Overland Trains

Articles

  • 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
  • Sno-Train with Army Leadership

    Sno-Train with Army Leadership

    The Sno-Train was routinely shown at military ceremonies and publicity events. Seen below is Brig. Gen. Chester V. Clifton, Deputy Chief of Information for the Army. His right shoulder is touching the Electric Drive Driver unit, which is a cluster of three gears that provide a gear reduction.

    This image came from the Firestone Archives and published by the Firestone News Service. The image was originally published on July 17th, with an undetermined year.

    Image courtesy Firestone archives
  • Book Writing Update: August 30, 2022

    Book Writing Update: August 30, 2022

    I finished the manuscript for the Overland Trains story this morning. Once I uploaded it to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), it presented me with a printing cost per region.

    I was then able to select a book price. I wanted to price the book at $35-$50 to make it more available. Amazon wants royalties too. My minimum cost to buyers would be $42.37. I chose to list the book at $50. I’ll make $4.58 per book based on that list price. I think that is fair.

    I ordered two proof copies that should be available and delivered in about a week. Once I receive the copy, I will review it for any last minute corrections and then make it live. I still hope to have it ready for purchase by September 14th.

  • Book Writing Update: Kindle eBook Version is Available for Pre-Order

    Book Writing Update: Kindle eBook Version is Available for Pre-Order

    The Amazon Kindle eBook is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Click on the thumbnail cover below

  • Book Writing Update: August 9, 2022

    Book Writing Update: August 9, 2022

    I finished corrections to the Kindle eBook version this morning. I uploaded the file to the Kindle platform for automated review, which should take up to 72 hours. I am working on the Paperback version, which incorporates some amazing and largely unpublished images from the Overland Trains story.

  • Book Writing Update: August 7, 2022

    Book Writing Update: August 7, 2022

    I completed final edits this week. I have incorporated the Foreward and Acknowledgements pages.

    I have one section in the Sno-Train’s history that is still in the works and should be finished up this week. Once that is complete, the next steps are to strip out the images tags for the Kindle book version. Kindle does not portray images well at all. I will have one image of the Sno-Train in the Kindle version. Otherwise, it is all text. The image tags are placed in the book to position them for the color paper book version. They are merely placeholders for me when I start formatting images.

    Image tags are in brackets

    I am still shooting for September 14, 2022 and a tentative pre-release date for both Kindle and color paper copy.

  • Sno-Train at the Yukon Transportation Museum July 2020

    Sno-Train at the Yukon Transportation Museum July 2020

    During the course of the last two and a half years, I’ve been contacted or I have reached out to nearly a hundred or so people. Some of these contacts have developed into friendships with flights out to visit, lunch visits in the Tacoma, WA area, social media communications, letters or packages, or simply emails. I first reached out to Patrick Jacobson (https://www.instagram.com/patrickjacobson/) nearly a year ago about some of his photographs. Yesterday, he messaged me with nearly two dozen Sno-Train photographs he captured during his visit to the Yukon Transportation Museum (YTM) (https://www.instagram.com/go_ytm/) this week. Patrick, thank you for keeping me in mind and as you visited the Sno-Train and the YTM!

    Image: Patrick Jacobson

    The rear view of the Sno-Train shows the jib crane, winch, and fuel tank. The bar extend parallel to the ground and rear attaches trailer number one.

    Image: Patrick Jacobson

    Here is a better view of where the jib crane attaches to the Sno-Train.

    Image: Patrick Jacobson

    Here is one of my favorite images that Patrick took at the YTM. You get a clear shot of the top of the jib crane and fuel tank. If you look towards the front of the Sno-Train, you can see the transparent observation dome which was replaced after it arrived in Whitehorse. Don’t forget the Firestone 120x48x68 tires. Those tires are four feet wide and 10 feet tall.

  • Book Writing Update: July 29, 2022

    Book Writing Update: July 29, 2022

    I am on the final-final-final edits. I am making my way through the 207 page of text. I am over halfway through at page 122. I am not finding too much of anything anymore – a few word choice changes here and there. Once these edits are complete, I will upload the Amazon Kindle version. After that, I will get to work on integrating the images into the book. That will be some photo editing and alignment work. I am still thinking that September 14th is doable for publishing.

  • TC-497 Tires in Rubber Magazine

    TC-497 Tires in Rubber Magazine

    From time to time, I come across some historical gems. I recently purchased a small magazine called Rubber. It appears to be from the Firestone Rubber and Tire Company. The cover image shows five of the Firestone 120x48x68 tires and four men looking at some sort of documentation, perhaps engineering diagrams.

    The fuel tanker car identifies the TC-497 picture is the rear of the TC-497.

  • How Much Will the Book Cost?

    How Much Will the Book Cost?

    A Facebook Overland Trains page follower commented on an article I published; he was asking how much the book will cost. I replied, “It should land somewhere between $35-$50. The Kindle book will be $10. Amazon’s pricing model varies significantly based on paper type, number of pages, and color. I will make around $5 a paper book at the most. I want the profit margins to be as small as possible to make sure it is priced reasonably. I have a day job, which is my primary income source, so it’s not designed to be a money maker. I love history!“