In the dealer's showroom, the Kenworth C509 is a rare sight. This C509 won't stay in the showroom for long,and it will soon be put into actual operation to tow a highway train fully loaded with salt, weighing a whopping 260 tons. Displaying trucks in the showroom is a routine operation for dealers, but showcasing such an extremely large special truck is quite unusual. There are many technical and logistical factors involved. To present such giant vehicles requires high standards for the display venue and capabilities. Not all manufacturers can achieve this. This vehicle was built by Gailard. It's not an ordinary highway truck but a special tractor designed to tow a 260-ton highway train for transporting salt. It is an "extra code" vehicle, and beyonds the regular specifications of highway models.
In Australia, the safety entry standards for heavy special vehicles and construction machinery are extremely strict. However, the Kenworth C509 can be adapted. It can be connected in series with Dana, Meritor or Sisu axle units in Australia, and its single-axle carrying capacity reaches 48 tons. The vehicle we saw is located in the exhibition hall of CJD Equipment Company in Perth, Australia. This company represents the Kenworth and DAF brands, and its loyal customer, Shark Bay Resources Company, operates a large salt mine in Western Australia. During the salt mining process, after the seawater evaporates, the salt water goes through the crystallization pool, washing facilities and storage area, and the Kenworth C509 undertakes the transportation task.
From the perspective of power, behind the large radiator grille of this C509 is a 600-horsepower Cummins diesel engine (Cummins X15, Euro 5 emission standard), with a maximum torque of 2779 Newton-meters. In terms of the transmission system, it is equipped with the Eaton Ultrashift AMT automatic transmission and the Meritor SPRC axle. There are different tonnage versions for its operation, and the heaviest can tow a train weighing 260 tons. The basic version corresponds to a 97-ton towing task. Therefore, this high-power Cummins engine was selected to meet the heavy-load requirements.