UPDATE - I did it! I tracked down one of these overland trains and visited it IRL. Check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaG6p2lurap2qLs
@BigblockFoxCoupe Жыл бұрын
wicked man, when is the alaska train going to be investigated by yourself??
@FoxCammer Жыл бұрын
Agreed, seeing the Alaska overland train would be AMAZING if its still around ! ❤
@CalumRaasay Жыл бұрын
haha I'm adding it to the list!@@BigblockFoxCoupe
@jamesjross7 ай бұрын
@@CalumRaasay You are related to George Rainy.
@CalumRaasay5 ай бұрын
@@jamesjross haha the guy who once owned Raasay? Of course not!
@mikeletourneau31892 жыл бұрын
In my summer after the 2nd grade, my Dad (RG's son) came home unexpectedly in the middle of the day and told me to jump in the car. As we pulled away I, of course, asked where we were going... "You're gonna' go for a ride like you've never been before and will never go again!" We then proceeded to the proving grounds at the factory where a bunch of Army Brass and other dignitaries were assembled around the final Snow Train (as we called it). He hoisted me up in the cab and took off "once around the park"... 8 years later I spent my summer testing the world's largest front-end loader that you referenced in this amazing video. My heartfelt gratitude to you for these amazing memories...
@CalumRaasay2 жыл бұрын
Wow, that's incredible! What an amazing story Mike, thanks for sharing. Your grandfather was one heck of a charcter and I enjoyed reading his autobiogrpahy and researching all his incredible invenions and philanthropy greatly. This was my favourite project to creator by far. Check out Mark Moore's Overland Trains coming out soon - it has even more info on the second generation leTourneau Sno-Freighter and all the adventures it got up to on the DEW Line.
@mikeletourneau31892 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay Thanks again. Look at the family photo in the center of "Mover of Men and Mountains"... I'm the infant in the lap of my beautiful mother on the right. She and my aunt (the pregnant lady standing behind her), are both still with us, but are the last of that generation!
@LazyKFarmstead Жыл бұрын
I am a Longview native. How did the LeTourneau family come to have the headquarters in Longview?
@White_ops_arcade Жыл бұрын
Lucky
@gordonwiseman9296 Жыл бұрын
Naw ye didney
@Rattlecanjeff3 жыл бұрын
My dad worked for RG in the early 60s. We even lived in one of his Quonset huts (ex WWII hospital) in Longview. My dad was a diesel mechanic and worked on the scrapers building Stemmons Freeway in Dallas and the tree crusher. He told me about the land trains, but he was assigned to other projects. When a company leased equipment from RG, the lease came with a dedicated mechanic and that is what my dad did. The unique aspect to his work was having to possess a combination of mechanical and electrical skills due to the unique combo of diesel powered electrical wheel motors. I am going over today and play this for him. Cheers from Texas.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Oh wonderful! What an amazing connection, let me know if he enjoys it! What a facinating wealth of stories youe father must have. Thanks for watching!
@jacinthclifton6363 жыл бұрын
Would love to see his reaction.
@jamesgibson58763 жыл бұрын
How cool is that! Good on you and your dad!
@haydenf13533 жыл бұрын
I’m also from Longview, and sad to see the old plant torn down.
@dalewier97353 жыл бұрын
I lived in Nacogdoches, and had relatives in Longview in the 60’s. never knew what the quonset huts (some really very long) were for. My mother had told me that some were there to hold German prisoners. Had never heard about some being hospitals. The ones that we always saw when driving in from the south were gone the last time i was in Longview a few years back. And glad that i can watch info about this land train. I remember reading about it in Genius Book of World records years ago but always wanted to see it. Thank you
@joebledsoe2573 жыл бұрын
Used to work for the Letourneau rebuild Facility. They had some interesting ways of doing stuff. In his day they made their own steel as RG couldn't find what he needed to make what he wanted the way he wanted to. He even made his own bolts. He had a 3/8 fine thread double lead screw. It looked just like a 3/8 NF thread bolt but a bolt of the same size would not fit it. A 3/8 NF tap would match up with the threads on the bolt but the bolt would not thread into a hole tapped with it. Think of a bolt that had one thread started at 0 degrees of the bolts circumference and then another thread that started at 180 degrees. yes 2 different threads at 180 degrees apart. Rebuilt so many different things there. He designed and built his own motors and generators, both DC and AC. all of the components. They did all of their machining work in house. You got it all right, spot on, and correct as best as I can remember.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for that comment Joe, what a facinating place to work that must have been. I find it really interesting how much was done in house - explains why they were able to fabricate so quickly and easily as they had access to everything on site.
