# BIGGEST SNOW MACHINE EVER BUILT!



## Lyndon

This is an EPIC TALE, that covers several continents, generated worlds records, led to all sorts of developments including Monster Trucks!
In 1955 the US ARMY contracted with LeTourneau of Texas to build a mammoth machine called THE OVERLAND TRAIN, or THE SNOW TRAIN. Some of the information in this story you won't find in other sources. A lifelong close friend of mine was an engneering student a LeTourneau's School and worked on building both a life size mock-up out of plywood and the real machine. He even gave me a hand sketching of it which alas in my many moves I have misplaced. 
View attachment overland1.bmp


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## Snowcat Operations

I have seen videos (old films) of this thing moving across the snow.  BUT I never thought it was this BIG!  That thing is huge.


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## Lyndon

There were articles about it in Popular Scince and Popular Mechanics as well as a bunch of other magazines. Arnie, who later became an engineer for DOT actually Knew Mr. LeTourneau, rode horses on his ranch by the school to round up cattle, and chased around after his daughters. When they tested the prototype in one of the major Texas city's, Dallas or Ft. Worth, they were actually able to get it to track around a city block so that at one intersection the Overland trains cars were passing each other in opposite directions. IT WAS A NEWS EVENT! This little stunt was photographed and filmed. The Cars of actually popped manhole covers out of the street! The LCC-1 had a huge Cummins V12 that ran a generator that in turn powered DC motors in the 'Locomotive' as well as in the 10 Cars. It had the largest tires at the time, 10 Foot. Several were built. Later models were even larger. The later model had 12 Foot tires, was listed as having a 1/4 Mile turning radius, and was 570' overall. At 30 foot tall(23 with the RADAR Antenna folded down!) the cab slept 6 and had a galley and bath facilities. The Cab and the first car after the cab had jet turbines instead of reciprocating engines. They were shipped to various places to be tested including to Alaska. Around 1969 the last one was auctioned off by the military and I managed to get a copy of the militarys DSSO pamflet. It didn't get any serious bids so they put it up for Rebid and it was purchased by the Anaconda copper mine in Brazil. The next to the last machine was purchased by a scrap dealer in California and scrapped out.


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## Lyndon

I actually got the millitary sales borchures before I met Arnie, when I was in high school or Jr. High. Anyway I was a fan, and he had plenty of stories. Some years later I went to work in Alaska. The Cars were everywhere around Fairbanks. I eventually tracked down the owner of an Ex Military Junkyard reffered to by locals as well as the local paper as "Stinky Pete" or "Greasy Pete". Pete was Great! He actually worked on the building of the ALCAN (Alaska Highway)when he was young and had a working dozer in his yard that was used in the massive 1942 campaine to connect the "Lower 48" to Alaska. Besides OWNING the serial number one Locomotive of the Overland Train he had lots of the 25 Ton Cars. I climbed around on it and over the years I got to know him. I even dug into the electrical system and tried to get the Locomotive running. The last time I saw pete he was about 94, still living in a one room shack with a wood stove at his junkyard.


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## Lyndon

When Pete purchased the original machine it was operable and at one point the ARMY hired him to come and pull out one of the newer units that was stuck up on the North Slope. He said Spruce Snags would tear up the tires which would in turn burn out the electric motor wheel drives. The development of these massive machines led directly to Earth Mover development. The Story of LeTourneau is and entire SAGA in itself. 
View attachment overland2.bmp


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## Lyndon

This things in the Guinnes book of worlds records! I never got to see one of the newer models up close, but not many people can say that they worked on one of these. I made sure to get lots of pictures climbing around and working on Pete's number one machine. Pete even had the ORIGINAL Service Manual which I spent many hours trying to understand the schematics.


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## thcri RIP

Lyndon said:
			
		

> The Story of LeTourneau is and entire SAGA in itself.


 

My oldest son went to LeTourneau for a year.  Things just didn't work out for him down there and we now call it his 20K blunder.  Still it is one of the best engineering schools in the World.

If you ever get time get RG LeTourneau's book.  It will take a couple hours to read but it is a good story.  And the man is originally from Minnesota 


murph


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## Lyndon

Even though this is not me in this picture, I have a vertually identical picture. Anyway the story doesn't end there: One of the cars sat in the Seattle industrial district for years. Eventually a man who wanted to build an inordinately big off road personal vehicle for show bought one for the tires and this became the first "Big Foot" truck. You can see interview's with him on the discovery show where he recounts this. The development also led to improvements in tire Design as well as the development of the Electric Wheel drives currently used in the immense LeTourneau Loaders and Mining Vehicles. There are plenty of pictures of the Snow Train in action but it may take some time to find them. 
View attachment overland3.bmp


