Overland Trains

Articles

  • Presenting at the Alaska Historical Society Annual Conference – October 15, 2022

    Presenting at the Alaska Historical Society Annual Conference – October 15, 2022

    On October 15, 2022, I will virtually present at the Alaska Historical Society Annual Conference. The presentation track is called “Conflicts Over Transportation.” If you would like to view any part of the conference, please visit the Society’s website at https://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/about-ahs/conference/.

    Presentation Schedule for the Transportation Block

    11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Conflicts Over Transportation 

     Mark Moore – Researching R. G. LeTourneau’s Overland Trains: Stories from the North 

    Leanna Prax Williams – Altering Course: Alaska’s Aviation Industry and the 1938 Civil Aeronautics Act 

    Philip Wight – Whose Haul Road? How the Dalton Highway Became Public, 1968-2001 

    Moderator: Karen Brewster  

  • The First Books are Starting to Arrive

    The First Books are Starting to Arrive

    I received a message from an acquaintance on Twitter this evening that his book finally arrived. As part of the book release, I have paid for a handful of copies to be sent to various media outlets and heavy equipment associations. These copies should help spread the word about R. G.’s Overland Trains and set accurate history in motion.

  • That First Time You See Your Book on Kindle

    That First Time You See Your Book on Kindle

  • R. G. LeTourneau’s Overland Trains: a complete history is now AVAILABLE

    R. G. LeTourneau’s Overland Trains: a complete history is now AVAILABLE

    I started writing this book in February of 2020. Two and a half years later, I have captured the most complete Overland Trains story ever published. Buy the book now on Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFL91FX6).

  • Book Writing Update September 14, 2022: 2nd Author’s Proof Arrived

    Book Writing Update September 14, 2022: 2nd Author’s Proof Arrived

    After comparing the PDF proof that Amazon generates versus what is printed in the book, I am confident that the content is comparable. After making some formatting changes, mainly on the cover, I ordered a 2nd author’s proof to make sure that the cover image lightening and image alignment were as I wanted them. The first author’s proof showed me that the book cover was too dark and there was a portion of the sky that was at the top-left corner – very distracting.

    On the most recent author’s proof, you can see substantially more detail and more of the Sno-Train than in the first edit. Much improved.

    2nd author’s proof (right) and 1st author’s proof (right)
  • South Ural State University is Building an “Overland Train”

    South Ural State University is Building an “Overland Train”

    South Ural State University is engineering an Overland Train. It’s purpose is multi-faceted. A one-page slide describes it as an “Arctic road train with transportable functional module.” It will include a medical functional module, cooking module, educational or research module, and a module for “household use.”

    Image: South Ural State University

    The University is also building an Arctic Bus to accompany the Overland Train. Ramil Zakirov is the project head on behalf SUSU.

    Source: https://www.susu.ru/en/news/2021/11/30/arctic-bus-being-readied-be-tested-far-north

  • Breaking Down the “Le Tourneau Cross-Country Freighter”

    Breaking Down the “Le Tourneau Cross-Country Freighter”

    The November 10, 1962 issue of Eagle (England) published a cutaway image of the Alaska Freight Lines Sno-Freighter. While the drawing is inaccurate on a few details, it shows the general ideas well. I was talking with Dale Hardy about the image; he pointed out the control car’s front axle and how it would be unable to steer. The Sno-Freighter used pivot ball steering with an AC motor and gearing as a mechanism to move the entire front axle. The gears, or drivers in the wheels also had three gears, not five. I got lost in the drawing for a little bit. I hope that you do too!

    image courtesy dale hardy
    image courtesy Dale hardy
  • Kindle eBook Delayed Until September 23, 2022

    Kindle eBook Delayed Until September 23, 2022

    I received the author’s proof a few days ago. Since then, I have paged through the entire book and made some minor corrections, mostly formatting. In order to release the Kindle and the paper book at the same time, I moved the LIVE date on the eBook to make sure this could happen. I also made some formatting changes to the book cover. It was a little too dark and I moved the Sno-Train over to the right side a little more. That way, you can see the inside of the rim.

    Next steps are to order another author’s proof and make sure everything is the way that I want it.

  • Book Writing Update for September 5, 2022: Author’s Proofs Arrived Today

    Book Writing Update for September 5, 2022: Author’s Proofs Arrived Today

    An author’s proof is a non-retail book printing for the author’s review. This is the final review step before releasing the book to the public for sale. I paid a little over $24 per author’s proof plus shipping and handling. Once I review the proof, I can submit it for approval or make edits. I read yesterday that one author reviewed three different proof versions before going live for sale.

    The next steps are for me to review the book and make text or formatting corrections if any are needed. If none are needed, then the book will go live 24-72 hours after I hit the “publish” button. If I need to make corrections, I will submit for another author’s proof to make sure that they were formatted the way that I want.

  • Sno-Freighter at Bear Creek Machine Shop – Then and Now

    Sno-Freighter at Bear Creek Machine Shop – Then and Now

    After the Sno-Freighter jackknifed and caught fire, it sat for several years in a valley east of Eagle. When the Sno-Freighter was recovered, it was moved to the Bear Creek Machine Shop on the Yukon Consolidate Gold Corporation (YCGC) property. It sat for many years until it was finally moved in 1968 by Cliff Bishop and others.

    Bear Creek machine shop and the sno-freighter (left (image credit: the millen collection)) and the same location on google maps (right)

    You can explore the location where the Sno-Freighter called home in its present day on Google Maps with the following link – https://www.google.com/maps/@64.0273694,-139.2429767,2a,75y,231.67h,88.44t,1.95r/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szmk9SNzf43EO3k4djfcT9w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656.

    Thank you to Dale Hardy for sending me the Google Maps link to explore! If you navigate to the Google Maps link above, you can still see the building sign writing displaying “Bear Creek Machine Shop.”

    The front bumper shows the writing “KEEP OUT PRIVATE PROPERTY Y.C.G.C.”

    Image: The millen collection