@danhammond84063 жыл бұрын
3/8 double entry threads. On the large pumps I deal with they use acme type double entry threads. Those use 6 inch shafts tho
@raywagner80163 жыл бұрын
I kept one of these 1/2" bolts as a souvenir from a C9 Wheel Motor. I've drug it out many times in the last 20 years to show Engineers what Engineering looks like.
@dashlamb93183 жыл бұрын
I don't think I will ever understand the 3/8 bolt explanation. But I'm sure you are right about it. I only had the pleasure of running some of the scrappers and dozers when around 1971 going through my union apprenticeship program.
@kshrock3 жыл бұрын
What's the point of a double entry thread? Do they screw in faster because they have to be a higher pitch but they hold just as much as a standard fine thread because there's that many threads per square inch?
@chops00753 жыл бұрын
I worked construction in Alaska in the 1990s and we used a huge LaTourneau forklift to lift concrete bridge girders. It was a strange machine. The noises and movements it made are so unlike other construction equipment, it really seemed so odd and fascinating.
@crakkbone2 жыл бұрын
Was it a 6594? Those big grabber fork things?
@Scaevola94492 жыл бұрын
Do you mean this one? kzbin.info/www/bejne/boKapJmdrNGrgJo
@fastinradfordable7 ай бұрын
“Odd and fascinating” Isn’t really something one wants from a forklift 😅
@dougtaylor87353 жыл бұрын
Thank you for honoring Mr. LeTourneau. One other thing of interest is that he wasn’t getting the quality of engineers he wanted, so he started his own engineering school. LeTourneau University is highly regarded as one of the premier engineering schools in the country. There is a museum at the university in Longview that is amazing to tour.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Yeah such an amazing idea "I cant find good welders so I'll make a school to train my own!". Love it.
@PeregrinesFury2 жыл бұрын
I am attending letourneau now. Not for engineering (been there, done that) but for professional flight. He loved his airplanes. He got in to a car crash and after that, he flew everywhere. He said it was the safest way to travel. He used to use a converted ww2 bomber as his business aircraft! Letourneau offers several aviation degree programs. All include getting your A&P license(airplane mechanic), including mine which is a concentration in aviation management. (You get your commercial pilots license, and A&P license along with management and aviation law classes)
@dougtaylor87352 жыл бұрын
@@PeregrinesFury My son got a degree in Computer Engineering at LeTourneau and also met his wife there.
@peterparker92866 ай бұрын
@@dougtaylor8735Celtic
@socallars37483 жыл бұрын
You've hit another one out of the park! Well researched, interesting and your VO conveys the information in a clear and concise manner. I'm loving your longer format documentaries, I always feel a bit smarter after watching them. I'm just now watching the outro. Well done!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Haha thank you! They are great fun - I always feel like there's nothing more satifying that exhaustivley researching a subject so you can truly tick it off in your own head.
@gavinstirling70883 жыл бұрын
Very well said, I totally agree. Great work Calum, I really enjoy your videos.
@__Mr.White__2 жыл бұрын
" hit another one out of the park" what does that mean? What park?
@socallars37482 жыл бұрын
@@__Mr.White__ To do or perform something extraordinarily well; to produce or earn an exceptional achievement. An allusion to a baseball that is hit hard enough to land outside the stadium. A home run.
@__Mr.White__2 жыл бұрын
@@socallars3748 Nice. I like the baseball anekdote.
@chet22013 жыл бұрын
I met R.G.Letearno in mid 60s in Bowling Green Ky. He was trying to Recruit a friend Henry Vernon that had helped him make a Jungle Clearing machine. I was 14 yrs Old and got to spend a couple hours with this Very Kind Uplifting Man. I had no idea his accomplishments until I read his book few years later.
@Airbournjack3 жыл бұрын
Calum, please don't stop doing documentary peices. I truly love them, and would love to see more on what ever mechanical misfit and unique creation catches your eye and ear.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I love making them so don’t plan on stopping!