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## Lyndon

If you go North out of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway, just past the public viewing place for the trans alaska pipeline sits a tourists trap called Pump station 13. They have one of the cars from the Overland Train there that has a home made cab to make it look like one of the locomotives. To view the REAL Thing go East out of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway to the first turn off for Badger Road. Right after you cross the Railroad tracks on the right is Old Pete's place. It's pretty easy to spot as it is so large. It's faded orange and if I recall correctly it has Air Force markings. The Locomotive  and several of the cars are there. This first serial number one unit Locomotive had only 4 wheels instead of the 6 on the later locomotives. The huge V12 had a massive 24Volt starter on EACH side of the engine and there was enough space for a person to walk standing up on either side of the engine. The Last of the even larger Mark 2 units went to a military base in the midwest and was shipped there in pieces as it was too large to pass thru railway tunnels and bridges. When it got auctioned off some years later, a new interstate had been built further restricting it's shipping off the base. It went to Anaconda's massive open pit mine in Brazil. This mine was esentially stolen from Anaconda by the government there in a process called 'Nationalization' where they basically point a gun at the workers and tell them to get out. As a result of this LeTourneau refused to sell them parts and the unit is no longer operational. At auction it came with about 20 spare tires and a bunch of the electric wheel drive assemblies. Old Pete's was a very colorful individual and his machine faces a similar fate. His junk yard used to be a military junkyard and it is one of the Hazardous Waste Superfund Clean-Up sites. The government was never able to force him out so they figgured they would just wait for him to die, that was 25 years ago and as of this past fall he was still hanging in there. Once he goes the fate of the overland train is uncertain. Another of the locomotives, the one pictured above is at a museum site. Some documentaries of the construction of the Alaska Pipeline show one of the Snow Trains in action.


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## Lyndon

Perhaps I can prevail upon our leader Bob S., or one of our members that has more advanced computer skills to add a linc to University of Alaska Film Collection, under LeTourneau Snow Train is a 42 second clip of the Snow Train in action. Also on another site I found the earlier machine in fairbanks that I worked on. So far I havn't run into anyone here that saw or worked on it. -39 is pretty cold today.


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## mtmogs

Here's the link to the clip Lyndon, pretty cool!

http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdmg11/image/2853.mov


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## mtmogs

Actually lots of interesting clips on the film collection website. Search for yourself:

http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/search.php


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## Lyndon

Thanks! MTMOGS.


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## Doc

Interesting posts Lyndon.   

Thanks for the links mtmogs.  Good job.


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## Snowcat Operations

Thanks MTMOGS and Lyndon


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## Snowcat Operations

Lyndon<  Anymore pics?


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## Av8r3400

Lyndon said:


> ...  Eventually a man who wanted to build an inordinately big off road personal vehicle for show bought one for the tires and this became the first "Big Foot" truck.  ...


 

They were permanently mounted on his fifth vehicle in the line.  (Although mounted for short periods of breakage on the 1st vehicle.)  It wasn't built untill '86.  It was built specially to accomidate the 10' diameter tires.  

There's some neat pics of the big military rig on his site.


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## Lyndon

Just finished reading: Mover of Men and Mountains, the autobiography of RG LeTourneau. Interesting charecter. Saw the guy that created Big Foot give his account of using the tires on discovery last week at the 'Camp'. In a couple of weeks my lifelong friend that worked for LeTourneau on the above pictured 'Beast', turns 70. One of his cousins was a "lifer" engineer with porsche. I won't be making it to the festivities in Mass, but I will try to visit shortly after. I'll see if he has any other 'stories' about LeTourneau or Pics.


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## Lyndon

PS: In LeTourneau's biography is the photo I described of the Snow Train driving through the city streets that I described earlier.


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## Lyndon

Here it is, the Tractor/Locomotive for the first of several "Snow Trains" built by LeTourneau, in a junkyard outside Fairbanks. 3 years after I took the picture I worked on it in an attempt to get the electric steering to work. The Engine generator set was impressive, a huge Cummings V12, that had (2) 24 Volt electric Starters each too big for a person to pick up, one mounted on each side with it's own set of batteries. >


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## Lyndon

The Snow Train, Driving in the City, an Electric Wheel Drive.


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## Lyndon

Sorry about the sideways picture, maybe Doc or Bob can straighten it out. That's RG LeTourneau himself in the picture in the Arctic Parka.


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## Snowcat Operations

COOL!  I would like to this thing or part of it in person someday.


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## Robert45

That's some very interesting information. 
I had a weasel of a few years and have a CD of the testing done by the military back in the 40's Pretty cool stuff. 

Robert B.


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## alaska120

Hey Lyndon, is Dirty Pete still around?
I crawled through his yard about 15 years ago when I lived off Badger.
I would love to acquire the Overland for public display down here. Think he would consider selling it?


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## TOMLESCOEQUIP

Lyndon said:


> Sorry about the sideways picture, maybe Doc or Bob can straighten it out. That's RG LeTourneau himself in the picture in the Arctic Parka.



Here ya go :


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## dansvan

Last time I was in Squarebanks it was on display out by Fox across from the Pipeline viewing kiosk.  It and a few trailers.


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## Lyndon

As of a few months ago Old Pete was still alive. And Yes, the Overland train would probably like a good home. Try getting in touch with Tony Karl of River City Equipment in FBX.


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## Bobcat

Just to make it a little easier to see for some of you 'older' folks.


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## Lyndon

My long time associate, Arnie, an engineer that got his training at LeTourneau's school in Longview, wittnessed the event in the first picture where the overland train is being driven in some city. He said that the machine had a tendancy to pop manhole covers out!


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## alaska120

Seriously, if you run into him please let me know. It would be a great thing to save and we could put it on display.
Thanks!


