Month: January 2022

Australian Road Trains make hauling Cattle very efficient  

Aside Markosun Transportation

A road train or land train is a trucking vehicle of a type used in remote areas of Argentina, Australia, Mexico, the United States, and Canada to move freight efficiently. The term road train is most often used in Australia. In the United States, the terms triples, turnpike doubles, and Rocky Mountain doubles are commonly used for longer combination vehicles (LCVs). A road train has a relatively normal tractor unit, but instead of towing one trailer or semi-trailer, it pulls two or more of them.

Australia has the largest and heaviest road-legal vehicles in the world, with some configurations topping out at close to 200 tonnes (197 long tons; 220 short tons). The majority are between 80 and 120 t (79 and 118 long tons; 88 and 132 short tons).

Double (two-trailer) road train combinations are allowed in most areas of Australia, and within the environs (albeit limited) of Adelaide, South Australia and Perth, Western Australia. A double road train should not be confused with a B-double, which is allowed access to most of the country and in all major cities.

Here is one rolling through a flooded road

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Triple (three-trailer) road trains operate in western New South Wales, western Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, with the last three states also allowing AB-quads (B double with two additional trailers coupled behind). Darwin is the only capital city in the world where triples and quads are allowed to within 1 km (0.62 mi) of the central business district (CBD). Tasmania and Victoria do not allow the operation of road trains on any of their roads. Victoria had previously allowed double road trains to operate around Mildura for the vintage grape harvest.

Strict regulations regarding licensing, registration, weights, and experience apply to all operators of road trains throughout Australia.

Road trains are used for transporting all manner of materials: common examples are livestock, fuel, mineral ores, and general freight. Their cost-effective transport has played a significant part in the economic development of remote areas; some communities are totally reliant on regular service.

The multiple dog-trailers are unhooked, the dollys removed and then connected individually to multiple trucks at “assembly” yards when the road train gets close to populated areas.

When the flat-top trailers of a road train need to be transported empty, it is common practice to stack them. This is commonly referred to as “doubled-up” or “doubling-up”. See illustration. Sometimes, if many trailers are required to be moved at one time, they will be triple-stacked, or “tripled-up”.

Higher Mass Limits (HML) Schemes are now piloting in all jurisdictions in Australia, allowing trucks to carry additional weight.

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Road trains arrives at Helen Springs Cattle Station, north of Tennant Creek NT.

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The cattle are loaded onto the road train for their journey to Longreach QLD.

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The Road Train then leaves on its long trip.

Interesting statistics.    
*There are 17 trucks with 3 trailers and 2 decks per trailer; that’s 102 decks of cattle.

*Approximately 28 cattle per deck; A total of 2,856 head of cattle. 
*The cattle will weigh approximately 500kg each (1102.3 lbs.) 
*The sale price for cattle at Longreach is approx. 165c/kg (75c/lb.) 
*Each animal will therefore be sold at $825. 
*Total revenue from this analysis is $2.356.200 
*TYRES; Each truck has 2 front and 8 rear tyres, first trailer has 12 tyres and is dollied to the truck.

*2nd & 3rd trailers have 8 tyres at the front and 12 at the rear, that’s 20 tyres each. 
*Each truck has 62 tyres, that’s a total of 1.054 on the road. A lot of tyres!!!

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Australian cattle at stockyards in Rockhampton, Queensland.

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Week in pictures: 15 – 21 January 2022

Aside Markosun World

BBC

Ash blankets the Tongan island of Nomuka
Ash blankets the island of Nomuka after an underwater volcano erupted about 40 miles (64km) north of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano sent a tsunami towards the Pacific island nation and was heard as far away as the US.
Commuters on London's Jubilee Line
Commuters travel on the London Underground after government advice to work from home was ended in England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced that face coverings in public places and Covid passports would no longer be compulsory in England from 27 January.
A man pours ice-cold water over himself in Tokyo
A man pours ice-cold water over himself during a purification ritual at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo, Japan. The coming-of-age ceremony welcomes 20-year-olds into adulthood, and honours and pays homage to Daikoku, the deity of fortune.
A man tries to start the engine of a school bus in Scarborough, Canada
A man tries to start the engine of a school bus after heavy snowfall in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
A dog is blessed by a priest in Madrid
A dog is blessed by a priest at the Church of San Anton in Madrid, Spain. The annual tradition marks the feast day of San Anton, the patron saint of animals, and is celebrated throughout the country.
The Wolf Moon rises in Cheshire
The first full Moon of 2022 rises over Mow Cop Folly, in Cheshire. Often referred to as the “Wolf Moon”, it is thought that the name refers to the time of year when wolves are more vocal, ahead of the February breeding season.
People throw printed money in the air at a pop-up museum in Taipei
Visitors throw printed money in the air while getting their photos taken at the Gaki Hip exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan. Interactive installations featuring everyday objects – such as bubble tea, claw-machines and pineapples – aim to encourage visitors to reconsider the definition of Taiwanese culture.
People jump into at pool in Ethiopia
Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers jump into the pool at Fasilides Bath during the celebration of Timkat, the Ethiopian Epiphany, in the city of Gondar.
The Clavie, a burning barrel packed with tar-soaked sticks fixed on the top of a pole in Burghead, Scotland
The Burning of the Clavie ceremony takes place at Doorie Hill in Burghead, Scotland. The centuries-old local tradition, in which a burning barrel packed with tar-soaked sticks is set alight, is usually held on 11 January, but was rescheduled until after restrictions on outdoor events were lifted by the Scottish government.

