1956 LeTourneau LCC-1 Sno-Train - video and photos

1956 LeTourneau LCC-1 Sno-Train, an example of an Overland train. It's parked at the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...n_fullsize.jpg
https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h..._sno_train.jpg

1:03 video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85AMKsw8Png

Note the 120" tires, which were later used on Bigfoot 5 in 1986:

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...neau_tires.jpg


More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overland_train

Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...9192#post88833
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...9096#post88652
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...2978#post77214

The tires look a lot like lawn ones on a mower/tractor. Must have worked though. the diameter would have a lot to do with it, I suspect: the old diameter verses width.

I don't know how many of the land trains were built but one like the one in the video is located in a field about a 100 miles outside of Fairbanks 1/4 mile from the pipeline
THe pictures were taken by my partner with the truck and trailers just last week
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I've seen "Ice Road Truckers" so why was the train not such a great invention and still used.
It doesn't look like many of these were lost compared to big rigs. i get it that driving across frozen lakes is probably a bad idea but is it not a bad idea anyways.

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Originally Posted by MeJasonT

I've seen "Ice Road Truckers" so why was the train not such a great invention and still used.
It doesn't look like many of these were lost compared to big rigs. i get it that driving across frozen lakes is probably a bad idea but is it not a bad idea anyways.

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At the time period the land trains were used Highway transport trucks were comparatively small by today's standards 180 to 238 HP was the norm. Tandem drive axles were not even the standard. a lot of highway trucks still ran single drive with a tag axle, and only the military or mining & logging trucks had all wheel drive
None of the roads far up north were paved and only a select few a little farther south were even graveled.
A road in the far north might be nothing more than a cut trail hardly any snow removal equipment was available and that was limited to being dozers
A 50 inch snow fall meant nothing moved not even dog sleds until it froze and packed.
Freight could be transferred directly from a ship at a harbor or from trucks to the land trains then transported over and through seemingly inaccessible areas.
As the horsepower of road trucks increased and roads were graveled some even paved (Sorta) maintenance equipment and snow removal equipment evolved the need for these behemoths diminished as the economics scale of transferring freight onto them shifted in the other direction. In the far north regions say Whitehorse and farther north or a few of the 100s of small Islands that are inhabited getting freight to them can only be done at certain times a year either by boat when the rivers are flowing or by ice road in the dead of winter. How would you like to live where the sun sets for the final time in mid November and doesn't rise again until February There are places where that does happen it could be 100 days between sunset and sun rise other than just a faint glow to the south.

Thanks Frank,
Makes sense I suppose.
I have worked in the arctic circle north of Norway in the Oil industry, the 100 days without light doesn't screw me up half as much as the 24 hr day light. my body see's dark as the signal to sleep. Strange but working night shifts never bothered me either way. I've also worked down at the other end (Antarctica) In the Falklands and South Georgia, I also had the pleasure of working on MV Earnest Shackleton the antarctic survey vessel - luckily not six months away from home. Its a strange boat, it has a class system on-board - Senior officers and managers, ships crew and then the grunts with separate mess rooms and lounges for each. Sad, so 18th century. It wasn't that bad when I was in the RN.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MeJasonT

Thanks Frank,
Makes sense I suppose.
I have worked in the arctic circle north of Norway in the Oil industry, the 100 days without light doesn't screw me up half as much as the 24 hr day light. my body see's dark as the signal to sleep. Strange but working night shifts never bothered me either way. I've also worked down at the other end (Antarctica) In the Falklands and South Georgia, I also had the pleasure of working on MV Earnest Shackleton the antarctic survey vessel - luckily not six months away from home. Its a strange boat, it has a class system on-board - Senior officers and managers, ships crew and then the grunts with separate mess rooms and lounges for each. Sad, so 18th century. It wasn't that bad when I was in the RN.

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You know the times when I was working in extreme cold (well extreme to me that is) -40c with howling 50 MPH winds for some reason I seemed to stay thirstier than working in the deserts of kuwait. Almost afraid to drink very much of anything because natural body functions would get in the way of working.

Imagine turning one of those into an RV. Literally a go anywhere vacation solution.

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Originally Posted by wizard69

Imagine turning one of those into an RV. Literally a go anywhere vacation solution.

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Or you could have one of these
https://youtu.be/1XUEvkMZHno
Well maybe not

This is well worth a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31OhbS4O8T4

I know the Lambert Family, unfortunately Douglas is no longer with us.
It hasn't taken very long for for his record to be beaten with the likes of Formula E.
scary how fast the technology has improved over a short space of time, Our mental government wants everyone in the UK to drive electric cars by 2020.
Shame about never owning the batteries - they are rented and a fee is charged against them every year. where a car depreciated by £1500 a year the additional rental of +£2500 for batteries, its now in the realms of printer ink. People living in poorer areas of the UK (ie not London) will end up not being able to afford a car, these areas are also those where investment in local transport no longer exists and the infrastructure is in decline. A car really is essential as individuals from these areas are the backbone/workers making the products so the moneyed idiots can come out with such stupidity. I guess we don't worry to much about radicals in the UK as our leaders are far worse, at least in March Europe wont be adding there 10 cents.

