Wondering about wild grapes

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Wondering about a 'Super Load'.

It started out as a typical Friday as my wife and I were heading for town, then we were surprised to see a huge tank trying to get through the intersection of highway 105 east and the north east loop 336 that goes around Conroe. When you get to see something like that, you don't mind the holdup of traffic.  We followed the procession up the Loop until they turned off to skirt around town.  No way could they get that thing through town without disrupting everything for hours.  I was lucky enough to have a front row seat to the spectacle.  The unlucky thing is, although I always carry my camera with me, I didn't have it that day.  I sure did miss some good shots of a strange load.

Then, last night, my wife said that as she was looking at the local newspaper on line, she saw an article with pictures of exactly what we saw.  Now I have pictures that I can show you along with a link to the news story.  There was a crew that accompanied the tank whose job it was to hold up any overhead wires that may not clear the top of the huge tank.  Wouldn't it be fun to be the guys riding up in the buckets?

 
Yes, of course, they had a police escort which stopped traffic when necessary.
 

 Another shot of the guys holding up the wires and lights.
 

The picture below show just how long this tank is:
 

If you are interested in reading the news article, here is a link to it: CLICK HERE   

My guess is that it is a cracking tower.  The load started in Baytown and I wonder if it was made over seas, like in China, or if it was made in Baytown.  It has been a long time since I have been in Baytown and don't remember any place that makes tanks, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any.  Sure hope your day today turns out great, you hear?

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like us... checking out all the odd looking equipment on the road. Bill explained to me how that cracking tower works. When we first started out traveling I started naming off makes of RVs.... then it was the 18 wheelers... companies (Stevens, CCC, Kline etc)... then the kinds of trucks... Mack, Peterbuilt etc. We try to guess what various cargo is used for. One of our favorites to see is the transport of those huge wind turbine windmills... takes several trucks before it's complete. We'll be on the road in a couple of hours... I'll have to report back all the strange things we see on this trip ;-)

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  2. you should have seen the giant wind turbines they transported through town.
    Huge beasts. Too at least 3 large tractor trailers to move just one.

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  3. Wow, I wouldn't like to be the person who was holding up any electricity lines. Those things have so much power and one wrong move would cause you to become a Barbeque! Yikes.

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  4. The Odd Essay, I like to know what everything is I see going down the road. I don't always know. In the past I have seen large units going down the road that I designed. Makes me proud.

    Sixbears, The blades I have seen on trucks here in Texas are smaller than the ones I saw last time I was in Pennsylvania. And here I thought everything was bigger in Texas.

    Rum-Punch Drunk, electricity can do funny things sometimes and jump places you don't expect it to.

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  5. I was down on the Texas/Mexican border when a truck with what looked liked turnips turned in front of me. I sped up ... yep... an actual turnip truck. ha!

    It's fun to see other people as curious as I am about whatever.

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    1. Did you see anyone "fall off the turnip truck"? (grin)

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    2. Hahaaaa ... no, that's why I sped up ... had to see if maybe I missed something... sure was a lot of rustling going on though on the bed... hmmm?

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  6. When I noted, "Super Load", in your title, I wondered where this might be going. Anyway..

    I shall duly check out your link. My guess is that it's an extractor tube for the world's largest tumble dryer.

    Y'all have a great rest of your Sunday! You hear?

    Gary :)

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  7. That's a big...whatever! Glad I wasn't on the road when it came through!

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  8. Klahanie and Hermit Jim, maybe it is a gun barrel for the Texas State Troopers to set up on our border (grin). Would come in handy if Texas ever decides to secede. . .

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  9. I too think it's a cracking tower. ( many years ago I did air monitoring in industrial sites). He in PA we have lots huge trucks and equipment going through small towns and back roads due to the natural gas fracking. I am a gawker and enjoy the spectacle. (until I drive into a ditch because I'm not looking at the road)

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    1. Thanks for varifying that it is a cracking tower. That is what I thougt it was.

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