“Mercedes‑Benz Transport”, 1987 vintage: snow‑free flights in Stuttgart, Argentine cattle on the road and robust motorised “girls” in New Zealand – the editorial team has uncovered some exciting things.
Transport Magazine
Heyday: 1987.
A look back at the “Mercedes‑Benz Transport” highlights of 35 years ago.
On a stable course.
Ice cold job.
When the runways at Stuttgart Airport disappear under snow, they get to work: impressive clearing trucks from Mercedes‑Benz with their six‑and‑a‑half‑metre snow shovels. In 1987 “Mercedes‑Benz Transport” reports: “When the snow is 12 mm deep, the winter service comes into play.” It goes on: “Brake values and temperatures are continuously recorded by measuring points in the ground and forwarded to the tower. From there, every single element of this vehicle chain of concentrated technology is constantly accessible via radio, because there is usually no visual contact when the heavy equipment is working at 25 km/h out on the two‑and‑a‑half‑kilometre long runway.”
From 1 November to 30 April, men and special‑purpose vehicles are in their starting blocks at Stuttgart Airport. It takes a maximum of 30 minutes to clear the 128,000 square metre runway. While the tough guys warm up over a hot cup of tea, the right “drink” for trucks is winter diesel. Cheers!
Good cornering.
Topas – this stands for “tanker vehicle with optimised passive and active safety equipment”. Daimler‑Benz AG was committed to setting new standards in this area. In 1987, the project was presented with a gyro test drive. The Topas masters the tight bend without any problems – not so the comparison vehicle: Without side‑mounted support wheels, it would probably have ended up in the ditch.
The reason for the Topas’ good cornering is, among other things, the centre of gravity, which has been lowered by 300 millimetres. The engineers have also worked on other parts: “In order to improve all‑round visibility [...], manoeuvring is made easier not only by a rear‑mounted TV camera with monitor in the cab, but also by electrically folding swivelling mirrors that provide a view of the ‘blind spot’.” Optimisation successful.
1987: Other events that moved the world.
March
The most expensive painting: An anonymous collector bought the painting “Sunflowers” by Vincent van Gogh for the equivalent of 72.5 million German marks at London’s Christie’s auction house. A record at the time.
May
The world’s population breaks the 5 billion mark.
June
The Erasmus programme is launched. To date, almost ten million young people have been able to study in other European countries.
August
Steffi Graf (17) won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in Paris and became the first German to take the lead in the world rankings.
October
“Black Monday” – first stock market crash since 1945. The Dow Jones lost 22.6% in one day.
December
Yuri Romanenko returns to Earth after eleven months in space.
Destination: Buenos Aires.
The noise level on Avenida Tellier, a street in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires, is tremendous: Cattle, mounted drivers and auction participants shout over each other. The reason is the weekly auctioning of cattle, whose meat is even praised by connoisseurs as the best in taste and quality. Up to 20,000 cattle change hands on an auction day.
20000
cattle change hands in a short time.
The animals have long been grazing in the infinite expanses of the Pampas, “the area in central Argentina is almost ideal for raising cattle,” the editorial team states. It is transported in specially designed Mercedes‑Benz trucks. “The trucks are usually loaded to the limit of what is permitted. If we consider that the vehicles cover more than 1,000 kilometres per day and set out again immediately after loading or unloading, then the claim ‘toughest operating conditions’ is certainly not exaggerated,” say the editors.
By 11 a.m., most of the animals have been sold and are being loaded. It’s getting quieter on Avenida Tellier, but that will change by next week at the latest, when thousands of cattle arrive in Buenos Aires again.
Out into the dark.
The “Transport” editors also pick up on the construction of the Münden Tunnel. At 10.5 kilometres, it is the “longest tunnel in Lower Saxony and the second largest in the Federal Republic of Germany”, writes the editorial team. It goes on: “From 1991, the trains were to run at 250 km/h.”
A 2636 AK 6×6 ventures into the darkness and regularly transports a good ten tonne load of rocks and rubble into the light of day. All for a 327‑kilometre railway line between Hanover and Würzburg.
“A gigantic project,” says the editorial team. “Of the 133 kilometres through Lower Saxony, 33 kilometres pass through 15 tunnels, 8 kilometres over 123 bridges, 35 kilometres in intersections and another 48 kilometres on dams.”
Photos: Daimler Truck AG