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## fogtender

In the early '90's I was doing some work on Alaska's North Slope and one of the guys I was dealing with had a VHS tape made of his dad's super 8 movie clips that he took when he worked on the land trains when they were hauling freight to the early warning sites for the Air Force in the 1950's.

They were pretty impressive, they had a bunch of D-8 Dozers or bigger run infront of them and mowed everything down and they followed in the wake of a frozen road after cleared, looked like a four lane highway until spring break up.  

One of the Land Trains slid backwards down a hill and jackknifed and punched a hole in the fuel tank and burned.

They were pretty impressive in the video and hopefully it will surface again.  I can't remember the guys name, but he lived in OR and worked on the Slope on rotations.

The amount of damage done then by today's "enviromentalist" standard's would freak them out after the land train went by... and one would never see the light of today in the standards that we have to abide by nowdays...


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## AKdlarson

I have a few pictures of a land train that has been sitting in the woods. It has been there long before my time (early 70's) and three of the tires ar still holding air as of last weekend.
Once I figure out how to shrink the pictures I will post them


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## Snowcat Operations

Excellent!


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## fogtender

Here is some old photos of the land train, can only post a few at a time so will do a couple of postings...


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## fogtender

Here is the second batch, the last one is the front car here in Alaska, seems a sad ending for something that did so much during the Cold War....  Can't imagine why they needed radar on them, I guess the terrian was so flat they could get lost as if at sea....  The Mountains on the North Slope are miles to the South of the Coastline....


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## AKdlarson

Here are a couple of pictures.  I will try and find some of the old ones we have.  This thing moved about 12 years ago from its other parking spot 50 yards away.  Looked like under its own power.


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## dansvan

So when you say in the woods, you mean on private property? Or can anyone look at it?


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## fogtender

dansvan said:


> So when you say in the woods, you mean on private property? Or can anyone look at it?


 

The ones located just North of Fairbanks towards Fox are sitting along the highway and you can look at them any time.  

The one's off Badger Road to the South of Fairbanks are behind a fence parked next to it, but you can walk up to them and still look at them.   Sometimes the gate is open with people there and you can ask to look at them up close.


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## Snowcat Operations

I would love to buy one!  I like the one at the bottom of thread #36 last picture.  I happen to be friends with a certain Electrical engineer who tried to get one up and running years ago.  I wonder if he (LYNDON) would be interested to try again?   If not I will be the talk of the town with my Lawn Art!


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## fogtender

If someone got one, I would be glad to help them get it running...Like maybe a Mayor of some small town could pull some strings or such...


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## AKdlarson

You can see the crawler from Gunsight road with the trailer behind.  They are on private property and it is posted, but I have never had anyone say anything and I have never disturbed or disrupted anything on or around them.
When I was real young we used to stop and crawl all of over it on our way caribou hunting.  Times have changed though.


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## Lyndon

In answer to Mike's query about "Getting one running",  the one to get is the machine of "Old Pete". It has a complete locomotive, the generator in in good shape, and, if he is still alive, Pete has the complete service manuals! This would be a "Must " for any attempt to restore one of these things to operational status.


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## Lyndon

I managed to locate the locomotive on Google Earth, and one can readily pick out the Overland train.( it's in between the 2 surplus sites that have orange logo dot's,just to the west of Ft. Wainwright, which is just west of Fairbanks) It's pretty easy to locate Trac INC's place too, first go to their site, get the approcximate address (Look for trains in Background of photo's) Now look at the Google Earth Satellite picts for a triangular area that has a lot of ORANGE in it near some rail tracks, "Tucker Orange"! I was unable to post the Google picture? It might have some encription on it?


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## Bobcat

Lyndon must be trying to use his compass way up there, where it points no where near north. Ft Wainwright is east of Fairbanks. 

Here she be...


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## Bobcat

While I was poking around, found my old detachment on Eielson AFB. Just left of top-center, you'll see a little square of Thiokol orange. It's right where we used to keep our orange Spryte and blue Imp. Looks like it's sitting on the trailer. Could it be the same Spryte? Maybe. The Imp might even be there, just harder to see.


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## Lyndon

Brain dead! Thanks for figguring out how to post the pic! Nice Job. I don't know what I was thinking. I used to live right off Badger Road, less than 2 miles from Pete's place.(K & K Recycling's yard on the Old Rich) Anyway you got the pic! There used to be several hundred Haglunds at Ft. Wainwright, can you post a picture of that?


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## Bobcat

I'll always remember where Ft. Wainwright is, bombed it with a propane tank from a Chinook in '81 or '82!  

Will look for the Hags...


...my  best guess. South side motorpool. Lot's of 'double squares' that could be haggys.


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## Bobcat

More in the same area...


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## Snowcat Operations

So tell us the story about the Propane tank!


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## Bobcat

I'll save that for the "True Life, Tall Tales, and Bold-Faced Lies" thread! 

Ummm, do we have one? Actually, I guess we do. Just look at anything posted by SnoOps!!!! Ha!


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## fogtender

This is where Roughwoods and I were at when they were auctioning 140 of so of the rigs, didn't even come close on the bidding.  It was suppose to be a sealed bid, but it was sealed "Until" the opening, then they went and took the highest bid and started a call auction on each unit, and we weren't there for the change or knew about it...


