Really Big Rigs

the millitary has a trailer that has twenty four wheels can haul anything in the millitarys arsenal up to a m one abrahams tank

 

Years ago, Michigan had a minimum horsepower requirement for the trains. I think it was 450 hp, but I can not find it now. Those double-bottom dumps certainly negotiate dirt paths into batch plants where concrete is mixed for highway construction. I rode with an owner-operator leased to Contractors Transport in 1964 when I was home on leave from Basic Training. He was hauling gravel from a pit near Grand Rapids to a batch plant east of Pullman for construction of I-196. There was an air operated pin that locked the A-train dolly for backing the pup to the pile. After dumping the pup, he pulled out and unhooked the hydraulic, air and electric lines from the lead trailer. He suspended the tongue of the dolly with a light chain, and pulled the pin. Then he dumped the lead. We were out of there in 15 minutes. If the batch plant had been closer to the gravel pit, he would not have used the pup. I also rode with this owner-operator in 1963 when he had a tandem straight truck dump and a four axle pup. That Ford was gas powered and he planned re-power with a diesel, but bought the Diamond Reo COE that I rode in 1964.

 

if you google ( tim gibson truck pictures collection ) you can see more of michigan trains even the older ones.

they reminded me of a centipede.

 

Most i ever had on was 176k........ on the trailers........ giggity.

 

your gonna want to recount the rubber on the m1000 heavy equipment trailer.....5 axles PER side, 4 tires PER axle...for a total of 40 tires
each axle has independent hydrualic suspension, and is hydrualicly steered, deck can be raised/lowered from 3' to 5'.....darn thing even has its own pony motor for the hydrualic system

now go find a HET driver and ask how much fun it is to change an inside tire....lol

suck up the axle, knock out the tierod and swing that baby on out

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/graphics/defense/US-HET-1_large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/defense/products~hetus~m1070.cfm&usg=__Qg9IfbaNBTFa-joB6snEKMuBKPU=&h=285&w=423&sz=35&hl=en&start=16&tbnid=RLht_DTV9X3p7M:&tbnh=85&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dm1070%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

 

Ya know, i was just going to make a post about these the other day..

A buddy of mine used to haul steel with a set of 6 axle trains, set up like in the picture below.. Legal to 144 in MI, and 134K in IN(with a permit) Although he usually ran in the 150-160K range.. Truck? long nose 379, 550 cat, 18 speed, 3.36 gears, it would cruise just fine at 70 in the big gear..
Some of the other setups would be 8 axle rigs, 5 on the lead, 3 on the pup, but with the extra weight of 2 axles, you really couldn't haul that much more..


Gravel trains? you have 2 basic types..

the tripple ten


and the super train


Michigan flat beds are usually 50 footers, Either an 8 axle


Or a quad 9


You will also see a 6 axle, 9-quad-9, usually for hauling a single steel coil(100K+)

wood chips? either a 4-8 axle dry box, or a walking floor trailer like this..

logging, you normally run a straight truck with a loader on the back(either 6 or 7 axle) followed by a 4 or 5 axle pup.. like this..


or a loader trailer..


Or a 8 axle train setup


asphalt?


I could go on and on.. but I think I posted enough pics for today.. lol

as for trucks.. the flatbeds and B trains are usually pulled by fairly normal trucks.. The log trailers and gravel trains almost exclusively by "mi spec" heavy haul tractors, 500+ hp, 18/46K axles with full locking rears and normally 4.10 or 4.30 gears, floats on the front, 18 speed, and a double frame.

the log trucks(straight trucks with a pup) are set up the same way, all though some are going to a tri-drive( three drive axles instead of just two, so you have 2 power dividers to lock, and 3 diff locks to lock in)

My buddy i mentioned above that was a steel hauler, used to be a logger. his truck was a 378, 6 axle truck, 5 axle pup. 550 cat with the "off road" tune on it(2300rpm and mid 600's for HP), 18 speed, 4.30 gears. I've never driven anything that had power like that truck.. to date its snapped 5 axle shafts(with 3 different owners) Loaded to 200k+(where almost every MI log truck runs), you still never split the basement, and only the top two gears on the high side, and would run right up to 90mph if you were brave enough.. mileage? 3.5mpg.. all... day... long..

Michigan trucks truly are a different breed..

 

no, the axles aren't steerables. however, like on that 8 axle sled, the first two, and last axle are lifts(sometimes more), so your only draging 5 around corners.

I'll find some smaller pics to replace the ones the mods deleted, hopefully they are approved this time.