Re: Tugs & Firing Arcs

On Thu, 11 Nov 1999, What else is on this list of things you're not
supposed to tell me? wrote:
> Terrestial trains can be miles long, why couldn't tugs tow
kilometer-long
> strings of barges?

Terrestrial trains have rails to keep them together. They also have 
airbrakes taht activate all along the train length in addition to the 
Dynamic Braking system in the Locos. 

Terrestrial Tugs may tow a set of barges all lashed together, but
usually 
they will push those from the rear where they can use vectored thrust 
(the rudder) to steer them through the water. Space doesn't have the 
hydrodynamic properties of water (a long thin object is happy moving 
sideways as well as straight) so that rear ended unit isn't as effective

in steerage. Think of the physics.

Lash a bunch of castored plates (castors on all four wheels) together
end 
to end with play. Then pull them along. Now slow down suddenly. Good
luck 
getting them all to stop. The Tug is going to have to have a Hard 
connection to those items. Any flexible connection will be a pain in the
ass.

------------------------------------------------------------------
- Ryan Montieth Gill	  NRA / DoD# 0780 (Smug #1) / AMA / SOHC -
- ryan.gill@turner.com	    I speak not for CNN, nor they for me -
- rmgill@mindspring.com 	     www.mindspring.com/~rmgill/ -
- '85 Honda CB700S  -  '72 Honda CB750K  - '76 Chevy MonteCarlo  -
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