P.E.I. company supplies innovative solution to tunnelling project – The Journal Pioneer

CARLETON, P.E.I.

Trout River Industries may have found an in with one of the most cutting-edge companies in the world.

In an interview with the Journal Pioneer, the president and the founder of Trout River Industries give the gist of their November phone conversation with officials with The Boring Company.

When they called us, they said, We are sitting around watching your videos right now, said Darrin Mitchell.

They watched all our videos on YouTube and called us up and said, We think you might have the solution were looking for.

The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk of the Tesla and SpaceX companies, completed a test tunnel near Los Angeles, Calif., and was working on a transportation loop under the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Paving the tunnels floor proved to be a challenge, though.

Trout River Industries, an Island-owned business, builds live-bottom and shuttle floor trailers for trucking industries around the world.

Mitchell and company founder Harvey Stewart made their way to L.A. where they toured the test tunnel and agreed they could build a modified trailer to travel it.

"You dont get that phone call every day so, when you do, you hop on a plane and make stuff happen, said Mitchell. He added he was stoked about supplying a technological solution to a world leader in innovation.

The modified trailer was built and delivered. This week it started supplying asphalt to a small paving machine.

Its tight quarters, Stewart explained. The drilled tunnel is 14-feet in diameter and once re-enforced the opening is just 12 feet in diameter. A traditional trailer just wouldnt fit.

They asked if we could help them out because there was no way to get the asphalt and the gravel in the tunnel after theyd dug the hole, Stewart said.

The Boring Company had bucketed the gravel and asphalt in for the test tunnel.

The trailer, delivered with bold Trout River and The Boring Company decals on the sides, has its own diesel motor power source.

The decals are strategic.

We just figured, if (Musk) is at a press release somewhere, someday, hes going to go, whats that'? Mitchell said.

Its us. Dont forget us; were the one that helped you, Stewart said.

If the Boring Company had not been pressed for time, Trout River wouldve used an electrical power source, keeping with plans the Tesla founder has in mind for the tunnels. A 15-minute walk across the Las Vegas Convention Centre can be trimmed to a minute in the tunnel using compatible autonomous electric vehicles, capable of reaching speeds of 165 miles per hour.

The Boring Company attached the trailer to a truck which had to be cut down to fit in the tunnel. It did not have an external power supply and Trout River installed a diesel engine to power the live-bottom floor.

Mitchell and Stewart are hoping their test unit will be the first of many sales to Musks suite of companies.

If it works, wed like to be part of it. If it doesnt, were awfully glad we got this far (because) I think it just highlights a lot of our ability to innovate, said Mitchell.

And our ability to respond, said Stewart.

In a video they shot before shipping off the trailer, they joke about finding a way to get the trailer into space, a reference to Musks SpaceX tests and experiments. The flame-throwers they attached for the video were removed prior to shipping.

Theres a lot of pride in knowing our Island innovation has value all over the world, Stewart said.

We have been involved in wind turbine projects but this this may be the biggest green project yet.

Theyre still waiting feedback on how well the modified trailer performs. They might get to see for themselves, soon, as they will be back in Las Vegas March 10 to 14 for ConExpo, North Americas largest construction equipment trade show.

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P.E.I. company supplies innovative solution to tunnelling project - The Journal Pioneer