This turns me green with envy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luu0TWdFFnU

"The story behind the pictures: a property on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal, which belonged to a former dealer of vehicles was sold after his death, and what drew the attention of the buyer was a barn that had the doors sealed by welding. So that was open, showed a real treasure - dozens of cars, acquired by the former owner to compose your personal collection. Under the dust accumulated for years, rarities of European and U.S. automotive industries, such as Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Alfa-Romeo, Lotus, among others. Some very damaged, but others in conservation status impeccable." One guy commented on youtube, this is the story i heard as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MeJasonT

This turns me green with envy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luu0TWdFFnU

"The story behind the pictures: a property on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal, which belonged to a former dealer of vehicles was sold after his death, and what drew the attention of the buyer was a barn that had the doors sealed by welding. So that was open, showed a real treasure - dozens of cars, acquired by the former owner to compose your personal collection. Under the dust accumulated for years, rarities of European and U.S. automotive industries, such as Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Alfa-Romeo, Lotus, among others. Some very damaged, but others in conservation status impeccable." One guy commented on youtube, this is the story i heard as well.

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While had it been me who had opened the door my first reaction might have been which of these really have no collector-ship value and which ones do also which ones can I use to turn the quickest profit so I can afford to keep the ones I like.
My second reaction might be holey molley quick call Schotchby's or Barrett Jackson or someone I've hit the mother load.
My third reaction would have been quick weld the door shut again before anyone knows these are in here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frank S

Or you could have one of these

Well maybe not

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The funny thing here is that I've been looking into buying a pickup to take me into retirement! One of the goals is to spend some time travelling but I would need for that ruck to fit on the roads so this guy will not do. On the other hand I can admire somebody that pursues a dream and builds something nobody else has.

I guess I'm guilty too of thinking about building my own travel trailer to go with that pickup. That seems to be more rational than building the whole truck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wizard69

The funny thing here is that I've been looking into buying a pickup to take me into retirement! One of the goals is to spend some time travelling but I would need for that ruck to fit on the roads so this guy will not do. On the other hand I can admire somebody that pursues a dream and builds something nobody else has.

I guess I'm guilty too of thinking about building my own travel trailer to go with that pickup. That seems to be more rational than building the whole truck.

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Yeah well when your twice removed 3rd Uncle is the King and you are born with millions of Riyals soiling your nappies every-time your fed from your mother's blossom, then you turn those into a few billions by the time you are thirty. you can own your own little world or have a pickup that weighs 50 tons to drive around at a max speed of 20 KPH because that is all the little 300 hp diesel has power to move the beast.
There is a lot of equipment over there with those huge tires on them

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wizard69

The funny thing here is that I've been looking into buying a pickup to take me into retirement! One of the goals is to spend some time travelling but I would need for that ruck to fit on the roads so this guy will not do. On the other hand I can admire somebody that pursues a dream and builds something nobody else has.

I guess I'm guilty too of thinking about building my own travel trailer to go with that pickup. That seems to be more rational than building the whole truck.

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I have a 1944 EQ Mack and a 1951 B61 Mack and a brand new 5 year old Cummins ISB 350 HP and a qudraplex Mack transmission that I have been thinking about building one of the trucks into a pickup for a daily driver Just haven't found that proverbial round-to-it yet

Whilst we are comparing sizes - I have a Vauxhall Vivaro Van, oh sorry that's not impressive -ill shut up now.

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Originally Posted by MeJasonT

Whilst we are comparing sizes - I have a Vauxhall Vivaro Van, oh sorry that's not impressive -ill shut up now.

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A little side track as I do. A couple of days ago, I went down the paddock to get remaining mandarines from our trees before the crows stole them all only to discover something in the glove compartment of my dual cab 4x4 ute. the resident was a tiger snake & our jack russell flushed it out of its bed for me to almost stand on just at dusk. lucky escape for all three of us. LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ranald

A little side track as I do. A couple of days ago, I went down the paddock to get remaining mandarines from our trees before the crows stole them all only to discover something in the glove compartment of my dual cab 4x4 ute. the resident was a tiger snake & our jack russell flushed it out of its bed for me to almost stand on just at dusk. lucky escape for all three of us. LOL

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We love our protective 4 legged companions but they don't always give us fair warning.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frank S

We love our protective 4 legged companions but they don't always give us fair warning.

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I think they usually try but we dont understand as much as them. Our Jack Russell was killing a snake near the house & our pup was barking at him in action. When the pup ,about 3 months, tried to go in and assist the Jack Russell did a very different bark and the pup jumped back. happened a couple of times before i could catch the little guy.there are different barks & tail action for different ocassions: seems some other body language as well. I'm learning to read it where the pup seems to exactly know but has young enthausism.When on a rat or roo scent his tail is like a periscope & when a snake it is a slow wag.
cheers to you & nature & our 4 legged friends/family

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Originally Posted by Jon

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Not at all sure what the Arab Prince was trying accomplish, but whatever it was I'm sure he feels he made his point.

A nice vid on the OP's topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QfCpxOJCFA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QfCpxOJCFA