[ihc] no IH content, but fun--

[bearbvd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Greg Hermann)]

Saw a 148 wheeler (highway) rig today !!!!

Yep, and that doesn't even count the wheels on what it was hauling !! --12
more there !!!

No IH stuff, though.

Had a VERY heavy Pete on the front--with some serious ballast over its
fifth wheel.

10 --- 14 x 24 tires on that, in the usual configuration, but the tandem
drive axles had planetary reduction hubs.

Then, multiple double wide 'Jeeps'--- total of EIGHT bogies with four sets
of duals each, pretty similar to the dimensions of the tandem axles under a
semi trailer--set up side by side, so that the total width across a pair of
bogies was about fourteen feet--with a BIG fifth wheel at the center which,
in turn, carried ONE END of the (high) carrier beam. Another similar set of
eight bogies under the rear end of the carrier beam ! ---Then, at the back
of the rear set of bogies, was a Mack, even bigger/heavier than the front
Pete--set up to act as a PUSHER for the whole contraption--it had 14.00 x
25 tires, again a conventional 10 wheel set-up, but, again planetary
reduction hubs. Also some serious ballast on the Mack, clearly for
traction.

Drum type air brakes on EACH AND EVERY set of dual tires under the whole
thing !!! (YEE haw--they must have a HUGE compressor on at least one of the
tractors !!

There were some hydraulic cylinders in evidence here and there on the Jeeps
which were likely for evening out the loading on all of the various bogies.

Tires on all of the 128 wheels under the carrier were 275-.70--22.5's, on
10 hole Budd wheels.

Suspended from the carrier beam was an electric locomotive destined for
service on the automated railroad over by Rangely/Dinosaur !! (twelve more
wheels there, steel ones--) I think the rail line carries material from the
Deserado mine over that way, likely coal, but I dunno for sure. That little
railroad does not connect to any other tracks, so they drug the locomotives
as far as Craig on the UP (ex SP, ex D&RGW) tracks, and then went to this
thing to carry them the rest of the way to their home--ONE unit at a time
!!!

The whole lash-up has GOT to be about 75 or 80 yards long, significantly
over-height, and WAY overwidth.

Not to mention the little matter of WEIGHT !!!

Apparently for something THIS big, it ain't just the usual pilot and trail
car routine, it seems they have to use the Highway Patrol for an escort !!

No one around, so didn't get a chance to inquire about the power--trannies
in the big Pete and the bigger Mack.

Greg