Re: OT Rail vs truck was Re: OT - Re: Program templates as Object Classes

From: Robert Wagner (spamblocker-robert_at_wagner.net)
Date: 01/03/05 

Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 17:28:30 GMT

On 2 Jan 2005 20:28:23 -0800, "Richard" <riplin@Azonic.co.nz> wrote:

>> Someone mentioned monster seven-trailer trucks traveling the
>> Australian outback at 70 mph. No so.They're called Road Trains and
>> most have two or three trailers.
>
>http://territorypictures.tripod.com/pages/rtrains/images/bhrtrain.jpg
>
>> We have the same in northern Indiana along I-80.
>
>Most roading system have limits on total length, total weight, and axle
>weight. The Northern Territory has much larger limits than anywhere
>else or none at all. This means that large truck-trailer combinations
>(called Road Trains) can exist in NT.
>
>For example in USA:
>"""The maximum weight of a tractor-trailer is supposed to be 80,000
>pounds on the interstate system. """

More important is weight per axle. Roads are designed for max 20,000
lbs. The 80,000 figure is based on the assumption there will be four
heavy axles. Doubles and triples spread the load over more than four.

>"""H.R. 3132 will freeze maximum trucktrailer length at 53 feet on the
>NHS."""

Something's wrong here. A normal semi is 60 feet long.

>see http://www.aitaonline.com/Weight%20Size%20Limits.html
>
>Which shows that triples are only allowed on toll highways in Indiana.
>
>While a double is limited to 65 foot and a triple may get to 95 foot,

The Indiana rules for doubles and triples do not specify maximum
length for the vehicle, only for trailers. In practice, a triple is
105 feet and a long double is 110 feet.

www.in.gov/dor/mcs/pdfs-forms/m233t.pdf

>the NT Road Trains run to 160 foot for a triple and can near double
>that for a 7 trailer. Weights go to 300,000 lbs or more.

Guinness shows the longest truck to be 4053 feet long with 87
trailers. That comes to 47 feet per, which is similar to the standard
US length of 48 feet. So you're right, an NT triple is 160 feet.

>They are nowhere near 'the same' in Indiana.

You're right.

>> The really big Australian trucks, with 6-7 trailers, travel on
>private roads no faster than 40 mph.
>
>Where do you get this nonsense about 'private roads' ? It seems that
>in the USA the triples can only run on toll roads, but in NT there are
>no such thing.

It's about lane width. Long trucks require 12 foot lanes because the
rear trailers drift side to side. The traditional width of public
roads in the US is 8-10 feet, which is too narrow.

>
>Certainly the heavier the road train the more power is needed to move
>it, and thus for the same power the heavier is slower, but they still
>do Darwin to SA.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT Rail vs truck was Re: OT - Re: Program templates as Object Classes
    ... > More important is weight per axle. ... Doubles and triples spread the load over more than four. ... A normal semi is 60 feet long. ... >>private roads no faster than 40 mph. ...
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