So I mentioned in an earlier post that my kids had dubbed my 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix “the big ride”.

Well, speaking of big rides, how about this?

So, you didn’t think all that crap from China just appeared like magic on the shelves of your neighborhood Wal-Mart, did you?

The crew-size: 13 people on a ship longer than a US aircraft carrier (which

        Has a crew of 5,000).

        Notice that 207′ beam means it cannot fit through the Panama or Suez Canals .

                     It is strictly transpacific. Cruise speed: 31 knots.

        The goods arrive 4 days before the typical container ship (18-20 knots) on

        a China -to- California run. So this behemoth is hugely competitive when

                                     Carrying perishable goods.

                The ship was built in five sections. The sections floated together and

                Then  welded.

                The command bridge is higher than a 10-story building and has 11

                Cargo crane rigs that can operate simultaneously.

Of course, getting the goods across the wide Pacific is only half the battle.  To take things the rest of the way, you need this:

That’s not just any train, that’s a 3.5 mile long “megatrain”.

Earlier this year, Union Pacific quietly ran a record-setting “monster” freight train over its Sunset Route, from Dallas to Long Beach, using the 3.5-mile-long behemoth during a one-time test of new distributed-power configurations that may help make long trains even longer. Distributed-power units (DPUs) are extra locomotives that are placed between or behind freight cars on very long trains to help them haul long, heavy loads without derailing.

Can you imagine being stuck at a crossing waiting for that puppy to pass?  Hell, you don’t have to imagine it, just check out his video–impressive!