Horse Filmed Running Between Two Trains in Egypt

Aside Markosun Animals, Bizarre

A wild video out of Egypt shows a horse running along the narrow gap between two trains as one of the locomotives speeds beside it to the astonishment of passengers watching the surreal scene unfold. The hair-raising moment reportedly occurred near the village of Manqbad earlier this month and was captured on video by one of the amazed witnesses. The jaw-dropping footage begins people on the train leaning out their windows and trying to persuade the horse to move away from the tracks as they approach another train that is parked perilously beside them up ahead.

Their urgent cries turn panicked when the daring creature briefly disappears into the darkness between the two locomotives. Moments later, they are amazed to see that the horse is now furiously galloping within the narrow gap between the moving and stationary train. As the death-defying dash lasts for several worrisome seconds in which the slightest misstep could be a disaster for the animal and culminate with wild cheers from the passenger when they finally pass the other locomotive and the horse is free from the predicament seemingly unscathed.

Stirring Historical Photos

Aside Markosun History

Rail Commuters Wearing White Protective Masks, One With The Additional Message “Wear A Mask Or Go To Jail,” During The 1918 Influenza Pandemic In California

Rail Commuters Wearing White Protective Masks, One With The Additional Message “Wear A Mask Or Go To Jail,” During The 1918 Influenza Pandemic In California

 

Cop Stops The Traffic In New York So A Mother Cat Holding A Kitten Can Cross Safely C.1925

Cop Stops The Traffic In New York So A Mother Cat Holding A Kitten Can Cross Safely C.1925

A Beach In Iran A Few Months Before The Islamic Revolution, 1979

A Beach In Iran A Few Months Before The Islamic Revolution, 1979

A French Boy Introduces Himself To Indian Soldiers Who Had Just Arrived In France To Fight Alongside French And British Forces, Marseilles, 30th September 1914. [colorization]

A French Boy Introduces Himself To Indian Soldiers Who Had Just Arrived In France To Fight Alongside French And British Forces, Marseilles, 30th September 1914. [colorization]

West German School Children Pause To Talk With Two East German Border Guards Beside An Opening In The Berlin Wall During The Collapse Of Communism In East Germany In November 1989 (Photo: Stephen Jaffe)

West German School Children Pause To Talk With Two East German Border Guards Beside An Opening In The Berlin Wall During The Collapse Of Communism In East Germany In November 1989 (Photo: Stephen Jaffe)

Max Schreck Relaxing Behind The Scenes Of Nosferatu, 1922

Max Schreck Relaxing Behind The Scenes Of Nosferatu, 1922

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Removing A Burnt Cross From His Front Yard In 1960

Martin Luther King Jr. Removing A Burnt Cross From His Front Yard In 1960

A Young Female Welder Photographed By Bernard Hoffman In Connecticut, Circa 1943.

A Young Female Welder Photographed By Bernard Hoffman In Connecticut, Circa 1943.

 

Mt St Helens The 17th Of May 1980 And 4 Months Later

Mt St Helens The 17th Of May 1980 And 4 Months Later

 

John F. Kennedy Campaigning Door-To-Door In West Virginia (1960)

John F. Kennedy Campaigning Door-To-Door In West Virginia (1960)

Chief Low Dog – An Oglala Lakota Chief Who Fought With Sitting Bull At The Battle Of Little Bighorn, C. 1881

Chief Low Dog - An Oglala Lakota Chief Who Fought With Sitting Bull At The Battle Of Little Bighorn, C. 1881

 

Eiffel Tower Under Construction, July 1888 [colorized]

Eiffel Tower Under Construction, July 1888 [colorized]

Archduke Franz Ferdinand And His Wife Minutes Before Assassination That Would Lead To Ww1, 1914 [colorized]

Archduke Franz Ferdinand And His Wife Minutes Before Assassination That Would Lead To Ww1, 1914 [colorized]

Sports Venues in Strange Places 

Aside Markosun Sports

Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, USA

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The Coeur d’Alene Resort is a luxury resort hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Located on the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, the Coeur d Alene Resort features a marina, convention facilities, spa, as well as a notable 18-hole golf course. The hotel has 338 rooms and suites, and its main tower has 18 floors.

