The TC-497 had the most complex and innovative steering designs out of all of the Overland Trains. Much time and consideration was spent on ensuring that lessons learned from previous designs, including the Sno-Buggy, were engineered into the final product. The front wheels on the Control Car, or primary living space and command unit, were the only wheels to pivot, or steer on this car. An AC electric motor and gearbox mated with a steel gear, which is fixed to the front steering arms.
The TC-497 was the only Overland Train with specific technology to enable steering in reverse. Testing revealed that it could be used in a pinch, but only in situations that warranted the risk. Page 244 of my book go into a little more detail on this feature.
Reverse Steering
The trailers followed the Control Car in an exacting track. From my book,
“There was a wagon-style tongue through a rigid link connecting it to the front axle assembly. The rear axle would track the front wheels with a set of diagonally attached steering cables, forming an X-arrangement. Any movement by the front axles is
r. g. LeTourneau’s Overland trains: a complete history
mirrored on the rear axles”
Here is a few scanned paged from the TC-497’s Phase 4 booklet that talk about the steering in narrative form.
