739 going for a train ride

[RideTheWind]

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/commercial/737900-04.html

 

[secks]

Boeing hi-wides. They're a real pain to move. Since the freight is so valuable, extra care must be taken to ensure that it is not damaged during transport. At certain points along the route where clearance is at a minimum (tight curves, bridges, overpasses, etc.), the train rolls along at a crawl under the watchful eye of a spotter (the conductor on a 2 man crew). The idea behind this is to ensure that the load doesn't rock or sway and to avoid catastrophe if the load shifted earlier on the trip. This always struck me as being overcautious, since these loads pass through the same areas thousands of times. Also, sometimes the train is not allowed to meet any other trains in certain sections of track, so this can cause extreme delays. Crews love that.

 

[Pugh]

I heard the locals like to use the fuselages as target practice, and some parts end up with bullet holes that have to be repaired by Boeing. Any truth to this?

 

[sqwkvfr]

I heard the locals like to use the fuselages as target practice, and some parts end up with bullet holes that have to be repaired by Boeing. Any truth to this?

You've gotta be kidding me. Where is that?