Here's some questions I had problems finding out the answers to online. No doubt there are some period logistics manuals somewhere that have all this in tabular form, but I couldn't find them anywhere myself, and most horse-FAQ sorts of sites talk mainly about riding horses, not cargo and transport.
Say I want to transport 200 tons of cargo across 200 miles as quickly as possible using horse-drawn vehicles. The terrain is generally level with dirt roads, the weather is fair so the roads haven't turned to mud, and ample fodder and water is available on the way.
Much of the cargo can be broken down into arbitrarily small pieces, but among other items, the cargo includes 32 WWI-era biplanes, which weighed about 1500 pounds apiece and were 20' long, so presumably 32 large drays would be required just for the biplanes alone.
1. What's the ideal dray or wagon to use for this kind of freight? How many horses per wagon?
2a. Assuming no spare horses, how long will it take them to travel the distance? How many hours a day can a team work without breaking down? How many total horses would be required?
2b. Assume plenty of spare horses. How long will it take now? And how many horses would be required?
Even if you don't actually have these answers at hand (I would be shocked if anyone did) perhaps someone with some experience with horse transport could make some educated guesses?
Thanks in advance....
Say I want to transport 200 tons of cargo across 200 miles as quickly as possible using horse-drawn vehicles. The terrain is generally level with dirt roads, the weather is fair so the roads haven't turned to mud, and ample fodder and water is available on the way.
Much of the cargo can be broken down into arbitrarily small pieces, but among other items, the cargo includes 32 WWI-era biplanes, which weighed about 1500 pounds apiece and were 20' long, so presumably 32 large drays would be required just for the biplanes alone.
1. What's the ideal dray or wagon to use for this kind of freight? How many horses per wagon?
2a. Assuming no spare horses, how long will it take them to travel the distance? How many hours a day can a team work without breaking down? How many total horses would be required?
2b. Assume plenty of spare horses. How long will it take now? And how many horses would be required?
Even if you don't actually have these answers at hand (I would be shocked if anyone did) perhaps someone with some experience with horse transport could make some educated guesses?
Thanks in advance....