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BIGGEST SNOW MACHINE EVER BUILT!

alaska120

Mayor McCheese
SUPER Site Supporter
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!:thumb:
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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...
 

AKdlarson

New member
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
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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

New member
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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fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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.
 

Snowcat Operations

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
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?:rolleyes: If not I will be the talk of the town with my Lawn Art!:pat: :yum:
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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...
 

AKdlarson

New member
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.
 

Lyndon

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
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.
 

Lyndon

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
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?
 

Bobcat

Je Suis Charlie Hebdo
GOLD Site Supporter
Lyndon must be trying to use his compass way up there, where it points no where near north. Ft Wainwright is east of Fairbanks. :yum:

Here she be...
 

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Bobcat

Je Suis Charlie Hebdo
GOLD Site Supporter
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

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
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?
 

Bobcat

Je Suis Charlie Hebdo
GOLD Site Supporter
I'll always remember where Ft. Wainwright is, bombed it with a propane tank from a Chinook in '81 or '82! :thumb: :yum:

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

Je Suis Charlie Hebdo
GOLD Site Supporter
More in the same area...
 

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Bobcat

Je Suis Charlie Hebdo
GOLD Site Supporter
I'll save that for the "True Life, Tall Tales, and Bold-Faced Lies" thread! :yum:

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



:hide:
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
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?
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
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

New member
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
 

alaska741

New member
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.
 

moosebgy

Member
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

Member
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.
 

couchloafer

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
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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