research – R. G. LeTourneau's Overland Trains

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…

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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…

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Alaska Historical Society 2022 Annual Conference Proposal Acceptance

My proposal to speak about R. G. LeTourneau’s Overland Trains was accepted for the Alaska Historical Society’s (AHS) Annual Conference. We are still ironing out the details on the date.…

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Alaska Freight Lines Sno-Freighter: Dates are Not What they Seem

I am a bit of a sucker whenever a LeTourneau image is for sale online. I opened my front door and found the USPS had delivered my latest image. When…

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What Technical Resources do I Need to Research and Publish a Book and Companion Website

When I started researching the Overland Trains book, I thought that I had a pretty good idea of how to accomplish the technical aspects. I have worked in information technology…

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Mobile Micro Reactors Resurrected from the Army’s Nuclear Power Program

In 1960, the Army’s Nuclear Power Program had completed several nuclear reactors for research and testing purposes. Their micro-reactor (MCR (MM-1)) expected outputs were 500-800kW (MCR) and 2,000-3,000kW (MM-1). The…

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Book Writing Update September 19, 2021

The first 6 book chapters are being reviewed and edited! I received the first copy edit on Chapter 1 last night. I have three “Monster” chapters in the book, the…

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Overland Trains Facebook Page Reaches 1,000 Followers

Our Facebook Overland Trains page reached 1,000 followers yesterday! The first 7 chapters of the Overland Trains book are being edited, while I continue to work on the larger 3…

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New Documentation Sheds Light on the Overland MarkII Surplus Parts

As part of researching “The Overland Trains Project,” I have been able to take use some of my technical background to good use. These slides show one of the Overland…

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The United States Air Force Modern Day Project Iceworm

In the late 1950s, the United States Army (USAR) started carving ice tunnels in the Greenland ice shelf. The tunnels formed Camp Century, secretly known as Project Iceworm. Publicly, Camp…

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Firestone 120x48x68 Tires

The Firestone 120x48x68 tires are arguably, one of the most recognizable features on the last 3 LeTourneau Overland Trains. These tires were first produced in 1952. The numbers describe the…

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LeTourneau Train Concept for the Iraqi Government

R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. drew a number of trailer concepts and trains before the 6 Overland Trains we know of today. His newly developed electric drive wheel seemed to spur his…

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