R. G. LeTourneau's Overland Trains
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  • Amazon to Increase Book Prices June 20, 2023 to Compensate for Printing Costs May 17, 2023
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  • Augustin “Marty” Martinez and his Ties to LeTourneau’s Overland Trains March 23, 2023
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R. G. LeTourneau's Overland Trains

a complete history

R. G. LeTourneau's Overland Trains
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VC-22 Sno-Freighter

The VC-22 Sno-Freighter had true 24-wheel drive. There were five cargo cars, each capable of carrying 25 tons. The tires are 88” in diameter and 38” wide. This Overland Train was purchased by Alaska Freight Lines to help resupply the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line sites.

Alaska Freight Lines (AFL) was started by Alfred Ghezzi, Jr. (Al-Ghezzi), Bill Miller, Slim Delong, Tom Donahue, and Gene and Larry Rogge in March 1943. This ownership configuration lasted around a year. The equipment was sold in 1944. Al-Ghezzi wasn’t done yet. He came back in 1945 and restarted AFL on his own. He went on to become one of the great transportation pioneers in Alaskan history.

In 1955, Alfred Ghezzi, Jr. (Al-Ghezzi) and AFL took possession of the Sno-Freighter. He paid R.G. LeTourneau an advance of $75,000, with a total cost of $450,000. The Sno-Freighter completed two successful supply trips. On the third trip, the Sno-Freighter jack-knifed while going down a steep grade and caught fire. AFL lost nearly a million dollars from July 1955-March 1956, largely due to the Sno-Freighter contract and equipment loss.

Recent Articles

  • Augustin “Marty” Martinez and his Ties to LeTourneau’s Overland TrainsMarch 23, 2023
  • The Sno-Train connected to the Sno-Freighter During its RecoveryMarch 17, 2023
  • Sno-Freighter Trailers Used as Decking for HouseJanuary 4, 2023
  • Received LeTourneau NOW Newsletters 1953-1966December 13, 2022
  • Recovering the Sno-Freighter with the Sno-TrainOctober 24, 2022

Alaska Freight Lines

Alaska Freight Lines (AFL) was started by Alfred Ghezzi, Jr. (Al-Ghezzi), Bill Miller, Slim Delong, Tom Donahue, and Gene and Larry Rogge in March 1943. This ownership configuration lasted around a year. The equipment was sold in 1944. Al-Ghezzi wasn’t done yet. He came back in 1945 and restarted AFL on his own. He went on to become one of the great transportation pioneers in Alaskan history.

In 1955, Alfred Ghezzi, Jr. (Al-Ghezzi) and AFL took possession of the Sno-Freighter. He paid R.G. LeTourneau an advance of $75,000, with a total cost of $450,000. The Sno-Freighter completed one successful supply trip. On the second trip, the Sno-Freighter jack-knifed while going down a steep grade and caught fire. AFL lost nearly a million dollars from July 1955-March 1956, largely due to the Sno-Freighter contract and equipment loss.

About OverlandTrains.com

OverlandTrains.com is a companion to R. G. LeTourneau’s Overland Trains: a complete history. Now available on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFL91FX6

Recent Articles
  • Amazon to Increase Book Prices June 20, 2023 to Compensate for Printing Costs May 17, 2023
  • Sno-Train on Display with Marston Mats May 5, 2023
  • Augustin “Marty” Martinez and his Ties to LeTourneau’s Overland Trains March 23, 2023
  • Aerial Images of the Sno-Train in the Arctic Plus Salvage Yard March 21, 2023
  • The Sno-Train connected to the Sno-Freighter During its Recovery March 17, 2023
Topics
  • Alaska Freight Lines (22)
  • Book updates (52)
  • Books-Reading (12)
  • DEW Line (16)
  • general-history (53)
  • Gold Digger (2)
  • Greenland (27)
  • LCC-1-Sno-Train (66)
  • Nuclear (12)
  • R.G. LeTourneau (19)
  • research (34)
  • Side Dump Train (4)
  • TC-264 LeTourneau Sno-Buggy (12)
  • TC-266 Marsh Buggy (7)
  • TC-497 Overland Train (62)
  • Thompson Trailer (2)
  • Tournatrain (8)
  • Uncategorized (2)
  • VC-12 Tournatrain (8)
  • VC-22 Sno-Freighter (32)
  • Yukon (5)
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