> In our last episode <6fqpfc$hq8$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> on Tue, 31 Mar 1998
> 07:04:16 -0600, david@nmit.vic.edu.au told aus.rail:
>
> >B Triples ( road trains despite their denial ) - claiming low wear and manning
> >reductions.
>
> A B-Triple is similar to a B-Double: an articulated vehicle with the second
> and third semi-trailers attached to the trailer in front by means of a
> turntable.
>
> A Road Train is a vehicle combination with more than two points of
> articulation and coupled together using dollies. A double roadtrain has
> two trailers... triple roadtrain has three trailers...
>
> A 'plain' semi-trailer is a prime mover coupled to a semi-trailer using a
> turntable.
>
> Only Victoria and Queensland are trialing B-Triples at the moment, very
> well by the sounds of it too.
Having been to Melbourne on a B-double and know the work in loading and driving, it
will make the whole thing about three times the effort, I don't know about QLD but
in Melbourne, the cars are very ignorant to trucks, especially B-doubles, the cars
will try to come up on the inside and get abusive when they are forced onto the
gutter. I am wondering how they will cope with an extra trailer.
Also Melbourne run the longest B-double, I can't remember all the specs for it,
but normally one trailer is smaller then the first. B-doubles have a maximum length
of 27m, this one is over that length, as it can carry 4 twenty foot containers,
therefor, they trailers are 40 foot each, normally there is one 40 trailer and
one of a shorter length.
Some of the places that Bdouble run shouldn't really be allowed, in sydney, they
allowed a road to carry B-double all because one transport company started running
them and wanted access to the depot, I live near this street and can't believe that
this was allowed.
Also, many people don't realize the difference in turning between a 40 foot and a
45 foot trailer, and where the axles are placed.
All this is why we have so many accidents on the road due to the cars not knowing
what to do when confronted by trucks.
one last thing, coming back from Melbourne, there was this 4 wheel drive, and each
time he passed a truck, he went right onto the right hand shoulder, when our
trailer swayed, he preferred to come within one foot of the white poles on the side
of the road then be next to us.
So, in my opinion, they should not increase trucks size to carry the loads without
actually campaigning to educate drivers or even better, use rail transport and
upgrade the railways and not let contractors do it. The roads in Sydney, Melbourne
and Brisbane aren't suitable to anything bigger then a B-double.
Sorry about the long truck post in the rail newsgroup.
-- Bye for now, Eben.