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Author Topic: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)  (Read 3421 times)

Peter Fitness

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Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« on: November 13, 2011, 08:54:37 pm »

Anyone interested in trucks should have a look here http://videos2view.net/xM-WLT.htm

Peter.
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nhp651

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Re: Really Big Trucks
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2011, 09:03:10 pm »

I would have loved to have a drive of one of those in my younger days driving HGV's. %% %% %% %%
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Patrick Henry

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Re: Really Big Trucks
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2011, 09:10:53 pm »

That last one was something else...imagine coming round the M25 with that on a Friday afternoon.   :police:
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irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2011, 08:04:06 am »

When I moved to Canada & saw them moving complete houses down the road on special trucks I nearly locked jawed. It is a really a weird feeling watching a house coming at you on the highway. These trucks make the ones we move houses with seem very small. We still have some long trains though, some at least 1 1/2 miles long. When you see them at a distance in the middle of the prairies they look small until you get stuck at a level crossing, then look out. Mick B.
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Mick B.

Peter Fitness

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Re: Really Big Trucks
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2011, 06:07:58 am »

We still have some long trains though, some at least 1 1/2 miles long.

The iron ore trains in Western Australia are the longest in the world - so I'm told. Those operated by BHP Billiton are typically 336 cars, 44,500 tonnes of iron ore, over 3 km long, six to eight locomotives including intermediate remote units (according to Wikipedia, which is not always correct). Imagine waiting for one of those at a level crossing {-)

In June 2001, BHP Billiton Iron Ore ran the world’s longest and heaviest train. It stretched 7.4km, had 682 ore cars, eight locomotives, a gross weight of almost 100,000 tonnes and moved 82,262 tonnes of ore.

Peter.
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irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2011, 07:08:30 am »

Hi Peter , I have to tell you that when I decided to immigrate two of us were friends in the RAF, we tossed a coin between Australia & Canada & you can guess who won, but when it drops to - 40 below zero guess where I wish I was. Mick B.
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derekwarner

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2011, 11:12:47 am »

 :embarrassed:...& Peter says.... "Imagine waiting for one of those at a level crossing"

Well yes there are level crossings Peter ..... :-)) ...just no flashing lights or signals........ >>:-( .....so car driver be aware....... {-)

One of the difficulties in running coupled/remote diesel/electric engines is the sincronization of output voltage ....

sorry  >>:-( that is another story in itself......... %% .....Derek
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Derek Warner

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irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2011, 08:03:03 pm »

Big countries with small populations sometimes require BIG solutions & thinking outside the box. Australia is on my short list to visit. I do business with a company in Sydney. (MIDEL Pty). Mick B.
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Mick B.

cbr900

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2011, 08:37:08 pm »

On our recent trip around Australia we came upon one of those road trains, it took us quite a while to
overtake it, it was a daunting job.
Those ones had six trailers but there were quite a few with five trailers they also were difficult to overtake,
we spoke to one driver and he said when doing a u-turn if he kept going he could actually hit the back
trailer with the front bar, that's long when you can run up your own bum...............


Roy
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I try not to be naughty but nautical

irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2011, 02:44:26 am »

HI Peter that mining company Billiton tried to buy up our potash mines here in Canada which are the worlds largest potash deposits. The federal government stepped in & stopped the sale. "It was not in our economic interest". Mick B.
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irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #10 on: November 20, 2011, 09:07:11 pm »

Hi Peter, I was wondering the reason for those long trains you mentioned ?. They are long here because we still have only a single track as a main line, so trains go both ways on the same line with pull offs for passing. We have lots of problems with our rail system, not the least of which is avalanches in the winter in the Rockies. Mick B.
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Mick B.

Peter Fitness

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2011, 10:29:24 pm »

Mick, the rail lines in those areas are single track too, and I assume they have passing loops although I've never been in that part of Australia. I imagine the trains are long so as much iron ore as possible is moved as quickly as possible with as little man power as possible.

My daughter and son-in-law both work in the coal industry in the central highlands of Queensland, she is an O.H. & S. advisor, and he is a mine engineer. We visit regularly and see the big coal trains operating in that area. Each train has 2 locos, 50 wagons, another 2 locos and another 49 or 50 wagons, each wagon holds about 80 tons of coal so there is a fair load all up. The trains operate a merry-go-round system between the mines and the port loading facilities on the coast, or a big power station and, at the peak there seems to be a full train every half hour or so, with the empties running in the opposite direction.

In the Hunter Valley of NSW, however, there is an even bigger operation hauling coal from the Valley mines to the biggest coal loading facility in the world, at Newcastle. Multiple lines run into the loaders, and it's amazing to watch the huge bulk carriers being loaded, then making their way through the river mouth to the open sea assisted by 3 or 4 tugs.

Peter.
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irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #12 on: November 21, 2011, 08:26:37 pm »

Thanks Peter, The scale of some of this stuff boggles the mind, you sometimes wonder where it will all end. the photos are great too, just makes a trip to Ozz just that much more desirable, Mick B.
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Mick B.

Tombsy

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Re: Really Big Trucks
« Reply #13 on: November 24, 2011, 06:09:38 pm »

The iron ore trains in Western Australia are the longest in the world - so I'm told. Those operated by BHP Billiton are typically 336 cars, 44,500 tonnes of iron ore, over 3 km long, six to eight locomotives including intermediate remote units (according to Wikipedia, which is not always correct). Imagine waiting for one of those at a level crossing {-)

In June 2001, BHP Billiton Iron Ore ran the world’s longest and heaviest train. It stretched 7.4km, had 682 ore cars, eight locomotives, a gross weight of almost 100,000 tonnes and moved 82,262 tonnes of ore.

Peter.

Wow as a Locomotive Engineer I can really appreciate the size of these, In Canada we are limited mostly by the grades the heaviest I've had is only about 15,000 tons but I had to ride it downhill for 20 miles.
There is so much slack action with so many cars especially the short ore cars that the engines probably move 20 car lengths before the tail-end moves. It takes care not to rip them apart starting and stopping, just the slack from going over a small hill can snap the train if you don't take steps to control the slack.
And you better be starting to stop about 10 miles before hand  :}
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irishcarguy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2011, 05:22:17 pm »

Hi Tombsy, Do you work for CP. Rail, I live in Calgary too. Where do you sail ?. Mick B.
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Tombsy

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Re: Really Big Trucks (and Trains)
« Reply #15 on: November 25, 2011, 06:28:58 pm »

I'm with CN, pretty small here as the mainline goes through Edmonton.
I've been out with the informal sailing club to Glenmore Reservoir sounds like there could be ten IOM's this year. I have a couple of Vic's and a Seawind.
But I mostly go to Elliston Park and race the nitro and FE boats.
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