@tomhoward1996 Жыл бұрын
One amazing feature of RG was his refusal to let others stop him. His designs required very thick steel plates, but his total purchases were small compared to other users, so he had low priority to get deliveries. His solution was to build his own steel mill. He built an electric arc furnace for melting, bought molds to cast ingots, and made a 10 foot wide rolling mill to produce the plates. I got to visit the plant in 2010 ( a rare event) for a job interview. Coming from major steel plants the shop looked a little jury-rigged to me, but it WORKED! It even had a vacuum degasser, which produced some of the highest quality plate in the world for very demanding end uses. A remarkable man.
@bobmiller750211 ай бұрын
thats what you call not taking NO for a answer,,thanks for sharing,,x
@Caderic7 ай бұрын
"...build his own steel mill." I have never heard that story, but I am not surprised. That is awesome. Where is the plant?
@twintwo14292 жыл бұрын
From 2004 till 2021, I rebuilt hundreds of letourneau generators, DC and AC motors, and many other devices for various machines still in use today. Old technology, but it will get the job done.
@Sam-y5o6j3 жыл бұрын
Ten minutes in and it's a delight as ever, engineering obscura at it's finest. Thanks
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for watching! engineering obscura is SUCH a great term
@GoredonTheDestroyer3 жыл бұрын
His machines may have been outlandish in size and ludicrous in purpose, but you have to admit that R. G. LeTourneau was little short of a mechanical genius.
@billwilson36093 жыл бұрын
During WW2, RG designed and produced some small cute looking tracked tractors that would fit inside a DC-3. Had a winch on the back for an equally small bulldozer blade or for pulling stumps.
@The_Bird_Bird_Harder2 жыл бұрын
@@billwilson3609 I agree, sounds cute.
@vsGoliath962 жыл бұрын
"In order to make this thing work, I took some electric car motors and stuck them all over the place and then I grabbed some parts from a train that crashed and then I wired it all together and it kind of just worked!" -R.G.
@colbeausabre88422 жыл бұрын
@@billwilson3609 I call BS. The M29 Weasel was the idea of Britain's Geoffrey Pike and designed and built by Studebaker
@furyfantoo2 жыл бұрын
@@vsGoliath96 Actually the overlay text on the video says 'Locomobile', which was an early automobile, and not 'locomotive'. It was mis-read in the video.
@randyletourneau34302 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this. I am a grandson of RG and knew info on these trains but really enjoyed this video and it filled in a good deal of history for me.
@rubikmonat65893 жыл бұрын
As a young lad the Amtrak Wars captured my imagination. Imagine my surprise at finding out such outlandish science fiction vehicles were actually in use decades before I was even born. Thanks for the extra ramble at the end. Love your work, clearly you do too, thanks for sharing it.
@JamieSteam3 жыл бұрын
Yep you can clearly see where Patrick Tilley got inspiration from.
@aoifeone2 жыл бұрын
@@JamieSteam Amtrak Wars came to mind immediately when I saw the video.
@EireHammer2 жыл бұрын
Cheers for sharing! I hadn't ever heard of the Amtrak wars but I've just ordered the whole series!
@TheGrumpy012 жыл бұрын
AMTRAK WARS FOREVER! WHO'S FOR THE LADY?
@lonewarri0r2373 жыл бұрын
For those curious about letourneau's plant in longview, it was sold to joyglobal and eventually acquired by komatsu. The buildings are all still there and to my knowledge are still running pretty well. Love to see videos about it!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the info! Yeah as far as I know LeTourneau is going strong, albiet having been sold a few times!
@Pointlesschan3 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay one of the domes was destroyed a couple of years ago by a tornado… mighty close to my parents house too! My dad worked there and rode his bicycle to work everyday
@Pgoodwinner3 жыл бұрын
I go to letu and one of the domes collapsed due to the snowstorm we had February 2021
@billwilson36093 жыл бұрын
At some point in time LeTourneau was bought up by Penn Central Holding Company. They had to downsize the operation after business became slow then sold it to Rowan International, who was an offshore drilling operation. They sold it later on to Joy Global who in turn, sold it to Komatsu.
@diegochairez91772 жыл бұрын
I’ve learned so much about the history of Longview from both the video and the comments
@jeffbangkok3 жыл бұрын
Born in the 50's and growing up in the 60's it seemed anything imagined could be built. Lived near the Big Muskie dragline and my agriculture class got to tour it. The DEW line construction always a favorite subject of mine. Retired and living in Thailand this was just the type of content to make my day. Thank you
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
I'm obsessed with the DEW line, especially all those now abandoned stations up there in the far north!
@Chris_at_Home3 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay I have been to most of the radar sites up here in Alaska. Most of the old troposphere communications antennas are gone and satellite communications is used.
