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Discussion: Trains and Road Trains
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byates |
Trains and Road Trains
Aug 23 2008, 9:02 PM EDT
Trains, trains are hybrid vehicles, they use a diesel engine to turn a generator/alternator which provides power to the traction motors that drive the train. Road trains, or triples are semi-tractors pulling multiple trailer. Much harder to handle than the single trailer rigs, but much more fuel efficient per pound moved. Do you find this valuable?
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TheInventor |
1. RE: Trains and Road Trains
Dec 15 2008, 11:51 AM EST
That is somewhat debatable. I'm assuming you're suggesting that a semi hauling a royal rearload of trailers behind them could be used in a Z-day scenario. Not so fast. Assuming you could actually manage to attach the rigs to each other safely and had the fuel for a semi, which will be quite difficult in a Z-day situation, you need to consider practicality.Sure, a semi train would be nigh impossible to stop by a lone raider, and against a small crowd of zombies should prove nearly impervious, but how do you plan on manuevering this mammoth construct in a Z-day enviroment? Most major roads anywhere near any city will be absolutely clogged with derelict vehicles and some will be all but unnavigatable. Assuming you intent to power through by just pushing cars out of the way, you're making a big mistake. This approach will cause serious, possibly fatal, damage to your vehicle, which will prove dangerous in the long run. In addition, your semi's engine, already overtaxed from the numerous trailers it's hauling, will be unable to shoulder it's way through all but the clearest of roads without burning out. Also consider the danger of attracting so much attention. A semi-train will be a honking, chugging dinner bell for zombies many miles in every direction, and every bandit and their grandma will see you and come after you. Do you really think you can fend all that opposition off? Finally, what on earth do you plan on transporting that requires even *one* semi to carry, let alone a semi-train? Why not simply divide it up between a number of smaller vehicles, like trucks or sedans? Or better yet, pack lighter. Even the largest of suvival groups wouldn't need a semi to carry their combined gear. The only scenario I can see this being practical in is to traverse great expanses of desert, but even then, the fuel economy could prove fatal. At least, that's my opinion. Do you find this valuable? |
brandon_a_boyer |
2. RE: Trains and Road Trains
Dec 15 2008, 12:35 PM EST
build a large angled scoop on the front, like they used to do for cattle on trains.
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byates |
3. RE: Trains and Road Trains
Dec 15 2008, 1:24 PM EST
Note that I was not recommending it, but describing the difference between a road train and a train.The economy would be better than multiple smaller vehicles hauling the same cargo. Say it got 5mpg and hauled 50 tons of cargo. Say you had a compact vehicle that got 50mpg and had a one ton capacity. It would take 50 of them to haul the same cargo load giving a combined mpg of 1. Plus you would need extra drivers and co-drivers. Do you find this valuable? |
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JBQuigs |
4. RE: Trains and Road Trains
Mar 23 2009, 2:38 PM EDT
If the group of 'survivors' was big enough, it might be worth it for moving great distances.I guess the plan would be: Put the smaller vehicles inside the big rig, then unload them when the gas runs out, but then the vehicles are vulnerable to becoming trapped in the big rig. I'm thinking, make a BIG bomb, put it into the truck, then set the cruise control to send it into a horde of zeds, or a city over-run by them. Recommended to bring a cam to record the awesome explosion. But this is just for the person who wants to blow things up just for the hell of it, it's by no means a viable survival scheme. Do you find this valuable? |
inu-dude25 |
5. RE: Trains and Road Trains
Mar 23 2009, 6:26 PM EDT
The road train is just meant as a way to save fuel. Instead of using four semi's to haul four trailers, you use one semi to haul them all. It is good on fuel and you only need one driver, but you need one good driver. Also, the road trains aren't exactly manevuerable. You need to arm the shit out of the front end so that you can just keep barreling forward, because you aren't backing up and pulling a three pointer. If you have the materials and resources that require several containers for transporting it all, then a road train could be a very sensible option for you. One thing you could use a road train for would be for serving as a guntruck, multiple armored trailers hauled by a heavily armored rig.
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