88 wheeled vehicle manoeuvres through village as police escort 178t transformer

A 178 tonne transformer is suspended between two trailers as it is transported to a substation near Ipswich, UK. The oversized load prompts the road to be closed by police and street furniture to be removed.
Part I: • Mega load crawls throu...
Allelys transported the supergrid transformer cradled within a girder frame trailer, pulled and pushed by two MAN TGX tractors. The combination totalled 60 metres in length with a weight of 290 tonnes overall. The load itself weighed 178 tonnes. The transformer was being delivered to the National Grid Bramford 400kV Substation outside of Ipswich.
Suffolk County Council, road maintenance teams, and utility companies assisted with the movement of the wide load. Street furniture had to be moved and roads closed. Traffic was disrupted as a result.
Suffolk & Norfolk Police Roads & Armed Policing Team (RAPT) escorted the abnormal load from Ipswich to Bramford. Several police cars and motorcycles were used to shut down roads as the abnormal load moved. A Tesla police vehicle led the escort.
Read more: www.heavyliftn...
Recorded: January 5th, 2025
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Outroduction Music: Watch it Glow - Silent Partner • Watch it Glow - Silent...
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[@CobraEmergency]

Part I: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHmvmXlqf7qkq5I Read more: www.heavyliftnews.com/national-grid-welcomes-new-delivery-by-allelys-at-the-bramford-400kv-substation/

[@Gary-V16]

Does every Tesla have to have its own transformer following, is that a charging thang?

[@bryanwarm2471]

Yeah, that's a charger. But this is just the standard garage charger. Next week they will be trying to move the quick charger.

[@northstar1950]

@Gary-V16, if they leave those beacons on to long the battery will be flat anyway.

[@philsouster7221]

So when we all go green, the vehicle battery needed to transport something like this will probably be a greater weight than what it's transporting!

[@aisha2370]

Meeting the driver would be an interesting. 🤓 What an incredible driver. Or should I say, the drivers. What a team effort.

[@Ronn-p3r]

Yeah!! Awesome show today Man!! Thanks again Cobra.

[@laratheplanespotter]

I clicked on this by mistake but I’m not mad about it. Interesting video thank you! I watched all of it.

[@CobraEmergency]

Hey, that's awesome! They're pretty interesting and unusual moves. Thanks for watching. Plane spotting is cool too!

[@LewiH9]

Hold the convoy, we've run out of battery!

[@RaymondFunnell-bs1wl]

Those Allelys guys are brilliant

[@charliegould7829]

88 wheeled vehicle??? There are 19 axles with 4 wheels per axle (you can just make out the number of wheels on the front axle of the trailer) meaning 36 wheels on 1 side of a trailer. So theres 72 wheels on the front trailer, if you double that to include both trailers it adds up to 144 wheels in total on the two trailers. Then of course theres the 2 tractor units, they have 4 axles and appear to have single wheels each end of their axles, so 8 wheels per tractor giving 16 wheels on the tractors, the total number of wheels for the whole set up is 160. It would take all day to check those tyre pressures! Those trailers are amazing when you see them in action, all the wheels are steerable and the axles can be adjusted for height to keep things level. A real piece of mechanical genius.

[@adam74832]

Wow! It's always very interesting to see this, and how they manoeuvre through the small village!

[@kaushikghosh257]

Thanks for flimjng this fantastic vedio, in the pouring rain! Hope you didn't get too wet!

[@CobraEmergency]

I did! Haha! But it was worth it. Thank you!

[@speedysmoke]

Holy wow! 😮 Thanks Cobra looks like they're going about 7mph. What a contraption. Big $ to do that

[@erickimla8222]

Absolutely Ousome Video 👏🏾👏🏾👊🏾👊🏾👍🏼👍🏼

[@mali9947]

Hello your videos are incredible to watch on KZbin keep it up don't give up making awesome video

[@lindaj5492]

Can’t imagine any of those skilled drivers even thinking of holding a mobile whilst driving 😂

[@bryanwarm2471]

Why not? If they can hold that transformer, then a cell phone is nothing.

