Overland MkII Dimensions: How Big is the MkII?
The United States Army contracted with R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. to build the Overland MkII. The two drawings and the image below show the primary Control Car. In the drawing shown,…
TC-497 Overland Train
65 posts
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…
Overland Train MkII Rear Control Car Electrical Connection
In 1961, the Overland MkII was being fabricated and tested, prior to handing it over to the United States Army in 1962. The image to the left shows the large…
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…
Bringing back Trailer Mounted Nuclear Micro-reactors
In the late 1950’s, the United States Army Nuclear Power Program (ANPP) was exploring a number of nuclear reactor types. One of those reactors was the ML-1. The ML-1 is…
Phase I Overland MkII: Early Drawing
The TC-497 Overland Train MkII was the final Overland Train produced. In early 1958, the United States Army requested a quote from R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. to research and develop a…
Gregg County Historical Museum LeTourneau Exhibit
Beginning April 13 and extending until June 12, 2021, the Gregg County Historical Museum will host an R.G. LeTourneau exhibit. Gregg County is where LeTourneau’s Longview, TX facilities used to…
Getting Traction in the Snow with the Overland Trains
The Yuma Proving Ground publishes their newsletter electronically. This month, the front page topic focused on traction in the snow. I figured that they had already done those tests with…
The Overland Train MkII (TC-497) with Power Car
Below, the Overland Train MkII rolls along with a Cargo Car and Power Car in Yuma, AZ. There is no backstory for this image and the source is unknown. This…
Scanning: Overland MkII Summary Report December 28, 1959
I worked on scanning the Overland Mk II Preliminary Design, Study, and Investigation report this weekend. The report is unpublished and a one of a kind. Once scanned, it will…
Summary Report: Preliminary Design, Study, and Investigations on the Overland Train Project
The above titled report is dated December 28, 1959. This unpublished report works through some of the initial ideas for the TC-497 Overland Train MkII. Discussion includes engine choices, decisions…
Overland Train Mk II Juggernaut Video Game
The Overland Trains have inspired others to make one of a kind toys and now video games. Seen below is a screenshot from the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BncCaFPxTz4. It shows the…