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## Lyndon

Any machine that can be picked out from a sattellite photo (Post # 45) is BIG, REALLY BIG! Yeah, about the Hags, I worked for a man that purchased a bunch of them. I believe he paid about 6K @ for a dozen or so. Since new tracks cost alot I steered clear of them. After riding from Prudhoe to Northstar across mushy Sea Ice, Im Definately not interested in owning one! They are good machinery and all, and certainly one of the fastest machines available. So Mikey, think we can get some giant Matt Tracks for that LeTourneau Overland Train?


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## Snowcat Operations

Now THAT would be cool!


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## fogtender

Lyndon said:


> After riding from Prudhoe to Northstar across mushy Sea Ice, Im Definately not interested in owning one! quote]
> 
> 
> I know some of the guys that bought the hags and they all had problems with parts supply, cost of parts, high maintance and the fact that the bracket that connects the front half to the rear half tends to break in hard usage. Which pretty much stops the fun right there.
> 
> There was someone down in the states that built a replacement engine/transmission set up that drops in from a slant 6 Dodge, to replace the Mercedes engine and transmission which costs as much as some houses to replace with factory parts.  The retrofit Dodge engine/transmission kit was about $4,000.00 verses about $15,000.00 for the Mercedes Transmission alone. It coverted it to gas from diesel, but was a lot cheaper to maintain and more reliable.
> 
> Either way, in the totally, off the wall chance and *"IF"* my Imp ever broke down, I can go back and get my dozer or "Roughwoods" to give me a tow home now that he finely has an Imp that "has" the power and same high reliability.  Unlike those Snowtracs on pretend steroids he use to run.  Now the tourist just poke at them red funny looking things sitting on display and wonder what they are......
> 
> The Hags would take a bit more effort to get home....


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## JIMMY66

G,DAY THERE it just goes to show how much interest there is in this vehicle even way down here ,any help in finding more pictures of this thing would be great building one at 1/35 scale 
JAMIE


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## alaska741

Lyndon said:


> In answer to Mike's query about "Getting one running",  the one to get is the machine of "Old Pete". It has a complete locomotive, the generator in in good shape, and, if he is still alive, Pete has the complete service manuals! This would be a "Must " for any attempt to restore one of these things to operational status.



I heard from a friend last week that "pete" passed away. He has a daughter that lives in Idaho. I don't know what will happen to all of his great treasures now that he is gone.


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## moosebgy

I've been trying to figure out a way to get that land trian for a bit now. A buddy of mine actually talked to Pete's daughter this last summer and I'm trying to get her phone number from him. According to her they would fire up the power unit to make sure it still ran up until 2 years ago when it got to be too much for Pete to mess with. I'll be going up that way in a month or so and I'll try to get some pictures of his yard. Hopefully everything won't go to the scrap yard.  This is a pic that my friend got of the landtrain, and I have access to a few more that he took.


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## moosebgy

Just remembered that there are 2 of these trians up here.  One is at Petes and the other one is up by Fox.  The one by Fox was purchased by 'Alaska Freight Lines' as used on the DEW line if I remember correctly.


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## couchloafer

alaska741 said:


> I heard from a friend last week that "pete" passed away. He has a daughter that lives in Idaho. I don't know what will happen to all of his great treasures now that he is gone.


Where does she live in Idaho? Maybe I could help out?


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## JIMMY66

OH PLEASE dont let this thing be trashed.... it should be in a museum but someone get in there and do a walkaround in and under first with a camera


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## Bulldog1401

No really... if there is anything that should escape the crusher it is this. Someone local should go there and check on this and also locate any other peices of the rest of the train that may be there (wheels, etc..) for spare parts.


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## moosebgy

I'm working on it, or at least the wife to let me.  I do have some more pics if anyone would like them.


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## Snowcat Operations

yes we would!


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## moosebgy

Pics


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## moosebgy

Pics number 2


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## moosebgy

Last Ones.  I am trying to get this somehow.


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## JIMMY66

AWESOME i had seen some of those pictures but some i had not the collection is growing ,I wonder how i could tell my wife that i need to go to Alaska for awhile, long enough to take alot a pictures ,but does anyone know if it is STILL there ??


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## Lyndon

I don't know if this will help, but Pete had another daughter in Yelm Washington I believe. Yelm & Roy are both pretty small communities so it might be conceivable to track her down. An educated guess would say that Tony Karl, of River City Equipment would be up on what was going to happen to Pete's 'collection'. Besides the Overland train there is also an early caterpillar tractor, that still runs, that was used to build the ALCAN sitting there. I would consider it "Collectable".


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## aksnocat

Here's some photos I took six years ago of the overland train parts that are north of Fairbanks in Fox. They're along the main highway going north of town, the Steese. I drive past them several times a week at least. They're right across the highway from the Trans-Alaska pipeline and the tourist viewpoint/giftshop that Alyeska Pipeline (the company that runs the pipeline) operates.

I'm pretty sure the overland train parts are owned by a local guy, John Reeves. They are certainly on his property.

The last image is from Google Earth. The parts are in different places from where they are in the photos, but they're still there.

