# Australian Road Trains **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364 "2004-08-25T00:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/1 "2004-08-25T00:24:00Z")
Australian Road Trains are very l-o-n-g semi tractor-trailer rigs, (i.e. one semi and lots and lots of trailers.) It’s also legal there. How many trailers can these trucks actually pull at one time? Are there any other places in the world that legally operates road trains? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/2 "2004-08-25T01:10:47Z")
A typical road train consists of a prime mover and three trailers, but up to six trailers would not be unusual in mining areas where ore is being moved. The record is a prime mover and 87 trailers, but that was not assembled or used for commercial purposes. It did, however, travel 8km. Road trains are not allowed into cities (for obvious reasons). They stop at depots some distance away from the cities where the trailers are separated for delivery to their final destinations. ---
**Author:** ![AlternateEagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a587f6/32.png) [@AlternateEagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlternateEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/3 "2004-08-25T01:24:56Z")
ANd they are a fairly amazing site to see when they have a few trailers behind them. They rocket past and you honestly sometimes are happy you have the brown undies on Alternate Eagle [http://www.AlternateEagles.com](http://www.AlternateEagles.com) ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/4 "2004-08-25T01:44:17Z")
There were one or maybe two road trains in an Aussie (made for tv ?) shown in the US several years ago. Title was “East of Eden” Not to be confused with an Americal book and movie of the same name. Would like to get a VHS tape or DVD just to see the fantastic sight of the road train roaring by again! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/5 "2004-08-25T03:14:26Z")
I’ve only ever seen a few road trains on the road in Australia, and that was during a drive in western New South Wales, about 500 miles west of Sydney. The ones i saw all had three trailers. They were generally carrying livestock, and looked something like [this](http://www.vpohl.de/volker_unterwegs/australien/images/road_train.jpg). Further out, lots of road trains carry fuel or other chemical supplies needed by farmers, as well as mining-related stuff like ore. Here are some pictures of bigger road trains: [1](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/harry.wickens/australia/AUSTRALIA-16a.jpg) [2](http://www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~wwwasph/pictures/rdtrain.jpg) [3](http://www.truckweb.ca/images/Europe/Volvo_RoadTrain.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/6 "2004-08-25T03:16:16Z")
BTW, **AlternateEagle** : Manly sucks. mhendo North Sydney Bears supporter (RIP) ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/7 "2004-08-25T03:40:00Z")
I saw a road train (3 trailers) about 2 decades ago, while my family was driving across Idaho. It might have been an experimental train, as I’ve never seen one before or since. ---
**Author:** ![AlternateEagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a587f6/32.png) [@AlternateEagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlternateEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/8 "2004-08-25T03:49:48Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > BTW, **AlternateEagle** : > > Manly sucks. > > mhendo > North Sydney Bears supporter (RIP) ha ha suck the Sea Eagles may but. NSB - Dead NSB premier League - Dead Last die hard Sea Eagle supporter. did you make the game on Sunday at NSO? ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/9 "2004-08-25T04:27:36Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > There were one or maybe two road trains in an Aussie (made for tv ?) shown in the US several years ago. Title was “East of Eden” Not to be confused with an Americal book and movie of the same name. Would like to get a VHS tape or DVD just to see the fantastic sight of the road train roaring by again! * * * The first time I saw Aussie Road Trains on television was a couple of years ago on a National Geographic Special. They’re really something, aren’t they!! ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/10 "2004-08-25T04:28:28Z")
Not in Australia, but I occasionally see three trailers behind a highway tractor here (Saskatchewan). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/11 "2004-08-25T04:30:59Z")
> [@AlternateEagle](#): > > die hard Sea Eagle supporter. did you make the game on Sunday at NSO? Did you see my location? North Sydney Oval is a bit far from here. ---
**Author:** ![AlternateEagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a587f6/32.png) [@AlternateEagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlternateEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/12 "2004-08-25T04:52:06Z")
no didnt look at your location oops :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/13 "2004-08-25T05:19:14Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > There were one or maybe two road trains in an Aussie (made for tv ?) shown in the US several years ago. Title was “East of Eden” Not to be confused with an Americal book and movie of the same name. Would like to get a VHS tape or DVD just to see the fantastic sight of the road train roaring by again! I think you may be referring to _Return to Eden_ **springears** , a mini series made in 1985 starring Rebecca Gilling and James Reyne. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/14 "2004-08-25T05:44:40Z")
Just to add that I live near the Port of Fremantle, and would regularly see a prime mover towing _two_ trailers in or out of the Port (which is in a very urban area), but never _three_. Easy, then, to guess what the limit on numbers of trailers is in urban areas. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/15 "2004-08-25T05:51:38Z")
I drove out West extensively in 1991-92 and saw plenty of triple-loaders, esp. in Montana and North Dakota. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-road-trains/261364/16 "2004-08-25T11:18:59Z")
> [@jastu](#): > > I think you may be referring to _Return to Eden_ **springears** , a mini series made in 1985 starring Rebecca Gilling and James Reyne. Thanks, Jastu. I had it close but no cigar. Do you know if it is availabe on VHS/DVD? Email reply.