The prize in the nomination "The longest road train in the world" deserve several vehicles. Most of the famous car designs are designed for demonstration performances. The country where such demonstrations became possible is Australia.
The giants of the Australian continent
In 2006, the Mack Titan road train was launched in Queensland, pulling 112 trailers. The mass of the entire road train was 1300 tons, and the length was 14 km 743 m.
John Atkinson, the truck driver, put on a little public show of sorts. To launch a truck along the route, it took specialists 6 hours to prepare. The travel distance was 140 meters. This truck is the longest road train in the world. The volume of the tank of such a giant can hold up to 2 tons of fuel.
In 2003, the longest road train in the world was constructed in Mangindi, which ranks second in the record table. Its composition consisted of 87 trailers with a total length of 1 km 235 m.
Almost 20 years ago inKalguri was dominated by the Kenworth C501T. The longest truck in the world is 1 km long, driven by driver Stephen Matthews. In fact, the length of the road train was 1 km 18 meters, but for convenience, the population rounded this number to 1 kilometer. About 5,000 people came to see the spectacle. The truck, accompanied by 79 trailers, traveled 8 km.
The forerunner of the kilometer giant is the K100G (Merridin, 1999). Greg Marley drove a distance of 8 km at a speed of 12 km/h. The length of the train with 45 trailers reached 610 meters.
Rules and regulations
Moving around the highways behind the wheel of huge road trains is allowed only subject to the norms and standards established by each country separately.
It looks, for example, like this:
- Two types of trucks are allowed in Australia - with 38m or 53m trailers.
- In Canada, the composition of a road train must not exceed 35 m, if a truck with several semi-trailers on 3 rear axles at once, then the length of such a truck is up to 38 m.
- In China, there are other methods to create giant machines. Be sure to have a large number of wheels to evenly distribute the axle load. This helps to preserve the asph alt surface. An example of such a tractor was a 73-meter giant on 88 wheels.
Having met such a composition on the track, drivers should be vigilant when cornering and careful when overtaking. The maneuver is recommended if there is no oncoming traffic a kilometer ahead.
Unique techniquepast
The world's longest road train super car - LeTourneau TC-497. It was created by the Americans in the 50s of the last century. General Features:
- dimensions (in meters): length - 173, cabin height - 9; tire - 3, 5;
- maximum load over 400 tons;
- number of wheels - 54 pieces;
- engine: quantity - 4 units, total capacity - 5 thousand liters. p.;
Each wheel is equipped with an electric motor powered by a gas turbine engine.
Composition of the road train - 8 - 12 trailers, which served as a transport tool for equipment weighing up to 150 tons. The loaded train weighed approximately 450 tons.
In addition to cargo, there were trailers for residential purposes, which could freely accommodate up to 6 people. The camper was equipped with sleeping quarters, sewerage, a dining room and a self-contained laundry room.
The dimensions of the auto train made it difficult to manage. The developers solved this problem by installing an electronic control system on the vehicle. As a result, the super tractor could easily overcome various kinds of obstacles.
The desert in Arizona from 1962 to 1969 was a testing ground. The road train showed a cruising range of 600 km. It was possible to disperse the truck up to 35 km per hour.
The giant could move both on the highway and off-road in any climatic conditions. Upon completion of the tests, the project was closed for financial reasons. Now the tractor has been restored and made part ofexposure.
Giant of our time
The longest KAMAZ in the world was created in Slovenia. ETF Mining has developed a mining truck according to an innovative modular scheme. A feature of the giant was the equipment with motor wheels and additional batteries. This will take only 15 minutes. The driver's cabin can be transformed into a trailer.
Characteristics of KamAZ:
- Carrying capacity - 760 tons.
- The length varies from 12.5 to 29 meters.
- The width of the road required for movement is 24 m.
- Number of axles: 2 - 8 pieces; two-axle section with a turning radius - 20.7 m, for 8 axles - 40.9 m.
Conclusion
The longest road train in the world remains the development of technologists from Australian companies. Railway lines in this country are practically undeveloped. Therefore, road trains have replaced freight trains for the export of massive building materials.
In other countries, the creation of huge modern vehicles solve a number of other tasks of national importance. For example, these are the same dump trucks that are indispensable in the construction industry.
This technique makes productivity more efficient. Thanks to this, the country's infrastructure is developing faster, economic relations are being established between individual states.