The engine and two cars are just to the northeast of the white globe in the upper left and the third car is still in place as a deck on the front of the house, which is along the driveway off the highway.

The pull-off and parking area on the other side of the highway is the parking for the pipeline veiwpoint. The pipeline can be seen where it comes above ground to the northeast of the parking area.


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## bill w

yes the overland transport is still out by fox,north of fairbanks.it is owned by john reeves...it's not for sale,but it won't be heading for a scrapyard either because he is using it as a tourist attraction.no new word on the one on badger road,south of fairbanks other than it's still there..it does need to be in a museum.....i was doing cleanup on the tanana river flood control levees this winter and saw a bunch of what looks like b-12's stashed behind k&k recycling on the way to north pole.it's owned by bernie karl,he uses a bunch of tuckers,haggalunds at his other business which is chena hot springs.he used to use the bombi's for aroura viewing.i have no clue if he would sell them,but it appeared like there was at least seven bombi's sitting in the back.when i go down for final inspection on the levee,i'll take my camera..someone...i think lyndon...posted a pic of the same yard in another post.but the bombi's weren't there then.


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## Bulldog1401

I kinda got lost here..what was the status of the ones posted by moosebgy?


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## bill w

sorry about the confusion.the one that moosebgy talked about....and all the parts is still sitting there..drove by yesterday..no sign of anyone around to get permission to look further..i'm working right by the yard so if i see anyone around,i'll definatley try to go look further


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## Bulldog1401

Thanks!


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## Lyndon

The Locomotive off Badger Road, was the first of several Overland Trains built. This is the one at Pete's. Each came with a 10 car train, and remanents can be found many places. As far as I know only 2 of the larger version, with gas turbines, were made. Neither ever ended up in alaska. They had much bigger tires, cabs were 6 wheel, and slept 10. With the rotating radar antenna folded down they were 23 feet tall. As all the wheels were electrically powered, the machines were not actually pulled by the locomotive. In the final version, the first car after the locomotive also carried a huge Gas Turbine driven Generator matching the one in the locomotive. One was in Indiana or Idaho and went to the massive Anaconda copper mine in Brazil. this was Nationalized by the brazillian government. No further info on it's status. I suppose as large as it is one might find it by sattellite, perhaps a good 'exercise'. The other was dismantled in california. A 6 wheel Locomotive similar to the last 2 machines sits at Letourneau's site, I believe in Longview Texas. Old Pete's was Serial number one, and he had all the service literature. I handeled is very gently, knowing it's rarity, when I investigated a problem with the electric steering for Pete, around 1995. It may have been that the last two built had 12 cars each. It had a 1/4 mile turning radius, and took the title for "Longest Vehicle" in the Guiness book of worlds records. It definately belongs in a museum, or at least someones personal collection.


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## moosebgy

The last time I was looking for info on the one in Pete's place, the book I was reading (nope, can't remember the name of it) said that LCC 1, (Logistics Command Carrier if I remember correctly) only had 3 wagons made for this particular machine.  Each was rated at carring 15 ton across the tundra or snow without sinking through.  So there seems to be one missing since 2 of them are at Pete's.  I'm still digging.


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## JIMMY66

do any of you fellas have any shots pictures of the engine etc on the one at old Petes  i hope someone alot closer than me can take some more photos iF they wouldnt mind.......


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## JIMMY66

heres one i found today,not sure if you guys had seen this one this is the one i wish to build... the army transportation museum sent me scans of the tech manual 356 pages total but have yet to here back from them .It was also of the 6 wheeled version..all the pictures ive seen of the one in the picture showit only towing 3 trailers..


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## Blackfoot Tucker

I found this huge machine interesting and remember pictures of it in the Guinness Book Of World Records. It deserves much better than to sit and rust. 

I've met a couple of guys who graduated from Letourneau University. They were very sharp.

Out of curiousity I googled Letourneau. R.G. Letourneau was a pretty amazing guy and was way ahead of his time in many of the machines they designed and made.


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## JIMMY66

and heres one that i hadnt seen


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## bill w

there used to be a section of one,with the wooden racks at a lodge about ten miles south of delta for years.this has been a while since i've ventured down there,,,possibly the missing ''trailer''..


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## fogtender

There use to be one of the trailers up by the North side of the "Ferry" crossing just North of Healy.  It sat there for years, haven't been back up there to see if it is still there.  It sat by one of the mines there, I assume it was used to haul supplies at some time.


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## Lyndon

Like I said, parts and pieces are scattered all over the world. Several cars of one sat in an industrial area of Seattle. The guy who built the first "Big Foot" truck bought one to use for his very first "Monster Truck", and recounts that in a recent interview on a documentary.
The machine in the last set of photos, Nice posting by the way, is looking at the REAR, which would be one of the turbine cars, the 6 wheel locomotive at the other end is the one with the 23' clearence radar antenna folded down, sleeps ten model. The Antenna is just visable. They must have been daunting just to walk around. This one would appear to have 11, or 12 , of the larger Twenty Five Ton cars.
The earlier units had a massive V-12 or V-16 generator set. Pete's was a Cummings. It had 2 massive starters, one on either side of the engine. They were big enough that I doubt a person could pick one up. 24 volt.


