6 trucks transporting a 300-ton generator - GIF

6 trucks transporting a 300-ton generator. En route to Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

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More: https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...02-h0sltv.html

Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...256#post101112
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...2978#post77214
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...254#post101110

I have driven that road there are some long stretches of up hill pulls beyond an 8% grade

Jon, I always get a kick out of your mega-equipment posts. My paternal grandad (born 1885 - died 1956) graded roads with a team of horses, and a Fresno. And worked as a foreman on road crews, in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Had a terrible temper, and was said to have beat a man to death, on one of his work crews. Pay-backs came while working on a WPA project, when he was 'nudged' out the loft of a log building, onto a pile of logs. He always claimed he was pushed - the others said "...hey, he slipped." In any event, it kinked his back - and never worked again. But this video should remind us of just how rough some of the old boys had it - back when.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JlJVDW1Pb0

Gadzooks! I've heard stories of truckers hauling 4 55 foot trailers with one semi in Australia, but this, Wow!

The 300 tons looks baby compared to the 800 ton beast in the article, but agree with Frank as I rode a BMW R1100 from Sydney to Melborne on the A1 and came in on the M1 on the last leg, not only steep but curvy in some places for a train that long. Quite the Haul!

Can someone explain how the efforts of the six tractors are coordinated? It seems that it would be easy to get into a mode where one of the tractors was being "dragged" by the others and not helping move the load. I've long wondered about this sort of thing since watching steam locomotives double heading back east when young.

Is there a radio link of some sort and, if so, what does it control; speed, tractive force, etc.? Is the control direct or is the driver in the control loop (other than for steering)? Also, how is braking effected?

well I can't speak for 6 but I can for up to 3.
Part of your answer is yes there are times when 1 will be just dragged along when there is little or no need for the extra power the driver might even have his unit in neutral only being there for the steering and braking force
the biggest problem with multiple power units IE tractors is each one of the puller or pushers must also carry weight mass usually heavy enough to equal the legal axle loading allowed. here in the States that is 34,000 lbs total weight on the tandems
when under a hard pull shifting up or down with multiple power units must be sequential so that there is only 1 out of the many out of the power transmittal at a time I shift you shift he shifts then she shifts one hand will always be near the mic to relay instructions. When all are pulling not changing gears the gauges become your best friend you can tell b y the amount of boost pressure you are developing in relation to the amount of power you are applying to the ground. plus if you are an OD (over dimensional) hauler with any experience at all you can feel when your unit in the chain is carrying its load the guy in front or behind you will tell you if you are adding too much or too little by the way their rig feel to them as well.
We used to regularly move an intact drill rig without the draw works and power head from location to location by backing 1 truck under the front of the substructure then backing 1 under the rear then lowering the derrick on to a tower mounted fifth wheel on the front truck the guy under the derrick did the navigating and set the pace usually very slow since we were going across country not on any roads only crossing them when they were in our way. the guy in the rocking chair (the middle) truck under the substructure just pulled his guts out while the dogs tail had to wag while while driving backwards the whole weight or the rig was on the trucks not on a fancy 50 axle 200 tire steerable trailer we carried everything on 3 5 axle oilfield trucks. 25 ft tall 20 ft wide and 170 ft long the skids of the rig only a few inches off the ground sometimes plowing the ground

Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...d_fullsize.jpg

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...eing_moved.jpg

These SPMT's (self propelled modular transports) have been around for a while the one used by the Collett transportation company hauling the 300 ton load is made by Scheuerle part of the Tii group There is almost no practical limit to the number of modules which can be connected together, the current world's record I believe is a 17,000 metric ton load on modules connected to make up 300 axles about 56.6 t per axle
Here are a couple example pictures of the possibilities
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Attachment 28621