I worked UN Tower in the Summer of 1968 off the Akron Division Extra Board. At that time it controlled movement off the P&LE as well as the P&W Subdivision into New Castle, both up the double track mains as well as into New Castle Yard. At that point in time, the multiple track P&LE continued through New Castle and on to their Gateway Yard at Youngstown. The Schnabel cars can have a center section such as the blue apparatus you showed, the ends can also use the load they are transporting as the center section. Needless to say, the load has to be designed with connection to the Schnabel ends in mind. Living along Interstate 70, I have seen any number of heavy duty truck hauling heavy high/wide loads out of the Port of Baltimore. Some of these loads are considered too heavy to operate on I-70 on the bridges over intersecting surface roads. I have been running a dash cam on my vehicle and was stopped by such a heavy load. There were two tractors that appeared to have been drawbared together pulling the heavy load on about 15 or 20 axles or more and then there were two more tractors drawbar coupled on the rear of the shipment. The shipment had State Police escort in addition to private pilot cars. The shipment exited I-70, operated across the surface road and re-entered I-70 at the same exit. In local area, all that horsepower most likely wasn't necessary, however, I suspect the final destination would have the shipment likely operating on I-68 and/or I-79 - both of which have some serious grades.