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## pixie

A Utube about Bigfoot with some color, action footage of the SnowTrain.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvmnc0TJFto"]YouTube - Bigfoot 5 & LeTourneau Alaska snowtrain[/ame]


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## NorthernRedneck

good find.


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## Lyndon

Hey, Nice UTUBE Posting *PIXIE!* Thats the REAL Stuff! Thanks!


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## bill w

well it took a while but i tracked down petes daughter,she's in idaho.got her phone number from an old timer here in fairbanks.it would be too late to call tonite due to the time difference,but will call her in the morning.i guess mr reeves tried to buy it right after pete died and all but insulted them,,,they ran him off.he owns the set that is north of town by the pipeline viewing site as lyndon pointed out.the old timer also told me that some of the train at petes headed to arizona about fifteen years ago,he says he may have a number for that guy too.he also has a bunch of old 8 mm film of when they demobed the trains off the slope,he is gonna dig it up for me.he worked on the crew that used the one at petes.really a cool old guy,hes 82 and just finally sold his last dragline that he operated every day two weeks ago...tough old bird...will post again after talking to the daughter tomarrow....bill


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## Mtn-Track

Any updates on this?!?!


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## bill w

it's still sitting right where it was......the daughter never got back with me.i see someone has been cleaning up the yard out there.i heard it was the karls.k&k recycling...but don't know for a fact.so no new info......maybe lyndon knows the karls well enough to find out.they won't even talk to me...bill w


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## Mtn-Track

Thanks Bill. The thought of a "recycling" outfit getting ahold of this machine makes me cringe..

Unless, of course, they are willing to part with it "as-is"..


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## bill w

well,anything they get turns into gold as far as they are concerned...he buys almost every track rig that comes off the slope,and as soon as he does...he wants top dollar for every part.i tried to buy a used set of sprockets for my tucker from them and was able to send mine to fallline and return ship them foralmost half what they wanted.....so i don't hold much faith in them turning loose of the train for as-is price.it'll probably sit in their yard off the hwy with most of the tuckers and rot to the ground,sadly........bill w


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## Lyndon

One of the Karls was Old Pete's worst enemy. Another was a good friend. I have contact, I'll find out. The "War" between Bernie Karl and Old Pete is a saga in itself. I'm just trying out my new 'stand-up' computer installation, have to bear/bare with me. Seems to be better on the back. As I was involved with both the Karls and Old Pete, I'll have to take the time to tell the stories of the war between the two scrappers. Their rivalry was legendary! More soon.


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## JIMMY66

g,day fellas still plugging away on this one will post some progress shots of my build soon.. even at such a small scale this thing is huge ,but the holy graile still illudes me i need some engine room pictures ,but its good to know that it (the one at old Pete's) has not BEEN scrapped 

so if anyone can jump the fence and snap a few shots in there of the engine room  boy o boy that would be great

JAMIE


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## bill w

i drove past it today and it's still sitting there.they got some big dogs there so i wouldn't jump the fence with a backpack of steaks for them...lol if i ever see the guys working there i'll stop and ask...i ALWAYS carry my camera.the karl bros are mad at me and the company i work for because we cleaned up the flood control canal that borders their property last year and the borough(who we were doing the job for)found out they had old equip leaking fuel and oil into the canal.they were ordered to clean it up,but as of this post it is still a mess back there.i was going to go back there and take pics of the old bombi's just rotting into the ground and post them here....but may just want to stay away from that area..they are the old ones with the ski's in the front..way cool old sno-cats...Bill w


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## JIMMY66

thanks heaps there Bill ...... i so would love to see this thing just to appreciate the full size of it , must be awesome ...keep that camera handy for me wont ya  JAMIE


