I grew up next to I-80 in Iowa, and in 1979 I remember very well the passing of the huge superconducting magnet on its way from Argonne, IL to San Francisco, CA. Late one night in early November they closed the freeway to let the magnet go through at an excruciatingly slow pace. We were very excited and had made signs that said things like “WELCOME MAGNET! GODSPEED” and such (I was 8 years old and it was a big deal to be allowed to stay up so late). Apparently (according to the article I unearthed about it here) it was 18.5 feet wide and weighed 107 tons.
Considering the vast improvements in shipping capabilities these days, I’d argue that this was the greater Magnet Transport Achievement of the Post-Industrial Age.
