Thursday, August 10, 2023

Watson Triple Header

 Transport Watson of Beloeil, QC, the over size specialists are well known in Halifax as regular loaders of airplane componenents that arrive from Europe by ship. Their trucks had a distinctive red colour scheme with "Watson" in blue, but that has changed a bit in the last year or so since the company was taken over by QSL (Quebec Stevedoring Ltd). They are now just plain red, but even so are usually very clean looking.

Today there were three Watson trucks in Halifax and they were unsual in a couple of respects. First, and most obvious, was that they were Freightliner COEs - a rare sight these days as engine forward trucks are the norm. In fact Freightliner has not produced COEs, (called the Argosy model) officially, since 2020 and even then they sold only glider kits for North America. The customer had to supply and install the engine and drivetrain.

The second point was that the trucks were transporting long steel tubular shapes. I don't say pipes, because they may be structural components for wind turbine towers or some other use. Watson has often carried components to the cement plant in Port Daniel - Gascons, QC.

 

Leading the parade was Watson W6883 with two tubes on an extended flat deck.

The trucks had some nice features, including fairings over the fuel tanks and "low rise" roof.

Next was W6881:

A nearly identical unit, it had a different arrangement of clearance lights on the windshield visor. It was hauling two tubes as far as I could see. 

Third in line was W6884, with three tubes on its extended flatdeck.



I guess because they were not over wide, they were able to exit the Fairvew Cove container terminal and head straight for the highway, without pilot cars. With the COEs they were under the 75 foot length limit - hard to tell...



No comments:

Post a Comment