[@sandymcghee3328]

Cracking video as always 👍👍👍

[@robertallen3441]

One of the cabs on the bogies looked like a JCB Fastrac cab, the other end had a bog standard cabcraft cab.

[@cammieg4381]

Thanks for the vid Cobra! 👍I hope your ears healed after all that screeching! LOL

[@CobraEmergency]

Thanks Cammie! I can hear it in my sleep. 😵‍💫

[@keithsimpson4973]

National grid is spending £58 billion on upgrading the power grid so you can boil your kettle

[@lindaj5492]

14:35 Perfectly steered so dolly didn’t even go up onto the kerb 👏👏👏👏

[@geraintwiggins9860]

Excellent videos as always, but where do you find out about all these ‘monster’ moves?

[@Kerrison01_01]

Reminds me of the times the circus arrived in Essex.. right outside my house! 😮 🎪

[@fredmargerum1486]

You were stood next to me at Bullen lane junction. Managed to get me on camera too and my van 😂

[@CobraEmergency]

Ooh, haha! Guess you're famous now. 😂

[@thepymes]

Great video! Hinckley Point C would be another good place to get footage of more abnormal load deliveries!! ;0)

[@CobraEmergency]

Thank you! Ah yes, that's just by Bridgewater. I filmed a transformer transport out that way a few years back. Is there much going on there at the moment? Thank you!

[@thepymes]

@@CobraEmergency Yeah, the dome is on the reactor hall and the roof is on the Turbine Hall, so they have begun fitting the primary equipment such as the Generators, etc.

[@dominicriley4945]

Where was the Transformer built ?

[@JamesMiller-fz9ty]

Noticed the cradle/crib/unit used to belong to Mammoet from the Nederlands.

[@CobraEmergency]

That's right, yeah. Up until recently, they did a lot of abnormal load movements in the UK. Allelys then brought their equipment. Including their Girder Frame trailers and Trojan trucks that were once Abnormal Load Engineering (ALE).

[@lindaj5492]

Wonder whether that huge weight damages the infrastructure under the road surface? Any reports of problems with sewer or water pipes after such transportations?

[@CobraEmergency]

That's why it takes such an unusual route. They spend weeks, months, and in some cases, years, surveying, planning, and preparing for such movements. There's been incidents in the past with heavy moves around the world, which is why there are more permits and requirements. I'm not aware of incidents specifically affecting pipes, though. But they are considered. I know some movements have had to avoid underground tunnels and bridges before.

[@rhock1979]

Just wondering do they (company who is carrying they heavy weight) need a escorts to get back base or they can manage to get back by them self? If so how do they able do this

[@CobraEmergency]

The girder frame trailer splits into two pieces, and both tractor vehicles pull them separately. The girder frame is also extendable and can be reduced to fit within a lane easier. They still have an escort due to their size, but the company handles their own escort using vans, which suffices on most trunk roads.

[@CobraEmergency]

Picture if you're interested: facebook.com/share/p/1ERE1aHzB1/

[@01jvb]

You seem to have a problem pronouncing Allelys ! It's 'Al-e-lees' !

[@graememckay9972]

There's more than 88 wheels. Each axle on the dolly has 8 wheels. 2 tractors 8 wheels each = 16 + 2 dolly's with 9 x8 = 160 wheels. I failed maths so I'm probably wrong

[@graememckay9972]

I wonder how much those moves cost and if they have to pay for the police escort as part of the permitting.

[@fredmargerum1486]

Those moves cost an awful lot. Each Police officer is paid for by the hour, By the haulier. It's included in the cost of the move. Also all the other agencies involved have to be paid for individually too.

[@kaushikghosh257]

Also hoping for some good old emergency vehicles, British ones, that would be cool!

[@CobraEmergency]

Yeah not many old ones in this video! Quite new actually. I always like seeing oldies though.

[@SebastianWarth]

I Love MAN!!

[@Roy-in-U.K.]

Do the boys on the bikes still get the little brown en envelope as a thank you! It was always a nice reward for working your arse off in the wet!🤫😎🇬🇧

[@jonathanpringle8238]

all emergency vehicles should be petrol or diesel, electric only is a very bad idea

[@fredmargerum1486]

Actually for the abnormal load escorting duties that Tesla is ideal. 330 mile range and a fairly high top speed when required. It's kept busy escorting loads into Sizewell. Several loads a week. During the power station construction.

