Land Train

[fesm_ndt]

Well never knew about this one "The Alaskan Land Train (or Overland Train) was an enormous leviathan developed by LeTourneau, a heavy-equipment maker based in Longview, Texas for the US Army in the 1950s."

 

http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/alaskan_land_train.html

 

Would be a 'long' restoration :rofl:

[steveo578]

There was something in Wheels and Tracks about Le Tourneau stuff mainly aircraft cranes and movers but I am sure the Land trains were mentioned.

[haybaggerman]

wasn't that profiled in CMV a few months ago?

[Tony B]

A lot of the tyres for that beast ended up on Monster trucks. Supposedly the most expensive tyres ever made. The latest idea along these lines are self guiding trucks. There is an annual event for teams, there was a TV proggramme on it. The trucks were expected to cover a twenty odd mile course over rough conditions, and some did!

[phil munga]

Good find there Mike I was in W.H.Smiths and was flicking through the pages of the MV magazines and Plant mags and there was quite a good write up in one of them I could not stop for long as the Mrs was nagging to hurry up

[sean101ryan]

It was featured in CMV a while back and the article by Pat Ware was repeated in Classic Plant and Machinery a couple of months ago.

 

RG LeTourneau was quite an inovator when it came to diesel electric drive and even prefered electric rack and pinion drive to hydraulic rams. Although mainly an earthmover manufacturer he build a lot of military equipment including some strange stuff in the Vietnam war. There's a whole host of books about his machines and LeTourneau still build the worlds largest loading shovels (260t/2300hp monsters though with RG gone they now use hydraulic rams).

 

Ooops seem to have gone on a bit about my second favourite subject!

[radiomike7]

Old hat really, Porsche developed 2 similar systems, Landwehr and C train many years before.

http://www.hybrid-vehicle.org/hybrid-vehicle-landwehr.html

[phil munga]

Sean , thats correct they did build some strange machines ,,That must be some size loader 260t 2300hp , Do you remember the 183 ton ACCO largest dozer you can now get a model some nice pictures on link below

 

http://www.vincelewis.net/acco.html

 

link to the model makers website

 

http://www.doncampbellmodels.com/blog/photos.html

[phil munga]

Old hat really, Porsche developed 2 similar systems, Landwehr and C train many years before.

http://www.hybrid-vehicle.org/hybrid-vehicle-landwehr.html

 

good link , seemed to think he did one before this one got pictures in a book somewhere ,two trailers with electric powered hubs that is drawn by a steam engine ,

but then on this write-up it says these are internal combustion engines and call them traction engines

[sean101ryan]

Yea, seen both those sites, ACCO also built the worlds largest grader. There's some fantastic machinary models out there now, radio contol models of Alberta Oils Sands RB and PH mining shovels are under development for around $10,000!! I was sort of tempted by a CCM D8 but can't justify it.

 

I'm almost as much a sucker for classic plant as post war military kit but never owned any; was on site from a young age with my father, couldn't do it these days! Visited Threlkeld in 08 for a VET working weekend and have been to an SE Davies event in Thaxted in the past.

 

Interesting link Mike, suspect Porsche and LeTourneau would have got on well only RG thought much bigger! I assume he would have known about Porsche's work.

[LarryH57]

How about this for a land train from WW2!

 

Edited January 5, 2010 by LarryH57

[fesm_ndt]

thats an interesting shot, wonder why or what they are up to?

[phil munga]

Not sure what there up to but looks as though they've stooped on a level crossing

[Tony B]

The last time a picture of similar 'Military Vehicles' was on the forum it was the mobile brothel. :cool2:

[fesm_ndt]

The last time a picture of similar 'Military Vehicles' was on the forum it was the mobile brothel. :cool2:

 

All I can say is "efficient buggers" :dancinggirls:

[Tony B]

All I can say is "efficient buggers" :dancinggirls:

 

Nooo.that was very discouraged in the Third Reich! :n00b:

Theres a picture somewhere of 'The Other Place' showing Similar three quarter tracked vehicles doing a push me pull you on the guns for the Mirus Battery. Anyone got a copy?