Author Topic: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???  (Read 9337 times)

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Offline GH

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OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« on: December 15, 2008, 11:07:50 AM »
When we were on our way to Speed Week 08, we saw an oversized load on I-80 just east of exit 4. Also we saw another one parked on the outer road Monday AM around the potash plant. Did anyone get any photos of these extra large loads? If so, I would like a copy, please send email to garyhartracing@yahoo.com      Many thanks in advance.


Offline 836dstr

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2008, 01:04:23 PM »
Got stuck behind one of the rigs Sunday coming down the 93 into Wendover. The trailer was massive and took up both lanes. Finally about half way down the hill they stopped at a snow chain turnout and let cars pass.

It was a massive tank of some sort that must have been 20 feet in diameter and over 50 feet in length. Still wonder what it was, where it came from and where it was going?

There were some pictures posted somewhere, but don't recall.

Tom

P.S. Two years ago got stuck on the same section of the 93 for road resurfacing, just where you first see the Salt Flats to the East and want to get there FAST.

Offline 4-barrel Mike

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2008, 02:23:53 PM »
Mike Kelly - PROUD owner of the V4F that powered the #1931 VGC to a 82.803 mph record in 2008!

Offline Dean Los Angeles

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2008, 03:13:12 PM »
Interesting! Looks like a nuclear reactor. It sure is heavy looking at the number of wheels.

« Last Edit: December 15, 2008, 06:32:38 PM by Seldom Seen Slim »
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Offline Freud

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2008, 03:30:48 PM »
There is a gold mine somewhere west of Wendover in Nevada. The vessel is too large to go under the overpass at mile post 3 so they detour thru Wendover.
Several years ago I saw a load like that and I turned around and went to the overpass. I shot probably 50 images of it and that included going over the overpass. It had 2 pusher trucks as well as the front truck. The also have their own "tire service truck." They used the exhaust brake as they came down off the viaduct and were only going maybe 2 MPH. They have "staters" with them as well as a line crew so that anything that needs to be done can be.
It took them eleven minutes to cross the viaduct.
The vessel is part of the steam plant at the mine. Apparently they must use quite a few of them if they are still on the road.
   ( I have been corrected in a later post.)
FREUD
« Last Edit: December 15, 2008, 07:16:06 PM by Freud »
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Offline Freud

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2008, 03:31:20 PM »
More fotos.

FREUD
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Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2008, 04:07:56 PM »
It's difficult to see clearly on Freud's photos, but on the one from RtR -- I counted 8 trailer axles in length.  And it appears there are four sets of duals across, so that would be the same as 16 axles on a "regular" width trailer.  Also note that the tires are quite a bit smaller than the drive tires on the semi tractors - and that perhaps means the load-carrying capacity is less than "standard" dual sets.

A common-size dual-wheels axle will be rated for about 16 - 20,000 pounds.  18-wheel semis are limited, by state weight rules, to 80,000 pounds GVW, with about 12,000 on the steer axle and the remaining 68,000 pounds divvied up on the two drives and two trailers.  So -- 16 axles at 20,000 pounds each yields a load of somewhere in the 300,000# range.  I'm not assessing any load on the tractor tires -- the dolly that carries the load takes most, if not all, of the load - none on the tractors.  Note that the pusher tractors even have ballast weights to give 'em more traction. 

The tractors probably scale 20 - 24,000# each, and with a few tons of ballast on those back two -- oh, heck, call it a 200-ton GCW (gross combined weight).  I wonder how much they have to pay at the toll booths?
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline GH

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2008, 04:34:53 PM »
4-barrel Mike and Dean, that's the one. We saw that thing coming in the east bound lane and it had traffic backed up behind it probably a mile. It did have a bunch of wheels, I stopped next to the one by the potash plant and read the data plate on it, 3xx,xxx tons, I think, not sure, bad memory.

Offline Freud

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2008, 04:51:06 PM »
There are 16 axles with 8 tires per axle plus the tires on the tractor that are load bearing.

FREUD
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Offline RayTheRat

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2008, 05:59:29 PM »
I'm attaching the photo that I have on my website.  The reason I'm doing so is that everytime someone reads this thread, it hits my server.  One or two photos isn't bad, but I've had hundreds at a time and it's killed the bandwidth on my DSL line.  I removed the method that prevents hot linking while I was trying to figure out what was causing the problems with access to the server. I really didn't want to put it back in place, because it's a real pain to maintain.  (Hmmm...unintentional rhyme.)

Anyway, Dean, would you mind editing your post and deleting the link?  I'd be very grateful if you would.

RtR

Offline jdincau

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2008, 06:12:50 PM »
DON'T READ IF YOU EXPECT TOPICALITY

Back in the 70's we came out of the Western Cafe after breakfast one morning and were confronted by a piece of machinery on a lowboy that was a big as a one car garage. It was made of steel plate about 1 1/2 inches thick with ribs, flanges, bearings and shafts sticking out of it. The bolts were all bigger than 1 inch and the shafts were 4 inches plus. It had a sprocket on one of the shafts that was 2 inches thick and 24 inches in diameter. The nameplate said "Falk Machinery". The phrase "what the falk is that" gained new meaning.
Jim in Palmdale

PS, found out later that the Falk company made power transmission machinery and that it was probably a gearbox of some kind for a mine or sawmill.
Unless it's crazy, ambitious and delusional, it's not worth our time!

Offline RichFox

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2008, 06:15:04 PM »
The one a few years back, I counted 156 wheels on the whole thing. I'm not sure both trailing tractors were for pushing. Sometimes another tractor is hooked on large loads just for the air for the brakes. I also spoke to some of the crew with the thing while it overnighted at the weigh station. They said it was an Autoclave used to separate gold from Mercury without releasing mercury into the atmosphere.

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2008, 06:33:28 PM »
Ray, I saw your post and request, and noticed that Dean isn't online -- so I went to the post and took the photo out of it.  I hope you and he don't mind me stepping in.
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2008, 06:51:23 PM »
PS, found out later that the Falk company made power transmission machinery and that it was probably a gearbox of some kind for a mine or sawmill.

Still do.  If you ever see an aerial shot of Miller Park during baseball season, you'll probably see the factory.  One of their big clients is their neighbor, P&H mining equipment.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline RayTheRat

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Re: OVERSIZED LOAD ON I-80???
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2008, 07:06:18 PM »
Thanks, Jon.  I appreciate the help.

RtR