[@ryannash2536]

What Kind Of Transformer Is It ?

[@CobraEmergency]

Supergrid transformer for the Bramford 400kV substation outside Ipswich. To give it more capacity for lower or higher power voltage to homes and businesses.

[@ryannash2536]

Thanks For Reminding Me

[@john1703]

Very large

[@ryannash2536]

How Heavy Was The Transformer

[@zainbryant377]

DECEPTICON kills

[@UTTPCHICKENNUGGET]

Yummy

[@jamiejones6994]

What was the reason for not just using a regular flatbed that hauls heavy or landoll? Just seems like quite a bit of overkill

[@tonys1636]

Total weight and the maximum tonnes per axle allowed for the road, the reason that weight limits are on some roads and bridges. A truck tyre footprint is just a bit larger than a human foot. A truck can be overweight on an axle but still be within its GVW if not distributed properly.

[@jamiejones6994]

@tonys1636 I've seen alot more weight being hauled with regular flatbed & or Landolls in America just wondering why this truck with so many axles etc maybe it's the country it's in idk

[@CobraEmergency]

What Tony said is correct. Routes in the UK can often be a bit more challenging due to the age or layout of the infrastructure and also the topography of the land with all the bridges required (many of which also pre-date automobile transport). This particular load had to cross the Orwell Bridge. No other traffic was allowed on the bridge, including the support vehicles. Only the 290t transport crossed. A 356t transport in 2024 avoided crossing the bridge and had to take a more complex route. I filmed the bridge crossing in Part I: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHmvmXlqf7qkq5Isi=aQ_1pNzyQecX5blX

[@paulnash7630]

Full headlights, every blue light flashing can't be much battery life left also strange to see police motor cyclists very rarely see one in Cornwall 😂😂

[@rob6255-j4t]

That looks like an electric police car. Super expensive, but its tax payers money so it doesnt count. R.

[@john1703]

"Al - lay - lees"

[@RamadhanYogaPratama03]

Ya rasanya seperti kita bermain euro truck simulator 2 , tetapi ini lebih besar !

[@rossjay4945]

Pigs driving teslas now wtf😮

[@tomholmes1999]

Uk is going backwards we were moving such loads 50 years ago without all this hoo haa and definitely not as many police

[@flipper2392]

Yeah "we've had bigger trucks than that in here mate'" How many times have you heard that?

[@JohnKeeble-kg1wu]

Great British weather lol

[@EmergencyResponseMediaYt]

Love the tesla

[@CobraEmergency]

They use it a lot for the abnormal loads, so you might see it if ever you're up Suffolk way.

[@tonys1636]

At least the Policemen in it get a decent Refs break whilst topping up the charge.

[@fredmargerum1486]

​@tonys1636 given its 330 mile range on a full charge. He doesn't get many breaks on load escorting duties.

[@theoriginalcobra1]

Test

[@howardbeer5214]

What a waste of public money that Tesla is Resale value will be almost zero

[@01jvb]

Why say something like that when it's not true ? They sell for good money.

[@jamiejones6994]

​@01jvb Not in America, the resale values are terrible & there is a great reason for that......

[@howardbeer5214]

@@01jvb Go buy a porche EV and see what one is worth 2 years later !! EV's are worthless as soon as you drive it out the showroom !!

[@MrHabushi]

All forces are trialling EVs in some way or another, resale value isn't the only consideration. It'll cost far less to run too.

[@howardbeer5214]

@@MrHabushi lol lol you think Tyres are almost double the price heavy on the brake system and useless on a night shift in the winter unless you think they will sit in it with no heat lol

[@andrewlivesey945]

is this to power new migrant hotel lol

[@pattychechile81]

Hey 👋 @CobraEmergency I'm still here I just can't participate in live chat on SFN for some reason I Don't know how to fix it 😢

[@CobraEmergency]

Ah Patty! I couldn't make it to some of the recent launches. Hopefully it's resolved? 👋 Thanks for dropping in!

[@pattychechile81]

@CobraEmergency no it's not resolved.. hope all is well with you