@bnjmnwst7 ай бұрын
Anything imagined CAN be built. Maybe not yet, but everything is possible with the right inputs.
@1oldskoolluvr2 жыл бұрын
@47:15 mark - LOL, if i had of just watched the video (to that point) i would've saved myself a pile of self-detective work in figuring out where the Alaskan Freight Lines Sno-Freighter was located. Another great video, on a series of great subjects. Thank you for including all of the links in the description section.
@cameron13693 жыл бұрын
This is awesome! I’ve read a lot about these things, but this video goes far more in depth than anything else I’ve seen. The vintage footage and photos are so cool to watch. Clearly a lot of work went into this, thanks!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Cameron!
@FoundAndExplained2 жыл бұрын
This is one of my favourite videos on youtube!
@CalumRaasay2 жыл бұрын
I'm Commander Found & Explained, and this is my favorite store on the citadel!
@canvids12 жыл бұрын
I operated Letourneau Log machines converted to lift and move ocean container in the 1980 on the Railway here in Canada. Once you got used to operating them, you could move a lot of containers in 8 hours we had 3 of them. They would pick up 70,000 lbs with no problems. They would burn a lot of fuel though running at 2100 rpms steady to run the generator.
@pnwRC.3 жыл бұрын
I've fond memories as a child watching the massive LeTourneau machines unloading the log trucks at the sawmills. They are a testament to the engineering skills of the company, that these old machines are STILL active today!
@billwilson36093 жыл бұрын
R.G. designed stuff that was simple, rugged and reliable so were kept in service for a long time.
@mattwilliams34563 жыл бұрын
This was an amazing documentary. I'm consistently blown away by the quality you put out. Good luck with the house construction!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Matt!
@davidcox24593 жыл бұрын
I didn’t recognize the train until you mentioned that it’s currently in Fox Alaska, and then I realized that I used to drive by it almost every day and I had no idea the story of how cool it was. Excellent video!
@dwadecolburn86422 жыл бұрын
Ah yes, a toast to the Turtle club, silver gulch is shut down for dining now.
@davidhenke62603 жыл бұрын
My Dad worked for RG for 37 years beginning in Peoria and retiring in Longview. I grew up on the LeTourneau Tech campus while it was still army hospital barracks. We went to the same church as RG and his family and were family friends. RG's grandson is one of my best friends to this day. My Dad took an assignment for RG on the Liberian coast at a place RG named Tournata. I spent two years there. It was the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn stage of my life. I lived a stones throw from the surf and a hundred yards from the bush. When we returned to Longview it was aboard RG's A-26 Invader, a converted WW2 bomber. I have flown in a number of RG's planes, a Lockheed Loadstar, the A26, his Learjet, and in Liberia his Cessna. As a child (age 12) my brother operated a machine called the Jackknife which was used to unload the cargo from Motor Vessel Junior in Bomi Town, Liberia. I graduated from LeTourneau College in '72.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
What an amazing story! I saw another comment from someone saying that RG was one fo the first to pioneer using a private plane. Absolutely facinaing character
@Aviator_Outlaw3 жыл бұрын
LeTourneau has a small universtity he founded just after WW2 out here in Longview, Texas where I go. They're quite proud of the land train and have a little mini museum in one of the building that I pass by omw to some of my classes there that has a large section talking about the train. He really was a brilliant man and a devout follower of God as well.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Oh wow didn't really they had a section there at the Uni, that's amazing. but yeah in his writing it's 50% engineering and 50% god! Quite a guy.
@juliahaynie7643 жыл бұрын
As someone who lives in Fairbanks, I appreciate that you discuss the Arctic conditions, without being sensationalistic about them.
@jimmymckay733 жыл бұрын
I remember seeing one of these trains sitting out in North Pole back in the 80's .
@__Mr.White__2 жыл бұрын
How can you be sensationalistic about arctic conditions in fairbanks?
@jimmymckay732 жыл бұрын
@@__Mr.White__ is that a serious question ?
@__Mr.White__2 жыл бұрын
@@jimmymckay73 Yes. Is it beacuase of the movie with the boy who died in this bus in the wildness?