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Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course in Idaho is best known for its par-3 14th hole, which features the only movable island green in the world. Built on a barge on submerged tracks, the green is moved daily by computer and distance can range from 95 to 200 yards (87-183m).

Water taxis transport golfers to the hole, which can moved to change the difficulty of the shot (you have to swing from the mainland).

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Tennis Court at Burj Al Arab, United Arab Emirates

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The world’s highest tennis court stands atop the fourth highest hotel in the world – Burj al-Arab at Dubai. The tennis court is circular in shape and when no session is at play, it doubles as a helipad. 

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The exact height of the tennis court is not known, but the hotel is 321 m (1,053 feet) tall and the court is located very near the top.

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In 2005, when Roger Federer and Andre Agassi were at Dubai for a tournament, they were invited to play a few rounds at the Burj’s helipad-converted-tennis court.

Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.

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Ski Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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An indoor ski resort in the middle of the desert? Yes, that’s weird. Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square meters (27,000 sq yds) of indoor ski area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties, which also operates the Mall of the Emirates.

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Opened in November 2005, the indoor resort features an 85-meter-high (280ft) indoor mountain with 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty, including a 400-metre-long (1,300ft) run, the world’s first indoor black run, and various features (boxes, rails, kickers) that are changed on a regular basis. A quad lift and a tow lift carry skiers and snowboarders up the mountain. 

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Adjoining the slopes is a 3,000-square-metre (3,590 sq yds) Snow Park play area comprising sled and toboggan runs, an icy body slide, climbing towers, giant snowballs and an ice cave.

Ski Dubai is also home to a number of penguins who come out to play several times a day. Penguin encounters can be booked, allowing the public to interact directly with the penguins. Winter clothing, ski and snowboard equipment are included in the price of admission.

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An extremely efficient insulation system helps the facility maintain a temperature of −1 °C during the day and −6 °C at night when the snow is produced.

Rooftop Mini Football Pitch, Japan

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There’s no beating the location of this singularly picturesque football (soccer) pitch: it sits atop the Tokyu Tokyo department store, right next to Shibuya Station.

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Adidas Futsal Park opened in 2001, in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup that Japan and South Korea co-hosted the following year, and it’s been doing a strong trade ever since.

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Sir Christopher Lee

Aside Markosun Celebrities

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor, author, and singer. With a career spanning nearly seven decades, Lee was well known for portraying villains, gaining recognition for appearing as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films—ultimately playing the role nine times in total. His other film roles include Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in the Star Wars films Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), and Saruman in both the Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and the Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014).

Lee was known for his imposing height: he was 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall. On BBC Radio’s Test Match Special “View from the Boundary” interview with Brian Johnston on 20 June 1987, Lee described himself as 6 ft 4 in tall. Lee and his wife Birgit were listed among the fifty best-dressed over 50s by the Guardian in March 2013.

Lee identified as an Anglo-Catholic Christian. Politically, Lee supported the Conservative Party. He described Michael Howard as “the ideal person to lead the party” in 2003, and also supported William Hague and David Cameron.

Lee served in the British Intelligence Corps during the Second World War.

Slawburgers and Possum Sacks

Aside Markosun Food, Music

Nine Pound Hammer is an American cowpunk band formed in 1985 by vocalist Scott Luallen and guitarist Blaine Cartwright (later of Nashville Pussy) in their hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky. Though not recorded until 1988, the band were one of the initial wave of acts to combine the roots sound of country music with punk rock, and became a forerunner to subsequent roots-punk artists.

Chicken Box, corn dog, hot grits, pecan logs, watermelon, pigs feet, fried squirrel, head cheese.
Pork brains, sweet tea, hamhocks, butter beans, chopped mutton, bugoo, bananner puddin, Yoo-Hoo!

Run fat boy, run! Run fat boy, run! [2x]

Frog’s legs, funnel cake, fatback, Ale-8, spare ribs, bar-b-q, moon pies, Mountain Dew. Cornbread, Texas Pete, Duck-n-Dumplings, jowels with teeth. Buttered biscuits, Little Debbies, Bunny Bread, whistleberries!

Run fat boy, run! Run fat boy, run![2x]

Collard greens, gumbo, steak fries, Ho-Ho’s, catfish, candied yams, deviled eggs, country ham. Slawburger, fried pies, sweet potatoes, pork rinds, possum sack, deer meat, neck roast, sugarbeets. Whipped taters, rabbit stew, goat nuts, Goo Goos. Breakfast bar, Meat-n-3, feedin’ time, Let’s Eat!

Hungry now?