SEABROOK - If the weather cooperates, a 600,000-pound transformer will begin its 43-mile journey from Seabrook Harbor to the electric company's Scobie Pond facility in Londonderry, N.H., tonight around 8.
The transformer is suspended above the ground on a quarter million-pound saddle held aloft between two, 12-axle trailers. The load is so heavy that it will be pulled by one huge 93,000-pound tractor and pushed by another the same size. Together, the entire rig tips the scale at more than 1.1 million pounds.
Since it landed at Seabrook's dock on Monday, Nov. 12, the transformer and its companion transport equipment have attracted a good number of visitors, in addition to the crew from Marino Crane - the Connecticut company hired by Public Service of New Hampshire to make the epic journey. Yesterday, Seabrook Town Manager Scott Dunn dropped by to see how things were coming along, as did Kevin Shaw of Dover, N.H.
"We were here yesterday collecting shells at the beach when I saw it," Shaw said. "I had to come back to find out what it was. That's phenomenal. I've never seen anything with 202 tires before. There's actually 202; I counted them."
Shaw hopes to be around when the behemoth transformer and its carrier entourage starts down Route 1A to Salisbury on the first leg of its four-day trip to Londonderry. It will go to Salisbury to access Interstate 95 north to Route 107 in Seabrook to make its trek west.
Except for the Thanksgiving holiday and a bit of bad weather, construction of the enormous rig around the transformer went smoothly. Rick Cortez of Marino Crane said the transformer is suspended between the two trailers on a saddle to keep it as low to the ground as possible as it travels the mostly secondary roads along the route.
The rig can't be too high, Cortez said, or it won't make it under utility wires that crisscross roads on its path such as Route 1A, also known as Salisbury's North End Boulevard, which is also heavily congested with homes.
"It needs to ride pretty low until it gets to a crown in the road," Cortez said. "When that comes up, we'll raise the transformer (with the rig's hydraulic system)."
The 17-foot-high, 18-foot-wide, and nearly 300-foot-long rig will take up most of the width of North End Boulevard, Cortez said. Personnel from National Grid were at Seabrook Harbor yesterday talking to Cortez and checking out wiring along the Massachusetts roadways between Seabrook and I-95.
Cortez said good vantage points to watch the heavy load in progress are the rest areas on I-95. It will past those sometime late tonight or early tomorrow morning. Traveling only at night to avoid causing traffic jams, the entourage will move very about 2 to 3 mph, Cortez said. At least three of Marino Crane's technicians will be walking beside it making sure all is well. Turns in particular will be interesting to watch, Cortez said.
"All the axles (on the trailers) are independent of each other. They have independent suspensions," Cortez said. "(To turn corners) front axles will be turning while others in the back will still be moving (straight) forward."
Along with the two tractors to pull and push the load along its way, Marino Crane has a third to add extra muscle when needed. The third tractor might be added to push the transformer as it travels up hills - like I-95's Exit 1 ramp.
In addition to the rig and extra tractor, Cortez said there will be many people following the rig to handle anything that comes along, like small bridges that have to be have temporary reinforcing ramps to bear the load.
"Aside from the transformer and rig, there's going to be a long, long chain of people behind this," he said.
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The transformer's travel itinerary for tonight's eight-mile leg of its journey. It could change according to weather or need.
* Tonight from about 8 to tomorrow about 4 a.m. - Leaves Seabrook harbor via Route 1A through Salisbury up to Route 1 North, Toll Road to Interstate 95 northbound, to Exit 1 in Seabrook. It will then cross the median strip and drive the additional mile heading north on I-95 southbound. It will exit I-95, again going the wrong way, up Exit 1 onto Route 107. Once on Route 107, it will pull into Yankee Greyhound Racing Park to lay over.