@jimmymckay732 жыл бұрын
@@__Mr.White__ i would say no . It is very easy to sensationalize the arctic with the extremeness of it
@bigk28973 жыл бұрын
Amazing video as always. They have a real Thunderbirds vibe to them and I just can't get enough of that retro futurism attitude of just making everything atomic powered with living quarters onboard.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thunderbirds is definitely the best comparison haha
@justinpipes853 жыл бұрын
I literally just binged all your vehicle videos a few days ago. I'm so excited for this video. Please keep doing what you do sir. Your channel is of exquisite quality and entirely underrated. Thank you.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad I'm managing to build up a bit of a back catalogue now!
@Veselin_Angelov2 жыл бұрын
Oh, my! I was expecting one of those low-effort video compilations, not a proper documentary movie! What a pleasant surprise! I wish I could thumbs up this more than once!
@ylastchance2 жыл бұрын
We have some LeTourneau RTG crane at the port of Montreal. They are still in function!
@edwardfletcher77903 жыл бұрын
I can easily imagine something like this being built as a mobile Mars base. It makes a lot of sense given the flat ground and the need to avoid year long dust storms that would cause incredible problems for a stationary base. But of course the size & weight of it makes getting it into space an impossibility !
@diGritz13 жыл бұрын
Sounds interesting but it would be a tough sell with our current level of tech. Mars regolith is incredibly damaging to mechanical surfaces. Opportunity drove roughly 28 miles before DOA. It had a wheel, probably bearing, failure around half that. As weight increases so too does the damage regolith can do to mechanical surfaces. This means any vehicles will need to be small and relatively light. Probably 3 to 4 people max capacity. It will also need to be small enough to fit inside a shelter for maintenance and protection from dust storms because they can cover the entire planet. This limits the type of vehicle to short excursions. It's no joke to say it's quicker to walk then drive. No matter what the movie "The Martian" would have you believe.
@edwardfletcher77903 жыл бұрын
@@diGritz1 You make some really good points. I wondered why the wheels got so trashed and attributed it to an overly enthusiastic weight saving protocol Vs incredibly sharp Martian rocks. Also the vastly over extended mission duration. Your point about Martian dust Vs wheel bearings is also a really good point. Someone is going to have to develop a grade of grease that can handle Martian conditions.
@capitalinventor48233 жыл бұрын
@@diGritz1 Spirit and Opportunity rovers were planned to operate for 90 sol days (just less than 92.5 Earth days) on Mars. After five (Earth) years and three months it was Spirit that got stuck in some soft sand and could not get out. It had travelled 7.73 km (4.8 miles). Opportunity travelled 45 km (28 miles) in almost 14 and a half (Earth) years when it went into hibernation mode for a dust storm and did not wake up after. The rovers were over-engineered for their original 90 sol day mission and had no servicing while on Mars. It is amazing that they lasted for as long as they did in such an extreme environment considering all of the dust that may get into moving parts. If there were a base, or a vehicle, with people on Mars (or any similar place such as the Moon) then it will be engineered to carry the load properly and to be maintained, or fixable at the very least. I don't know where you get the idea that walking will be faster than riding a vehicle but even if one to assume that it was correct there are still disadvantages. A vehicle offers extra protection from the environment, it doesn't tire the person out, and it allows far more good to be carried with oneself.
@Dave5843-d9m2 жыл бұрын
Mars dust is toxic and incredibly abrasive. Dust storms can envelop the whole planet so the only safe option is to wait them out under cover, probably underground. That will require energy systems that don't need solar or wind power. Nuclear is the only option. Probably molten salt as it's (relatively) light weight and intrinsically safe.
@edwardfletcher77902 жыл бұрын
@@Dave5843-d9m Thank you for this ! This is another of the many reasons I get angry at Elon for pushing his self promoting "Mars Colony" fantasy. Let's not forget Mars has virtually no magnetic field either... SIGH PS: I should have specified I was talking about the mobile base being part of a manned explorer mission NOT a colony.
@DIEGhostfish3 жыл бұрын
Oh yes. I've been waiting for this. Also funny that Sacred Cow Shipyards did the Long Tom Artillery from battletech which is mounted on an overland train,
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! Been a long, long overdue video!
@Blathilzar3 жыл бұрын
absolutely fantastic video mate, have loved this series as you put it! honestly i think it would be brilliant if you kept this LeTourneu train rolling and just did a series on some of the crazy machines he built that you mentioned during the outro. keep up the good work as always mate, Happy holidays and good health to you and yours.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
God I know, there’s so many strange inventions of his out there. Maybe a top 10 one day haha
@Pointlesschan3 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay maybe you could at least do a video on how he acquired and used the domes
@brianchambers35282 жыл бұрын
I went to LeTourneau University, which is why I guess I am getting this in my feed lol. This is great love it, and very interesting watch.
