US Army Alaskan Land Train from the 1950s - PICS and Video

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US Army Alaskan Land Train from the 1950s - PICS and Video

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:50:19 PM EDT

I was browsing around looking at pictures of unusual military vehicles when I stumbled across this. I'd never heard of it before. Very cool design that was ultimately scrapped.

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:54:34 PM EDT

[#1]

Never heard of it before- neat.

Wonder where the desert testing in the first pic took place.

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:55:55 PM EDT

[#2]

That's interesting!

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:58:16 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Never heard of it before- neat.

Wonder where the desert testing in the first pic took place.

I'm guessing Yuma, Desert Proving Grounds.

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:58:26 PM EDT

[#4]

I want one.

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:58:29 PM EDT

[#5]

Cool, never heard of that before.

Posted: 7/11/2011 4:58:42 PM EDT

[#6]

Look south...

Posted: 7/11/2011 5:00:07 PM EDT

[#7]

Cool!

Thanks for sharing.

Posted: 7/11/2011 5:00:43 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

I want one.

Posted: 7/11/2011 5:02:43 PM EDT

[#9]

A set of the tires off that thing wound up on one of the Bigfoot monster trucks in the 80s.

I guess two of those trains were made. One was scrapped and the other is sitting in some guy's yard in Alaska (there are pics of it on the internets).

Posted: 7/11/2011 5:03:42 PM EDT

[#10]

Awsome pics! The first pic almost looks like a kids toy, until you notice the tracked vehicle (M113?) on one of the trailers.

Posted: 7/11/2011 5:17:31 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
A set of the tires off that thing wound up on one of the Bigfoot monster trucks in the 80s.

I guess two of those trains were made. One was scrapped and the other is sitting in some guy's yard in Alaska (there are pics of it on the internets).

It's down the road from me, I'll try and get a pic or two this week. Wish I could buy it.

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Posted: 7/11/2011 5:26:56 PM EDT

[#12]

Google Rolligon Corp.

Posted: 7/11/2011 5:29:15 PM EDT

[#13]

That thing sat in a surplus yard for years in Yuma after testing in the heat, the tires were huge.

them again I was just a kid but they looked big

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:09:38 PM EDT

[#14]

Some where i saw where 1 overturned and burnt.

Think it was on the Alaska PBS.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:13:21 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
A set of the tires off that thing wound up on one of the Bigfoot monster trucks in the 80s.

I guess two of those trains were made. One was scrapped and the other is sitting in some guy's yard in Alaska (there are pics of it on the internets).

Yep.
Right outside Ft Wainwright. Along with a bunch of other junk.
At least it was in 1991.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:18:58 PM EDT

[#16]

I saw a relatively extensive post on that thing over on the PBB a year or so back. Very interesting.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:22:08 PM EDT

[#17]

I am pretty sure that the Australians do something similar for transporting things in their deserts.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:26:25 PM EDT

[#18]

Still have one of those in Fairbanks

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:30:54 PM EDT

[#19]

My initial observation says that's a very inefficient load factor in play there, e.g. an awful lot of tare weight relative to the cargo.

There was an article in TRAINS magazine years ago where the writer extolled the virtues of making all US and Canadian rail lines doublewide - basically two parallel sets of tracks that would facilitate doublewide supertrains while still allowing conventional trains on the single sets of tracks. If I remember correctly, one of the motivations for this project was military interest in moving larger bulkeir equipment en masse across country at will. I suspect this and the OP's discovery are related.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:32:25 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Never heard of it before- neat.

Wonder where the desert testing in the first pic took place.

I'm guessing Yuma, Desert Proving Grounds.

That might be New Mexico. Looks an awful lot like White Sands Missile Range.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:32:36 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

I am pretty sure that the Australians do something similar for transporting things in their deserts.

Yup. A guy I went to school with had an uncle or something out in Oz that he claimed drove the Road Trains.

Here's the record holder:

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:32:46 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Still have one of those in Fairbanks

That thing is still there?!!!!

I would have thought it would have been sold for scrap.

That just proves what I have told people down here.
"Alaskans don't throw nuthin away."

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:35:23 PM EDT

[#23]

LeTourneau Land Train.

Very cool, and their were also several types built. One was used as a tourist vehicle in Alaska, and nobody could really make them profitable long term.

I want one! That could be the ultimate RV! :D

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:39:48 PM EDT

[#24]

Snow cruiser.

Make an awesome BOV if it wasn't so huge.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:39:56 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Still have one of those in Fairbanks

That thing is still there?!!!!

I would have thought it would have been sold for scrap.

That just proves what I have told people down here.

"Alaskans don't throw nuthin away."

No We don't throw nothing away.

Even go dig inthe dump for parts lol.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:45:55 PM EDT

[#26]

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:46:01 PM EDT

[#27]

It's wheels and tires live on in Big Foot.

Posted: 7/11/2011 7:47:11 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Still have one of those in Fairbanks

That thing is still there?!!!!

I would have thought it would have been sold for scrap.

That just proves what I have told people down here.
"Alaskans don't throw nuthin away."

No We don't throw nothing away.

Even go dig inthe dump for parts lol.

There are a few of those modules toward Fox, north of Fairbanks. It looks like a guy built a house on a couple of them, and there are maybe 1 or 2 scattered around the house with other weird surplus stuff you wo'nt see anywhere else. I've always meant to stop by and ask to take pics.

Posted: 7/12/2011 5:45:51 AM EDT

[#29]

The original idea was for an "Atomic Land Train" to give you and idea how they originally wanted to power it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US Army Alaskan Land Train from the 1950s - PICS and Video

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