The 737 is probably the largest fuselage shipped fully-assembled by rail, and it is a fairly recent change. The photo you saw was probably something similar to the one on
http://www.bnsf.com/employees/communica ... -17-c.html
When people fly on a Boeing 737, BNSF Railway doesn’t necessarily spring to mind. But perhaps it should ... Prior to 1996, the fuselages were transported in two pieces on two railcars. But that changed when the plane was redesigned. Today, a single fuselage travels on a specially designed railcar with unique hardware to keep the load in place.
The 757 is
not shipped fully-assembled. It is shipped in sections. From Google cache of
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandfork ... 361132.htm:
Boeing Wichita workers have finished their work on the last 757 fuselage to roll off the line at the assembly building on MacArthur Road... They were finishing up the last of three fuselage sections for the final 757 production plane.
Later this month, the section will be loaded onto a railcar to make its way to Renton, Wash., where the last 757 will be assembled.
Now, consider:
- The 747, 767, and 777 are all larger than the 757, so they are unlikely to have been shipped fully-assembled via rail.
- The 707 and 727 fuselages were built at the same place they were assembled -- near Seattle. Ditto for the 717, which is built at Long Beach.
- Airbus transports its fuselages by air.
Looks like the 737 is the largest plane fuselaged transported intact by rail. Of course the 787 is coming out in a few years, so who knows what'll happen then.
