

Check the shoes for material thickness. Check the magnet for wear as well. On the face of new magnets are four shallow holes that serve as wear indicators. If they are no longer visible, replace the magnet. Apply special braking system grease to the bar the magnet slides on and the lever pivot point. Don’t use regular grease.

If there is a lot of wear on the brakes, simply replacing the entire backing plate assembly and fitting a new drum may be the cheapest and easiest option.

Inspect the two wheel bearings, the inner and outer, and repack them with fresh grease. (You can use ordinary grease here.)

Don’t overtighten the axle nut when reinstalling the drum. Start by spinning the drum by hand as you tighten the nut to where it just stops the drum from turning, then back the nut off until the drum turns freely. That seats the bearings. The sweet spot for securing the axle nut is where the drum turns freely but has no free play, meaning you can’t wiggle it on the axle.

Remember to adjust the shoes after installing the drum. That is done by sticking a screwdriver (or special brake tool) through a slot in the rear of the backing plate and turning the adjuster mechanism. Turn the adjuster until the shoes touch the drum, then back them off about five or six notches.

Also, remember: the rule of thumb on brake repairs is, whatever you do to one hub, you should do to its partner on the other side of the axle to ensure even braking on both sides.

The post How to overhaul electric trailer brakes appeared first on Grainews.

CP, however, is questioning the TSB’s conclusions about the braking performance of the train involved, saying those conclusions are “based on inappropriate extrapolation of data and unsupported inferences.”

The TSB on Thursday released its report into the Feb. 4, 2019 crash near Field, B.C., in which two of three locomotives and 99 cars from a 112-car train of loaded grain hopper cars derailed and crashed in steep mountain terrain, killing the three members of the train’s relief crew.

“This tragic accident demonstrates, once again, that uncontrolled movements of rolling stock continue to pose a significant safety risk to railway operations in Canada,” TSB chair Kathy Fox said Thursday in a release.

“It is obvious that more must be done to reduce the risks to railway employees and the Canadian public, reduce preventable loss of life, and increase the safety and resilience of this vital part of the Canadian supply chain.”

The TSB, in its report, calls on Transport Canada to establish “enhanced test standards and requirements for time-based maintenance” of brake cylinders on freight cars operating on steep descending grades in cold ambient temperatures.

It also calls on the transport department to require Canadian railways to “develop and implement a schedule for the installation of automatic parking brakes on freight cars,” putting a priority on retrofits for cars used in “bulk commodity unit trains in mountain grade territory.”

It also asks Transport Canada to require CP “demonstrate that its safety management system can effectively identify hazards arising from operations using all available information, including employee hazard reports and data trends; assess the associated risks; and implement mitigation measures and validate that they are effective.”

According to the TSB’s report, the train was westbound on CP’s Laggan subdivision, which runs from Calgary to Field, about 20 km west of Lake Louise. It started to descend the Field Hill just after 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 3, and while on the “steepest part of the grade,” it wasn’t able to keep its speed below at or below the 15-mph limit.

When the train reached 21 mph, the crew, following operating procedure, stopped the train using its emergency brakes at Partridge, B.C., with about nine miles of steep descending grade still to go. Brake cylinder pressure retaining valves were then set on 84 cars in the train.

With the inbound crew’s shift over, a relief crew was called in to complete the trip to Field, but that crew was delayed in arriving until about 12:20 a.m., by which time the temperature was -28 C and the train’s air brake system “had been leaking compressed air, reducing the brakes’ capacity to hold the train on the steep grade,” the TSB said.

The brake cylinders’ leakage, the TSB said, was “a situation made worse by their age and condition, and exposure to extreme cold temperatures over time” and “after being stationary on the hill for around three hours, air leakage reached a critical threshold and the brakes could no longer hold the train on the steep grade.”

Before the relief crew could start the process to get the train underway again, the train “began to creep forward, gradually accelerating uncontrolled down the steep grade.” The TSB said the relief conductor and conductor trainee left the cab at that point planning to apply hand brakes to try and stop or slow the train but were instead called back to the cab moments later by the engineer for their safety.

The train was able to make its way around back-to-back reverse curves, but eventually accelerated to 53 mph, “was not able to negotiate” a sharp curve right before the Kicking Horse River bridge, and derailed.

The TSB said it identified “a number of safety deficiencies” contributing to the crash, including the “degradation” of air brake systems in extreme cold temperatures; the “limitations” of current train brake test methodologies to account for such conditions; and the need for “additional physical defences” to prevent such uncontrolled movements.

Crew training, the TSB said, was “not specific to the unique operating conditions of the Laggan subdivision. The board also called out the “inadequacy of experience of employees supervising mountain-grade operations on this subdivision.”

The TSB also pointed to a “need for better identification of hazards through reporting, data trend analysis, and risk assessments under CP’s safety management system to support risk mitigation measures.”

‘Fully-trained’

CP, in its statement Thursday, replied that both the locomotive engineers of the inbound crew and the relief crew were “fully-trained, qualified and certified, and were well-experienced in the handling of trains on mountain grades,” and the trainmaster was also “a qualified locomotive engineer with experience on mountain grades.”

Both crews and the trainmaster “agreed on the appropriate steps to be taken in line with existing procedure,” CP said, adding that operating procedure for that specific hill was based on practices set up following “previous incidents” over two decades earlier. “This was not an issue of training and/or experience.”

CP, in Thursday’s statement, said the TSB “has erroneously concluded, based on inappropriate extrapolation of data and unsupported inferences, that the involved train exhibited poor braking performance.”

The board’s report, the company said, confirms the train “was fully functional, met all industry standards and passed all regulatory brake test inspections.”

CP further said its safety management system meets regulations and there were “no systemic hazards that were not appropriately addressed” by that system, including Field Hill train braking performance.

Given “the gravity of this incident and the tragic loss of life, it was extremely disappointing that the TSB misrepresented the facts at today’s news conference and misunderstood key facts about the incident in its report,” the company said.

CP said Thursday it would be talking to the TSB directly about those “inaccuracies and misrepresentations,” and also noted the crash is still the subject of a preliminary inquiry by RCMP. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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