HDT’s Hauling Space Hardware

[Jim & Wilma]

As we’ve approached and been getting ready for going full time, we’ve been gaining knowledge of HDTs and full time living. Funny, we have a weekly video at work and I find myself as interested in make and model of the HDTs as the mission they’re supporting. This week there’s a Volvo transporting a Space Station Service Module and what looks like a Peterbilt moving the forward skirt of a solid booster to be used on NASA's next big rocket. It's pretty clear the path to space starts on the back of an HDT.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

That is interesting. What's also amazing is when you walk into any store, big or small, and realize that everything in that store AND the store itself was transported on a truck. 1 item, brick, hanger at a time, truck load by truck load.

 

There was a story awhile back about the diameter of the Space Shuttle booster rockets. They were aonly XXXX feet in diameter because that was the size that could be transported by train from New Mexico (or wherever they were assembled).

[Jim & Wilma]

There was a story awhile back about the diameter of the Space Shuttle booster rockets. They were aonly XXXX feet in diameter because that was the size that could be transported by train from New Mexico (or wherever they were assembled).

There's truth about how size is limited to the transport means. Large tanks are brought in by barge to our wharf. Suspect it would be hard to barge these boosters from Utah where they mix and pour the propellant into the casings.

 

They off load the solid boosters just down the road from my office. Here's a trivia question. On this photo, see the "Do Not Hump" stenciled on the side of the cover. Who knows what that means? And no, it's not the first thought that comes to your mind!

 

[jkennell]

Hump is a rail term. It refers to the way a rail yard is designed. On the input side of the yard is a hill or "hump" the cars are pushed or pulled up. As the cars reach the top, they are uncoupled one (or more) at a time and allowed to roll down hill thru the switches, which sort the cars into new train segments on the various tracks. The impact as the cars recouple into another car already on the track can be significant, so extremely fragile or sensitive shipments may have "Do Not Hump" plastered all over them.

 

I've read enough on the Aerospace industry to know that that kind of impact would be a total NO-NO in a environment where the detergent used to wash the cloths used to clean the tanks may make a difference (right out of the Moon Lander story!)

 

[Big5er]

See why I love this place? There is so much knowledge here. I mean, what other RV forum will educate you on the act of humping? Thanks Jeff.

[SIBERNUT]

^{Once upon a time while driving, I saw a semi that just looked "different" in a truck stop . I walked over to it & was approached by several men from cars parked by. Turns out it was an ARMORED PETERBILT with gun ports etc hauling for the US Mint. I didn't get a closer look.......................}

[budeneighe]

Interesting stuff. Last week, as we were returning home to St Augustine from Jacksonville, FL, a procession of 2 lead WIDE LOAD trucks followed by a Florida Highway Patrol car in full flashing lights followed by a huge truck pulling an extra long load low boy followed by another Florida Highway patrol car in full flash mode followed by yet another wide load escort truck. The load on the lowboy was at least a lane and a half wide and a cylinder all tarped up. The lowboy had 2 gangs of triple axles at either end plus the truck. This whole procession was stretched out at least 1 mile long and was moving at 85mph at about 10 pm south down I-95. The only thing I could think was that it must be a piece of a rocket headed to Canaveral. But it was not in a typical NASA container box as shown in the above photos.

[Imurphy907]

Interesting stuff. Last week, as we were returning home to St Augustine from Jacksonville, FL, a procession of 2 lead WIDE LOAD trucks followed by a Florida Highway Patrol car in full flashing lights followed by a huge truck pulling an extra long load low boy followed by another Florida Highway patrol car in full flash mode followed by yet another wide load escort truck. The load on the lowboy was at least a lane and a half wide and a cylinder all tarped up. The lowboy had 2 gangs of triple axles at either end plus the truck. This whole procession was stretched out at least 1 mile long and was moving at 85mph at about 10 pm south down I-95. The only thing I could think was that it must be a piece of a rocket headed to Canaveral. But it was not in a typical NASA container box as shown in the above photos.

 

 

Run pilot car before and have done "rolling road closures" Where the local PD would block ramps and force people off at exits so we had room to come through. Was quite interesting. Think we had 10 cops and 8 pilot cars with us that trip.

[SuiteSuccess]

See why I love this place? There is so much knowledge here. I mean, what other RV forum will educate you on the act of humping? Thanks Jeff.

Thought you had dogs? What other education do you need,lol?

[Big5er]

I got lady-like girlie dogs....No humping going on here. But now, thanks to Jeff, I know about it.

 

We escorted an airplane on a trailer down I-10 a while back. 35 ft wide, took up all 3 lanes. Fortunately it was a bit before the crack of dawn and on a weekend so traffic only backed up for a mile or 2 miles instead of 10. The HDT just stayed in the middle lane.

And of course we escorted that Army Blackhawk that crashed into the Port of Houston a month back. Too mangled to secure well and way to mangled to actually fit on the low boy trailers (took 2). We were hoping that nothing would fall off during the trip. We didn't want a bunch of lookie loo's putting it on facebook either so we closed intersections before it got there so we rolled non stop from the port back to Ellington Air Base. All I had to do was bring up the rear.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

I got lady-like girlie dogs....No humping going on here. But now, thanks to Jeff, I know about it.

 

If you need to see "Humping" in action just go to Wayside dr just south of 610.....

 

Huge rail yard right there in your own area!

[Ronbo]

The rocke booster for the space shuttle were made in Henderson, Nv untill the plant blew up. We were there for that. They rebuilt north of town on the Indian reservation.

[rpsinc]

I have spent the last 21+ years working in warehouses building and installing loading dock equipment specifically for the use of loading and unloading the trailers that HDTs haul. I've always been interested in "MORE POWER", though, just never saw how that would fit into my life. Now I do. Com'on HDT!!

[4Girls&aMan]

There's truth about how size is limited to the transport means. Large tanks are brought in by barge to our wharf. Suspect it would be hard to barge these boosters from Utah where they mix and pour the propellant into the casings.

 

They off load the solid boosters just down the road from my office.

 

 

Shuttle boosters were cast at Promontory UT (not far from the Golden Spike of transcontinental railroad fame). After Challenger NASA was going to replace the boosters with redesigned models that were going to be produced in Yellow Creek, MS right off the TN Tombigbee Waterway and a "easy" barge right down to Mobile, AL. The UT sourced booster segments all came over rail - I seriously doubt that humping alone would have been enough to set them off, after seeing what it takes to light one of those things. However - the warning you note was stenciled on everything cover.