TC-497 Operator’s Station: Then and Now

Aside from a little paint and some wear and tear, I would say that the Operator’s seat and controls on the TC-497 have weathered well over the last 60 years. The left half of the image shows the Operator’s area while in LeTourneau’s Longview, TX factory. If you look closely, through the windows, you can see various components on the factory floor. The image on the right was captured around 2019 during a period of restoration, led by Mark Sandercock and others.

The tc-497’s Operator’s station: Image (left) shows the TC-497 interior while in the Longview Factory, Courtesy R. G. LeTOurneau Museum & archives at LeTourneau university; image (right) shows the same view after restoration at the yuma proving ground heritage center, courtesy of mark sandercock, US Army RET.