Aussie Macks and Road Trains

[JTFormula]

http://youtu.be/ysT9ZskB6eY

Cool video

[Olivetroad]

I have never been to Australia, but I liked L. Frank Baum books as a kid..........

Is the country just real flat and open? How in the world do they manuver those trains? Do they have depots outside the cities where they take them apart and divide up the loads?

[Vladislav]

Impressive!

I saw a lot of photos, video gives wider field of view.

[ThaddeusW]

I have never been to Australia, but I liked L. Frank Baum books as a kid..........

Is the country just real flat and open? How in the world do they manuver those trains? Do they have depots outside the cities where they take them apart and divide up the loads?

From what I understand road trains are used for long hauls into and around the interior (AKA the Outback) of Australia and coast to coast runs. They do have to break down outside of cities and then each trailer or B train taken into the city, usually with cab overs. The interior is a desert wasteland with some mountain ranges. There in lies mines, ranches and small towns that need supplies which have no rail access. There is limited rail but the country boasts a population of only 22 million on a land area that is 81% the size of the US. The Australian population is 14 times smaller than the US population so there isn't enough of a demand or funding to lay tracks. So road trains fill that gap by hauling up to 200 tons gross and measuring nearly 176 feet long. There are mining road trains that go even longer with multiple side tipping trailers and a powered trailer to help the tractor pull 400+ tons. They normally carry 500-600 gallons of fuel as gas stations can be hundreds of miles apart.

Another fun fact is 90% of the population lives in cities around the coast, the interior has a population of less than 700,000.

Australia also boasts the longest strait section of road across the Nullarbor Plain running in a strait line for 91 miles. So there is a lot of flat open land there. The plain was once considered impassible by settling Europeans until one man crossed it in 1841.

[tkobes43]

From what I understand road trains are used for long hauls into and around the interior (AKA the Outback) of Australia and coast to coast runs. They do have to break down outside of cities and then each trailer or B train taken into the city, usually with cab overs. The interior is a desert wasteland with some mountain ranges. There in lies mines, ranches and small towns that need supplies which have no rail access. There is limited rail but the country boasts a population of only 22 million on a land area that is 81% the size of the US. The Australian population is 14 times smaller than the US population so there isn't enough of a demand or funding to lay tracks. So road trains fill that gap by hauling up to 200 tons gross and measuring nearly 176 feet long. There are mining road trains that go even longer with multiple side tipping trailers and a powered trailer to help the tractor pull 400+ tons. They normally carry 500-600 gallons of fuel as gas stations can be hundreds of miles apart.

Another fun fact is 90% of the population lives in cities around the coast, the interior has a population of less than 700,000.

Australia also boasts the longest strait section of road across the Nullarbor Plain running in a strait line for 91 miles. So there is a lot of flat open land there. The plain was once considered impassible by settling Europeans until one man crossed it in 1841.

Ugh, you sound like my high school history teacher... But that is really interesting! Thanks Thad!

Tom

[JTFormula]

Pay attention and take notes. I hear there is a pop quiz at the end of the week. Now I am going to sneek a smoke in the bathroom. Warm me if the teacher comes in.