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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Tournatrain “Rubber Tires Trackless Train” Advertisement
During the early 1950’s Tournatrain development, numerous ads were published about the trains, or the products that they used. This particular ad by R.G. LeTourneau, Inc., was meant to advertise…
Overland Train Mark II Testing in 1961
The Overland Train Mark II concept began in 1955. While the Mark II was the last of the Overland Trains to be built, it had the longest history. R.G. LeTourneau,…
Overland Train Mark II National Carbon Company Advertisement
LeTourneau Overland Trains used a variety of American made parts and materials. Companies used their contributions to help America fight and win wars. Advertisements like the one here helped to…
Abbreviations and Acronyms
If the military is involved, you can be certain that they will use an abbreviation or acronym for their organized name, project, or equipment. Here are a few of the…
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,…
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…
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…
Sno-Train on the Beach with Troops
It is uncommon to see an image with the Sno-Train on the beach, let alone with troops and company or battalion guidon. I date this photo sometime after it came…
Tournatrain Test: Pulling Heavy Tree Crusher Push Beams & Rollers
A critical part of any newly developed machine is testing. On April 3, 1954, the VC-12 Tournatrain, R.G.’s successor to the Tournatrain, carried the front and rear push beams and…
Sno-Freighter Recovery from Yukon Territory in 1962
The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line was a line of radar stations spanning from Alaska, Canada, and parts of Greenland. Large quantities of materials were needed to build and resupply…
Top 3 Book Picks: Half Way there 2021
As part of writing this book on the LeTourneau Overland Trains, I have read a couple of dozen books. Some are background and way off the path, while some are…