Ube private highway and "truck trains"

[bikkuri bahn]

Official video including drone footage by Ube Industries, of their private highway, the longest in Japan.  Used by heavy trucks hauling double trailers transporting clinker from a cement plant to port.  The trucks are required to have an output of at least 500hp.

 

[katoftw]

Well that was interesting.

 

I noticed a few on and off ramps though. Staff entry for private vehicles?

[Sheffie]

Do they still run road trains in Australia? I seem to remember those having more than two trailers 

[Kiha66]

I vaguely remember something about a JNR line getting washed out, as well as the labor strikes on the railway lead to the company deciding that building their own private highway was preferable to being reliant on the railroad.  Elsewhere in Japan there's a five mile conveyor belt that replaced the railway in a similar situation.

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/美祢線

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/宇部線

[bill937ca]

Another private highway video.

 

 

[katoftw]

  On 9/25/2019 at 12:40 PM, Sheffie said:

Do they still run road trains in Australia? I seem to remember those having more than two trailers 

Expand  

Yup.  Very common for the remote inland areas.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

Here's how it's done in Australia.

 

 

[chadbag]

More US style trucks.  That was interesting.  Thanks

 

[Nick_Burman]

  On 9/25/2019 at 9:17 AM, katoftw said:

Well that was interesting.

 

I noticed a few on and off ramps though. Staff entry for private vehicles?

Expand  

 

For the time being yes, however I suspect that the road was designed to revert to the highway authority once the concession runs out (or Ube looses interest or the need for it). So the road must have been built with full integration into the local road system in mind, with ramps, toll booth areas, etc...

 

However, I wonder, why not a railway?

 

Cheers NB

Edited September 27, 2019 by Nick_Burman

[Sheffie]

I suspect you may have answered your own question. I imagine that it’s easier to sell a road that’s no longer needed than it is to sell a railway line. And the resale value of the road must be a factor in calculating the overall cost. 

[Jimbo]

interesting,, Japanese KWs !! Impressive to say the least, A drivers dream no traffic no cops!!   Looks like they are running governors due their slow speeds?? an what no engine brakes?? 

[Nick_Burman]

  On 2/23/2020 at 11:21 PM, Jimbo said:

Japanese KWs

Expand  

 

I suspect they are in fact made in Australia.

 

Cheers NB

[Jimbo]

  On 2/24/2020 at 9:44 AM, Nick_Burman said:

 

I suspect they are in fact made in Australia.

 

Cheers NB

Expand  

that would be my guess  also, due to the right hand drive??

[Nick_Burman]

  On 2/24/2020 at 7:42 PM, Jimbo said:

that would be my guess  also, due to the right hand drive??

Expand  

 

Exactly. AFAIK Kenilworth has a plant in Australia.

 

Cheers Nicholas