The Overland Mark 2 SOLAR 10MC gas turbines were an off the shelf product at the time of their use in 1961. R. G. LeTourneau, Inc. mated the turbines directly to inline A/C and D/C generators. The Mark 2 had 4 SOLAR turbines. One was located in the control car, which is where the driver and crew occupied. The second to the last car contains one turbine, while the last car contains two. The turbine intake was designed to be filtered, especially in desert terrain. The intake is located to the rear of the train, while the engine room air is circulated using a blower fan. The turbine intake was never taken from the engine room.

  • Mark 2 double turbine layout. Image: Phase 2 Book
  • Mark 2 single turbine layout. Image: Phase 2 Book
SOLAR 10MC gas turbine diagram. Image: Phase 1 book

Turbine exhaust exits the turbine out a large circular exhaust pipe on top of the car bodies. The image below shows the Mark 2 control car starting up for the first time at Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ.

Overland Train Mark 2 exhaust. Image: U.S. Army, fair use.
SOLAR 10MC instrumentation on the Mark 2. Image courtesy of Mark H. Sandercock, US Army, RET.

Related