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## Lyndon

Though I don't like to admit it, and definately don't list it on my Resume, I worked for Bernie Karl, the Karl Brothers, and K & K Recycling. I was also good friends with "Old Pete", which put me in a dicy position between 2 "arch rivals". I'd visit with Old Pete and loved to listen to his geat "war stories" as well as his antics with his fellow scrappers. Pete actually worked on building the famed "ALCAN", better known as the Alaska Highway. He even had an operational Cat Dozer that was actually used in the construction of the ALCAN. Of the 14 Karl's, only Bernie was at odds with Old Pete. The other Karl's were in good stead with him. Tony Karl was actually good friends with Old Pete, they palled around at auctions together and were always betting on how much something would sell for, the looser generally buying coffee. 
As of last week Tony was unaware of K & K owning Old Pete's place. I'll be there this summer and make some pictures, as well as look for that famed serial number one Thiokol(Frandie Sea Wolf Serial #ONE) for those interested. 
I've been following the history of the *LeTourneau Overland Train* now since roughly 1968 when I procured (2) sales announcements for the last one built, from the Department of Defense. A close and lifelong associate of mine was an engineering student at LeTourneau's engineering school in Longview Texas and worked on building a full size plywood mock-up prior to the construction of the first machine(the one the locomotive is sitting at Old Pete's junk yard). Years later(1994), when I first started working on the Trans Alaska Pipeline I spotted the cars and locomotive and that's how I came to be frineds with Old Pete. He had the original service manuals at his place there and I poured thru them in an attempt to get the electrical steering stuff to work. 
The Army once hired Old Pete, along with his Letourneau Locomotive, to go up and drag another later model Overland Train home that had broken down. Kind of a tow Truck/Rescue.
Old Pete's junk yard was originally a part of Ft. Wainwright where they refirbished trucks, tanks and heavy equipment. The millitary used some form of toxic cleaning agent that poluted the water table for miles around. I believe it was Toluline, anyway water from nearby wells was leathelly toxic and would take your skin off. Many houses had to be condemed and the government made the entire area a Superfund Hazardous waste clean-up-site. Then when Old Pete was away on vacation in Washington one time they came in and fenced-off the whole site and fenced him out of his house. This resulted in a long running leagle battle between Old Pete and the State. Old Pete was a sharp man and won various of the leagle battles and the state basically 'gave-up' figguring that he would die off soon and that that would be the end of it. But Pete defied them by living another 20 years! Pete moved into a little out-house of a shack, maybe 10 by 15 feet, heated by a wood stove. It had a phone, and one outlet, no sink, no water, no closets, just about nothing. He managed to survive there for another 14 years. It was a real testament to how tough he was. North Pole Alaska, the town next to Fairbanks regularly goes to 50 below, and has particularly brutal winters. If you want to see the real Arctic Stuff just try hanging out in North Pole or Fairbanks in the winter. 
I was once the liaison for a materials purchase between Bernie and Old Pete. so this summer when I'm there I'll see what I can find out about the status of the Overland Train. 
I know a dozen other great stories about Old Pete Peterson, but frankly I'm getting tired of typing and I need to get back to work. 
The Guiness book of worlds records list the Overland Train as the worlds longest vehicle.
Various magazines like Popular Mechanics ran detailed articles which would be a collectors item today. 
It had a "Quarter Mile Turning Radius".


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## moosebgy

Drove by the yard yesterday and they were loading the onto a flatbed tractor trailer.  Looks like it's going away.  What a shame.


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## alaska120

Lynden, let me know if you're in the area and I'll buy you a cup of coffee. Would love to chat about ole' Pete. Met him back in 1992 - I used to live right off Badger and passed his place every day...Heck, you get around Nenana and I'll buy ya dinner over at Roughwoods' place. Even round up foggy...


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## JIMMY66

We have movement..?? so they took her away ,any ideas whats going on hope its saved


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## Lyndon

Just called K & K, they didn't buy Pete's place and don't know what the "story" is. Someone in Fairbanks will have to inquire around. When I started this thread I had no Idea it would generate so much interest, or that it would end this way.


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## Lyndon

Hemmings Motor News ran this article a few years back. I has some stuff not covered elsewhere on this thread, some good pictures and a bunch of the history and specs. 
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/...t-australian-road-trains-to-shame/#more-17874


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## Mtn-Track

Wondering what the latest story is?

LOOK HERE:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Land...temQQptZMilitary_Vehicles?hash=item45f2559515

.


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## JIMMY66

if i win the lottery down here on thursday nite i'll buy it...... FAT CHANCE


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## bill w

three days left and only 5000.00............i don't think it will sell there..hopefully it generates interest with a museum..i've been chatting with the university of alaska fairbanks about having it displayed at their museum of the north display...but it would have to be donated..Bill w


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## Mtn-Track

The $5K is just the starting bid, I would suspect. The reserve is probably higher than that. I'd be all over it if I didn't think the cost of moving the entire thing would be equivelent to the national debt.


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## bill w

as of thursday the 22nd of april....it is still in the same spot as it was....Bill w


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## JIMMY66

i take it the dogs where still there to... or you forgot your camera...thanks for the heads up bill


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## Mtn-Track

So, anyone here the proud new owner of this machine?


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## couchloafer

Looks like it may have sold....$15,000.00 .....anybody know who bought it?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300422010276&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT


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## Snowtrac Nome

couchloafer said:


> Looks like it may have sold....$15,000.00 .....anybody know who bought it?
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0422010276&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT


 that price makes it scarry with the price of scrap metal i wouldn't be suprised if a scraper bought it just to resell the aluminum and copper in it


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## Bulldog1401

F*cker better not! Thats a piece of history. I never wanted to win the lottery so bad in my life.....

If I could colllect machines just because ..I would own this, the antartic snow cruiser, and howard hughes's sea plane. pretty cool machinery!


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## JIMMY66

it really is a shame that the US goverment or the transport museums have'nt got on board to save this incredible piece of transporting history
A BLOODY DAMN SHAME.................................


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## Snowtrac Nome

JIMMY66 said:


> it really is a shame that the US goverment or the transport museums have'nt got on board to save this incredible piece of transporting history
> A BLOODY DAMN SHAME.................................


the alaska transportation musem should have snatched it up as for any thing federal given the current administration i did not vote for if it dosn't give out free helth care or rid the enviroment of harmful green house gasses don't expect them to preserve it.


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## bill w

we came by it last night and it is still there....we also found one missing trailer in tok while on the way out to the mining claims...Bill w    they must be working at night in that yard,noone is ever there but stuff is moved around in the am...


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## NorthernRedneck

Just watching this weeks new episode of "Ice road truckers"  They showed a few short clips of the overland train.


