Another acquisition Heil made in 1990 was the purchase of Rapid Rail Systems of Phoenix, Arizona. Founder Marc Stragier took the position of new products manager at Heil. Rapid Rail can trace its lineage back to the first Automated Side Loaders (ASL) ever built. Stragier was the genius behind the Godzilla trucks custom-built for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona where he served as Public Works Director. After retirement from public service, he started Government Innovators in 1974 to market the fledgeling ASL technology nationwide. Eventually the company became known as Rapid Rail, a name originally given to an early ASL loader mechanism back in his Scottsdale days. John Pickrell designed a paddle-packer (a continuous-loading method developed for rear loaders by SITA) adapted for an ASL refuse body package. The packer was mounted at the front of the body and formed a "well" into which refuse was deposited by the arm, and constantly swept into the body.
While originally designed for mounting to straight truck chassis, Stragier developed an articulated version for Heil called STARR (Semi-Trailer Automated Rapid Rail), which could be pulled by a standard truck tractor. The loader arm was affixed to the truck tractor, which was hitched to the semi-trailer paddle-packer body. The system is well suited to body-exchange haul systems, and two trailer units can be pulled together if desired. A split-body recycler called the Rapid Rail Co-Collector was also added for separated collection routes.
Rapid Rail straight-truck bodies are made in 7 capacities, ranging from 16 to 32-cubic yards
Discharge is by gravity dumping
Operating cylinders for paddle are located beneath body, and are connected to a common chain which turns the crankshaft sprocket
View through rear door opening shows reciprocating packer paddle
Paddle continuously sweeps hopper in a back-and-forth 180-degree arc
Semi-Trailer Automated Rapid Rail (STARR) is available in 33 and 37 yard sizes
Trailerized version has a sliding lift linkage which pivots the unit in the rear axle
Long-reach 96" Rapid Rail lift arm
The Rapid Rail Co-Collector is a split body ASL, with each chamber fed by one side of the paddle
Rapid Rail paddle packer in action (Courtesy of Trashman242)
