Overland Trains

Category: VC-22 Sno-Freighter

  • Sno-Freighter Serial Number Tags

    Sno-Freighter Serial Number Tags

    The Sno-Freighter control car was serial number 5198, while the 4 trailers were serial numbers 5199-5203.

    • Sno-Freighter – image Mike Haskins
    • Sno-Freighter serial number tag #5198 – image David Weber

    The serial number tag was pulled from the Sno-Freighter and rests safely framed on a person’s wall in Alaska.

    • serial-5200-sno-freighter-trailer-mike-haskins
    • Sno-Freighter trailer – image RL Book
    • serial-5199-sno-freighter-trailer-mike-haskins

    The Sno-Freighter trailer serial number tag should still be on the unit, unless it has been pulled by someone.

  • Abbreviations and Acronyms

    Abbreviations and Acronyms

    If the military is involved, you can be certain that they will use an abbreviation or acronym for their organized name, project, or equipment. Here are a few of the more commonly used abbreviations and acronyms used during the scope of the Overland Trains.

    ACAN – Army Command and Administrative Network

    ACFEL – Arctic Construction & Frosts Laboratory

    APPR – Army Package Power Reactor

    ERDL – Engineer Research & Development Laboratory

    FESA – Facilities Engineering Support Agency

    LCC – Logistical Cargo Carrier

    PR&DC – Polar Research & Development Center

    SIPRE – Snow, Ice, Permafrost & Research Establishment

    TRADCOM – Transportation Research Development Command

    TRARG – Transportation Arctic Group

    TRECOM – Transportation Research Command

    TREOG – Transportation Research & Environmental Operations Group

    USARSG – United States Army Research & Standardization Group

  • Sno-Freighter Recovery from Yukon Territory in 1962

    Sno-Freighter Recovery from Yukon Territory in 1962

    The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line was a line of radar stations spanning from Alaska, Canada, and parts of Greenland. Large quantities of materials were needed to build and resupply these stations. There were a total of 63 remote radar sites. The President of Alaska Freight Lines (AFL) proposed to the government contractor building the DEW Line, that they could haul 500 tons of materials to these stations. As part of the contract, AFL would not be paid until all 500 tons of freight were supplied. In January of 1955, AFL contracted with R.G. LeTourneau, Inc to build the Sno-Freighter to accomplish the resupply contract.

    • DEW Line map
    • image: Millen Collection

    In the spring of 1956, its final supply trip, the Sno-Freighter lost control in the ice and snow and jackknifed. A fire started because of the jackknife, which destroyed it’s ability to transport under it’s own power. Cliff Bishop’s book “18 Wheels North to Alaska: A History of Trucking in Alaska” talks about his efforts to recover the Sno-Freighter from its break down. Fast forward 6 years later.

    After a number of years of deteriorating in Canada, the government wanted it out of their territory. The United States Army was sent in to recover the Sno-Freighter in 1962. The images below show the Sno-Freighter as it makes its way from the Yukon Territory to Alaska.

    • image: M. Martinez
    • image: M. Martinez

    The Sno-Freighter did not have the means to make it out of Canada on its own. As you can see from the image above-left, the entire engine and generator compartment are burnt out. As part of the research on the Overland Trains, I was fortunate to meet and interview the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of the recovery out of Canada. More on how they did it in my book coming late 2021, early 2022.

    • Custom Slingshot from a R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. Draftsman I Interviewed

      Custom Slingshot from a R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. Draftsman I Interviewed

      During my trip to Texas last week, I interviewed a man who drafted the suspension components for the Overland Train MkII. The interview lasted only an hour. A couple of days later, we met up with another man who worked on the R.G. LeTourneau, Inc assembly line. During the 2 hour lunch, he gave me a custom slingshot. He makes these custom for each person that he deems worthy of his creations. This is built out of Red Oak and has custom engravings on each side.

      • One side is engraved with my name “Mark.”
      • One side is engraved with the word “Historian.”
      • Each slingshot has a custom message for the owner. This was mine.

    • Sno-Freighter Hauling Two Scrapers

      Sno-Freighter Hauling Two Scrapers

      In the image below, the Alaska Freight Lines Sno-Freighter (Model VC-22) carries two scrapers in one of its cargo cars. The image is dated March 01, 1956. This timeframe places the Sno-Freighter during it’s last journey before it jack-knifed and caught fire.

      source: R.L.’s notebook dated March 01, 1956
    • Sno-Freighter Globe-Union Inc. Batteries Advertisement

      Sno-Freighter Globe-Union Inc. Batteries Advertisement

      Have you noticed your car, truck, or equipment starts a little slower when it is cold outside? Anyone who lives in or near the Arctic knows that you better have a well maintained battery. When it gets cold, batteries lose efficiency. When the Sno-Freighter came to Alaska to help supply Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line sites, it captured the attention of corporate America. The Sno-Freighter was designed to carry heavy loads through the back country. Companies had the new rugged product comparison that they always wanted.

      The advertisement assures performance of Globe-Union Inc. batteries with “…SPINNING STARTS despite the Arctic cold.”

      The logs shown in the advertisement above were from the tests at LeTourneau’s Longview, TX facility. Typical cargo for resupplying DEW Line stations were cement, petroleum, oil, and liquids (POL), and a wannigan for housing the men and chef.

      Globe-Union Inc. Notes

      • Globe-Union batteries production started at Tampa Industrial Park in 1958.
      • In 1970, battery production was up to 400,000 a year
      • In February of 1982, the Globe-Union factory experienced a gas fire at their factory.
      • VC-22 Alaska Freight Lines Sno-Freighter Image with Gas Cylinder

        VC-22 Alaska Freight Lines Sno-Freighter Image with Gas Cylinder

        I received an image of the VC-22 Alaska Freight Lines Sno-Freighter Saturday, adding to my collection of historic images. To the left of the third trailer, you can zoom in and see a gas cylinder and an assortment of, what appear to be, wood boxes or crates. On the first trailer, there is a wannagan.

        • VC-22 Sno-Freighter
        • back side of image
      • Sno-Freighter after the Crash and Fire

        Sno-Freighter after the Crash and Fire

        After the Sno-Freighter was recovered, it eventually ended up in Bear Creek, YT. It did not leave until 1965, when it was purchased by a private party. The tan colored tarp show in the image below covers the burnt out engine compartment. The Sno-Freighter now sits outside of Fairbanks, AK as part of the Gold Daughters outside museum tour. The photo below is dated May of 1965.

        VC-22 Sno-Freighter, Photo credit: Millen Collection

        The Millen Collection was generous and allowed me to share this photo, and others to come in my Overland Trains book.

      • Alaska Freight Lines ash tray

        From time to time, I look for complimentary items on eBay and a few other sites. For the most part, I find old images and brochures. This time, I found an Alaska Freight Lines ash tray. It is in fantastic shape. The colors are still vibrant too. Enjoy!

      • VC-22 Sno-Freighter image, near the Mouth of the Blow River

        Coots and Historic Images are two online and historic photograph sources that I use to find these amazing relic photos. When you order their images, you receive tangible photos, oftentimes with some sort of metadata on the reverse. This particular image of the Sno-Freighter was dated July 25, 1955. At this time, the Sno-Freighter should be located at the mouth of the Blow River for the winter. It wasn’t until November of 1955, that it was retrieved and the catastrophic accident occurred.

        VC-22 Sno-Freighter photograph dated July 25, 1955.