From the largest pick up truck to the worlds biggest ship, these are 10 of the BIGGEST vehicles ever.
Number 7
LeTourneau TC-497 Overland Train
Back during the nuclear arms scare the government had all kinds of crazy ideas to both combat and defend. Some practical and others just plain head scratchers… that brings us to the LeTourneau TC-497 Overland Train. This beauty of 1950s technology was said to have been created so that in the event our train tracks were nuked, we would still have a way to transport massive amounts of goods. The land train featured 54 wheel drive and spanned 570 feet long. Unfortunately overland trains were replaced by skycrane helicopters before they could even be fully commissioned.
Number 6
The big muskie
Industrial construction sites see their fair share of dozers, excavators and other heavy equipment but there may not such a glorious site as that of the big muskie. This gigantic glory of earth moving mayhem was the largest single bucket digging machine ever made. Built for the central ohio coal company, it weight over 13 thousand tons, was 151 feet wide, 222 feet tall, and 487 feet long. It caused such chaos to any form of land it came in contact with that it could swallow up 295 tons in just one single bite.
Number 5
A whole lotta limo
Having a large vehicle isn’t always about destroying earth and getting work done, sometimes you need a little pleasure… or in this case, a whole lot of it. This is where the worlds longest limo comes into play. The 100 foot long rolling luxury limousine is for the most upscale of citizens, and features 26 wheels that take two well skilled drivers to maneuver. In addition to its stretched out style, the limo also comes equipped with a heated Jacuzzi, a swimming pool, a king-sized bed and a sun deck…. As well as a… helipad? I mean seriously.. a helipad? Who lands a helicopter on a limousine?!.. good luck trying to parallel park this thing downtown.
Number 4
Get to tha choppa!
In the 1950, the Russians loved many things… vodka, big bombs.. and really big machines.. so Its no surprise that one of their greatest mechanical marvels is on our list. That’s where the MIL V-12 comes into play. This prototype twin rotor monster was the biggest helicopter ever produced and at one time held 8 world records including the largest payload at the highest altitude, 66 thousand pounds! That’s enough smirnov to last well over a decade! The chopper however was discontinued and today only two of the prototypes exist, exclusively for public display.
number 3
Ahoy mateys!
Trucks and choppers aren’t the only thing topping our list of the largest vehicles ever built… there are also sea fairing vessels that would even make the titantic cringe. That’s where we set sail on the Barzan. Constructed in 2015 by the united arab shipping company, the barzan measures over 1300 feet in length, with a max cargo weight of close to 200 thousand pounds! This monsterous cargo cruiser cuts up the water at a modest 26 mph and requires a crew of 35 just to get set in motion.
number 2
Attack! Attack!
We couldn’t just talk about modern marvels without going back in time to one of the first ever creations of mobile excellence. That’s why the ancient Helepolis makes it mediaeval mark on our list. The greek translation for this mobile siege tower is “the taker of cities” and one simply cant doubt that fact when you examine the specs. With 160 tons in weight, and being 130 feet tall… it took a massive crew of 3400 men to operate. The tower was covered in iron plates for protection and could move in any direction due its wheels being set on casters. As far as firepower was concerned… the six story helepolis featured a fearsome arsenal that boasted two 180-pound catapults, and one 60-pounder catapult on the first floor, three 60-pound catapults on the second, and two 30-pounders on each of the next five floors… and still left room for two men using light dart throwers to clear out defenses on any castle wall. This early first century war machine could even make a panzer tank blush!
number 1
May the force be with you
Its been a fun journey to number one, and even though the final vehicle on our list doesn’t actually exist.. we couldn’t finish up without giving it proper mention. The Executor, an empire star destroyer which was the flagship and personal touring vessel of the evil lord darth vader, is rumored to be one of the largest ships in the dark sides fleet. The ship measures 19 thousand meters in length, and carries an armament of over 5000 cannons. Within the ship itself were over 300 smaller combat ships including 144 tie fighters, heavy walkers, mobile garrison bases, speeder bikes and enough supplies to satisfy a crew of 3000 imperial loyalists who all quaked in their boots aboard the ship in fear of just one man with some serious breathing problems and a taste for black.