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## Lyndon

As of 2 days ago, 6/6/10 the locomotive of Old Pete's Overland train was still sitting off Badger road where it has resided for the last 20 years. 
While in Fairbnks I also looked for the serial Number One Frandie Sea Wolf(predacessor to Thiokol) and there was no sign of it. They had taken a dozer and pushed it up into a big pile of scrap. Lost forever!


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## alaska120

FYI...the Overland was purchased for $15,000 and is being sent to Edmonton to be put on display at a transportation museum. I wanted to bid it but couldn't afford the cost + shipping down the highway. Ended up being $5,500 for 75 miles!
At least it's being saved.


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## Mtn-Track

That's good to know the Overland is being saved (for now?) and not headed for the scrap pile. I didn't bid on it either due to the transport cost alone...

What's a Frandie Sea Wolf?


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## weatherby

Mtn-Track said:


> That's good to know the Overland is being saved (for now?) and not headed for the scrap pile. I didn't bid on it either due to the transport cost alone...
> 
> What's a Frandie Sea Wolf?



I believe this is, and the last pic (color) is it with the tracks missing.


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## Snowtrac Nome

weatherby said:


> I believe this is, and the last pic (color) is it with the tracks missing.


mabe the predecessor to the thiokol kind of has a lot in comon with a tucker.


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## Mtn-Track

Thanks Weatherby. It doesn't look like it worked so good without tracks though.

If I remember right Tucker holds the patent on the 4-track, wagon-steer design that pre-dates the one in the photo's. Maybe they had to abandon them and go with the standard skid-stear design because of it. Looks COLD!


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## tonus

there was a machine built and used in Alaska in the 1950s or 60s. it had a plane on top and it was used to keep an eye on Russia during the cold war.  it had running gear that could be retracted so it could slide on its belly over crevasses. the people just left it there and I think it is STILL there. does anyone know the name of that machine or any info on it?? at the time it had the biggest tires that Firestone had made. and it was not part of the snow train.


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## tonus

never mind,,,I found out my info was not correct. it is the snow cruiser I was told about,,,,I guess I got my wires crossed about the tire manufaturers. sucks to get old and forget all the particulars.


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## Snowcat Operations

It was in Antarctica and got stuck very shortly after being unloaded from the ship.  It was used a a camp for a bit but was then abandoned and forgotten.  She would now be at the bottom of the sea since it would have migrated with the ice shelf and would have eventually brocken off and floated out to sea to only have the ice melt.  She would have plunged to a dark abyss never to be seen from again.  Sad ending.


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## mbsieg

Holy crap Blast from the past Hi Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## NorthernRedneck

Yes...nice to see you back Mike!!!!!!!


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## Snowcat Operations

Thank you gentelmen.  I recieved a notice to this posting and thought I would share the little knowledge I had on this particular "Snow ????  Ship?


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## Snowcat Operations

I do miss conversing with you old coots!


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## Snowcat Operations

Mikey Poo? Like Im some old lost friend? Hold on. Theres something sticking out of my back!


I see you deleted you post Pirate Girl.


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## pirate_girl

Snowcat Operations said:


> Mikey Poo.  Hold on.  Theres something sticking out of my back



You need to get over it.
So do others.
Previous post deleted.


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## pirate_girl

Snowcat Operations said:


> I see you deleted you post Pirate Girl.


Just get on with the snowcat stuff Mike.
Sush isn't here. 
You still apparently are holding a grudge over moderation and things of the past.
Just like some others are.
This is a broad forum.
Sorry I even posted.


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## Snowcat Operations

pirate_girl said:


> Just get on with the snowcat stuff Mike.
> Sush isn't here.
> You still apparently are holding a grudge over moderation and things of the past.
> Just like some others are.
> This is a broad forum.
> Sorry I even posted.


 




Have a nice night. As far as holding a grudge with the Mods. Not at all. In fact ive just been pretty slammed at work. Not sure what Sushi has to do with this either? Do I detect a hint of guilt there?  Oh well its good to be back.


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## Snowcat Operations

Snowcat Operations said:


> Have a nice night. As far as holding a grudge with the Mods. Not at all. In fact ive just been pretty slammed at work. Not sure what Sushi has to do with this either? Do I detect a hint of guilt there? Oh well its good to be back.


 

Does anyone remember the name of this machine.  I cant remeber it for the life of me!


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## weatherby

I think this might be what your thinking of Mike

http://www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/snowcruiser.html


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## Snowcat Operations

Thats it!  Thanks Weatherby.


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## sledhaus

When the Snow Cruiser was abandoned I believe it was well into the interior where it had been used for a forward base. A later expedition in the 50s I believe located it by an antenna protruding from the ice and dug down to it. One of the members of this team was also part of the original trial run of the machine. He grabbed a stack of "covers" (expedition mail envelopes) for a sovenior. He is deceased now but a few years ago his son was selling the covers on ebay. I bought one and communicated with him. He sent me scanned photos his father had taken of the original expedition but I don't believe he had any of the second one. I have the photos on a disc so I would have to find it and check. Likely it is still there but under 50 feet of ice. Or it could have headed to sea. With all this Global Warming maybe it will turn up again.


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