That's because they are. Just go to http://www.railpictures.net/ and search for Boeing 737 in the Keyword Search box. You will get back 26 pictures. They are made in the Boeing factory in Wichita, KS and are bound for the Boeing factory in Renton, WA. They will be assembled there.
Gil, known as Bill somedays ...
Where ever you go, there you are !
In '06 I encountered the carcass' of a Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger and a razorback Republic P-47 "Jug" being transported east to New Jersey aboard a trio of flatbeds. These were obviously lacking airworthyness certificates.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Hey Poeet, couldn't they use giant slingshots?
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Mike Kieran
Port Able Railway
I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.
Mike Kieran Hey Poeet, couldn't they use giant slingshots?
Lawn darts anyone..???
John
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HEY! GUESS WHAT I FOUND ON GOOGLE!
[quote user= "Caption"]Aircraft at the isolated Plant No. 1 had to be assembled during construction, taken apart, traansported to an airfield, reassembled, and test flown. Then they were either taken apart again and finally moved to the waiting customer or just flown to the customer[/quote] Source
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Hey is that the new F-35 Raptor that the Canadian Air force is getting??? I did hear there were delays in shipping from the plant.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
There was a shortage of rubber bands for the props, but I heard that they're on their way. There maybe some kids with problems with their braces
Answer: because it wouldn't fit in a caboose?
I seriously doubt one owuld be able to name one thing that has not been shipped my train. Years a go I was in Arizona waiting at an intersection with a buddy on our motorcycles and a flatbed tractor trailer goes through the intersection we were at with the fuselage of a B-24 and a pair of wings strapped to it's side. Of course being some what of an aviation buff and having a sense of curiosity that has often gotten me in trouble from time to time my friend and I decided to follow it. So after a few miles the driver pulls in to a rest area and the two of us along with maybe 4 or 5 other overly curious followers walked up tot he guys truck to have a look see. He laughed and said this thing is like an ice cream truck for grown men. Every time I stop when i carry one of these a flock of guys come around. He told us he was headed to a rail yard as the plane was going to California to be restored.Why not drive it, who knows maybe it was cheaper by rail I don't really know but the driver told us this wasn't the first old plane he had taken to the rail yard.
Not true gang.
The De Havilland Beaver and Otters were both shipped by rail since their manufacture began in 1947 at the Downsview (Toronto) plant. The reason, they didn't have the range to fly over oceans so were tested, disassembled to major components, crated, shipped by rail to pacific coast or Atlantic coast ports where they were shipped by vessel to foreign ports. There is a great article in CN Lines, Volume 10, #2 about the process.
Cheers,Kim ZutersOttawa, Ontario, Canada, Terra, Sol, . . .
papasmurf Not unusual, as NASA had several shuttle components shipped via rail, which were just small enough to fit through all rail line tunnels. My 2 cents. TTFN....Old Tom aka papasmurf in NH
Not unusual, as NASA had several shuttle components shipped via rail, which were just small enough to fit through all rail line tunnels. My 2 cents. TTFN....Old Tom aka papasmurf in NH
I know this because it derailed on a short line near my house.
Samuel A. Kelly
I can draw pictures with my keyboard!
-------- ( It's a worm)
It's kinda like saying 'why do they ship automobiles by rail, when they could just drive them to where they're going?'.
If the planes could fly themselves, it would make sense. You'd have to hire a pilot to fly the plane to where it was to go, plus pay his expenses (hotel stays, meals, train or plane tickets back home) plus fuel for the plane to get there. If you sell a lot of planes, that's a lot of money with pilots constantly in transit.
It would pretty soon be clear I think that it would be easier and cheaper to just ship it by rail. Plus of course the manufacturer would have to take the loss if anything happened to a plane in transit, whereas if a plane was damaged on a train, the railroad would be liable.
Hey! Just noticed. Welcome to the forum Kim Zuters.
Why would someone ship an airplane by flatcar? Because it's too difficult to unload one from a gondola with a forklift.
Of course, those 737 fuselage assemblies are taken off the car with overhead cranes.
Taking the wings off a small, general aviation aircraft usually involves disconnecting control and electric cables and fuel lines, then removing a couple of bolts. Reassembly is well within the capabilities of an airframe mechanic, and the facility's chief mechanic/inspector can certify airworthiness with a stamp and signature on the appropriate form. Paying a pilot, and eating up engine hours, would cost a lot more.
Chuck (Former USAF QC inspector modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
In the mid 80s five F-8 Crusader hulks were shipped from the Arizona airplane graveyards to the Vought aircraft plant in Grand Prairie, TX on flat cars. The fuselages were shipped separately from the wings; all were well packed in wooden forms. At Vought, they were remanufactured into a variant of the A7 which was to enter into a competition with the F16 for a new Air Force ground attack fighter (which Vought lost). I have pictures of these on the flat cars, somewhere....
I'm guessing that the same procedure was used to transport F8s to Grand Prairire to create the numerous A7s that were built in the 60's for the Navy and the Air Force for use in Vietnam.
jwhitten Mike Kieran: Hey Poeet, couldn't they use giant slingshots? Lawn darts anyone..??? John
Mike Kieran: Hey Poeet, couldn't they use giant slingshots?
Well it's no wonder how the Starfighter got it's nickname if that's how they were shipping them.