Power Barge Sturgis – MH-1A
The Army’s Nuclear Power Program (ANPP) had 7 nuclear prototypes. One of those was the Power Barge Sturgis. It was the highest nuclear power providing reactor in the fleet. The…
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Sno-Freighter Globe-Union Inc. Batteries Advertisement
Have you noticed your car, truck, or equipment starts a little slower when it is cold outside? Anyone who lives in or near the Arctic knows that you better have…
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…
Tournatrain Painting Featured on Mechanica Popular
The May 1955 edition of Mechanic Popular (Popular Mechanics) featured an original painting you might find familiar. This cover image is a one of a kind Tournatrain painting. If you…
Working on the Sno-Train Chapter
For the most part, I work on some aspect of the book every day. Some days my actual job, the one that sustains my life, will burn me up and…
LCC-1 Sno-Train sold as Army Surplus
When the Army Sno-Train was sold as surplus out of Fort Wainwright, AK, the Army surplus form contained an equipment inventory, images, and other operational information. The image below was…
TRISO Fueled Nuclear Micro-Reactors
TRISO, or Tri-Structural Iso-Tropic particle fuel, contain uranium, carbon and oxygen fuel kernel. The kernel has three layers of carbon- and ceramic-based materials that prevent the release of radioactive fission…
What am I Reading? “The Box”
Marc Levison’s “The Box.” So far, this book reads well for anyone interested in history, economics, and a topic that is just a little bit off the norm. I am…
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…
CRREL Greenland Ice Cores
In 1966, after 3 years of drilling, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratories (CRREL) reached 4,550 feet deep in the Greeland ice cap. Data revealed within these ice caps helped…