Tundra to tow Space Shuttle

[tanglefoot]

Another video of the pull: (I haven't seen an official one yet--probably still in post-production.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3weSO1I5hrE

 

[TheJosh]

I wouldve hoped maybe an American built muscle would pull it - but whatever),

The tundra is assembled in Texas and according to domestically sources parts is technically more American than the corvette and all other "American muscle" pick up trucks

 

[Clutch]

The tundra is assembled in Texas and according to domestically sources parts is technically more American than the corvette and all other "American muscle" pick up trucks

This is true, think the Tundra edges out the other "domestic" 1/2 ton trucks by a couple percent. Ford and Dodge have their diesel engines and trannies built in Mexico for their 3/4-1 tons.

Another thing to mention about Toyota is that they use a non-union work force...perhaps why they can build the Tundra in the States, and not have to go elsewhere.

 

[Toyotero]

An interesting statement in the youtube comments:

"They took about 6+ hours to transfer it from the Sarens powered transport system to the dollies (aka flatbed) because the combined weight would be too much for the bridge to take"

This appears to validate that statement (from http://www.chron.com/business/article/Texas-made-Tundra-gets-historic-towing-job-3944725.php)

"Transported on a 160-wheeled carrier, Endeavour made several stops Friday as crews checked its balance, pruned trees in its path and worked to widen the carrier so that it could straddle a road median. Workers later were to transfer the shuttle to the special dolly designed to cross over the busy Interstate 405 at night."

and: http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile2/55075930-218/shuttle-endeavour-angeles-los.html.csp

The pace picked up Friday night when the five-story-tall shuttle was towed over a freeway overpass by a truck (The mated shuttle and carrier were too heavy for that section.)

Here is video of when it was moved to the lighter dolly system (local news coverage)
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nati...-LAX-California-Science-Center-173872331.html

 

[BIGGUY]

Here's the Toyota Mission Accomplished video.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpCJ-H0iUzI

 

[m3bassman]

An interesting statement in the youtube comments:




This appears to validate that statement (from http://www.chron.com/business/article/Texas-made-Tundra-gets-historic-towing-job-3944725.php)



and: http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile2/55075930-218/shuttle-endeavour-angeles-los.html.csp





Here is video of when it was moved to the lighter dolly system (local news coverage)
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nati...-LAX-California-Science-Center-173872331.html


View attachment 126015

i stand corrected. ide like to hear the statement from the engineers about the "true" capacity of the bridge though

 

[Chevrolado]

The tundra is assembled in Texas and according to domestically sources parts is technically more American than the corvette and all other "American muscle" pick up trucks

Good point. I was thinking about that after the post.. Never searched around though to validate. You're probably correct with that. I definitely wouldn't doubt it.

 

[uscg2008]

god that was soo freakimg cool to watch

 

[Toyotero]

i stand corrected. ide like to hear the statement from the engineers about the "true" capacity of the bridge though

I read elsewhere that the concern was the width of the bridge.

Toyota definitely has a lot of influence in that arena... but transferring the shuttle from one vehicle to another incurs big risk... if they were to drop it or it were to fall, it would have been a disaster. I suspect that it really was necessary to change vehicles for the bridge crossing, otherwise the Science Center wouldn't have risked it for any amount of money. Once it was determined that it had to be towed, no other option, then the bidding started for who's truck would tow it.

I also would like to read the info from an authoritative source and not from the tabloids, I mean media. ;-)

 

[Ozarker]

That's pretty cool! A towing permit, LOL, I bet a call from the Governor could take care of that.......:coffeedrink:

 

[m3bassman]

I read elsewhere that the concern was the width of the bridge.

Toyota definitely has a lot of influence in that arena... but transferring the shuttle from one vehicle to another incurs big risk... if they were to drop it or it were to fall, it would have been a disaster. I suspect that it really was necessary to change vehicles for the bridge crossing, otherwise the Science Center wouldn't have risked it for any amount of money. Once it was determined that it had to be towed, no other option, then the bidding started for who's truck would tow it.

I also would like to read the info from an authoritative source and not from the tabloids, I mean media. ;-)

which brings up another question in my head. for several months there were bringing those "megaloads" through my town on their way up to canada. seeing the size of the loads they were moving, it begs the question as to why they didnt use a similar method with the HD big rigs to haul it on a single dolly as the tundra did.

seems like that rig they used for the majority of the transport would be very expensive and specialized. anyone know what else they use it for now that the shuttle is home?

 

[mtnbike28]

http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/15/time-lapse-video-space-shuttle-endeavours-trek-across-l-a/

A cool timelapse of the move!

 

[kraqus]

http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/15/time-lapse-video-space-shuttle-endeavours-trek-across-l-a/

A cool timelapse of the move!

That was great!





Benny

 

[Toyotero]

I just saw Toyota's commercial... pretty cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lpCJ-H0iUzI#!

I read somewhere that those aren't really camera flashes, they are strobe lights... which is pretty obvious if you look at the light source location :-D



The dolly was build by Sarens: www.sarens.com/en/news/endeavour.aspx

http://missoulian.com/news/state-an...cle_baa40952-173b-11e2-9a21-001a4bcf887a.html

Despite the shuttle’s ability to blast through the Earth’s atmosphere and orbit the planet at speeds of up to 17,000 mph, the Sarens crew quickly discovered it was a delicate piece of machinery.
“Bottom tiles are made of glass – they thought our heads were softer than the hard hats so we had to take the hard hats off while working under it,” Mitchell said

This explains why it was so heavy, maneuverability. http://www.latimes.com/videogallery/72832544/News/Shuttling-the-shuttle

This has some good info too.... http://wot.motortrend.com/2012-toyo...-toward-california-science-center-275519.html

The dollys were so heavy they had to go over the bridge one at a time.

I wonder what's in the bed of the truck? Lead weight?