@natorious3143 жыл бұрын
As someone who sees a modern D8 dozer on a near daily basis, it was very cool seeing its grandpappy in action in the Alaskan snow.
@jansport04093 жыл бұрын
Calum I can't begin to describe what a good story teller-researcher you are. I remember subscribing to your channel after I came across your video about an ancient tomb. And here I am watching a very long video about stuff I didn't know existed and never would have guessed would consider interesting. Thank you so much!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Always appreciated and glad you liked that video on the tomb! Really love the more niche stuff
@fromagevisage3 жыл бұрын
Hah, I was watching this thinking of the Amtrak Wars ( which I read as a teen) as I always thought massive land trains were a cool idea and then you bring it up at the end! I can’t believe these were actually real and I’ve never heard of them until now. Great video, I love this stuff, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the book too. … . Time to go dust of my copy of ‘Cloud Warrior’ which I still have kicking around…
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Haha I know, Amtrak Wars is such a weird series but it's amazing just how similar those land trains were to the Mark II!
@ijulesy3 жыл бұрын
I absolutely love these long documentaries that you make. This one is another banger! Keep em' coming!
@centexan3 жыл бұрын
As a young man (a very long time ago) I eagerly looked forward to a monthly LeTourneau newsletter. It was well rounded in that it gave news of the university, some spiritual messages, and news and photos of the latest giant earth-moving equipment. To say I read each one more than once would be a real understatement. Lots of memories.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
The newsletters are amazing! Still some available online as well
@ronaldhall97012 жыл бұрын
Dam I bet your head is a wealth of information!!!
@jalspach92153 жыл бұрын
Calum, I'm a 62 year old former professional diver, ironically from Yuma, AZ. Late '60's- early '70's there was a large Mil. Surplus yard on the outskirts of town called "Jet Sales". There the MK2 Command Cab with several trailers connected sat for years. As kids we loved that place. Rode our bikes for miles in the heat of summer just to look through the fence. Sometimes the owner let us in & allowed (tolerated) us exploring. Raised on everything from John Wayne to Godzilla, & Tonka Trucks, we were always drawn with awe to the "Land Train". He'd let us play around on it but would never allow us inside. God forbid! Also nice to see a Nikonos V on your shelf. Thanks for the blast from the past! Subscribed! PS: Some of those same friends riding bikes with me are still employed at YPG running departments now, soon to retire.
@dashlamb93183 жыл бұрын
I have actually operated LeTourneau scrappers and dozers when I was in an apprenticeship program around 1971. The Union program had a fleet of army surplus equipment for the trainees. Super loud screamin engines to produce electricity and toggle switches on the controls. Moved slow as a snail but were easy to operate with toggle switches - provided you did not two-block a pan or dozer blade and break a cable. We spent a lot of time fixing cables!
@olivergs98403 жыл бұрын
I've actually seen quite a few of these vehicles online before while looking for inspiration for Space Engineers. I feel like if this guy had Space Engineers to test ideas, he'd have ended up making Overland aircraft carriers
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
RG LeTourneau would be an extreme builds Minecraft LPer these days
@davidf22813 жыл бұрын
Some incredible photos and footage here that I have never, ever seen before. Magnificent work!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@FATL0L02 жыл бұрын
I have two turn buckles that came from one of the overland trains I bought from Jim Thomas / jet sales @ Yuma Ariz
@davidgriffin142 жыл бұрын
You did an absolute fantastic job making this video sir.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Which is your favourite of the overland trains? Like what I do? Buy me a whisky! 🥃 www.buymeacoffee.com/calumraasay Patreon: www.patreon.com/calumraasay Get comfortable lads, it's gonna be a long one.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
- RG LeTourneau describing his land trains
@DIEGhostfish3 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay How DARE you set that up on a tee for us and then take away our opportunity to reply to you with jokes to that exact effect.
@Miata8223 жыл бұрын
I had the opportunity to tour the LeTourneu plant in Longview Texas on business some years ago. I got a bit of a history lesson there and examined several absolutely enormous earthmoving machines used in mining. they also had on-site several components of jack-up oil rigs that operated by a gear system so massive it was difficult for me to believe. I was greatly impressed by the company's mechanically simple and efficient solutions to issues. Thank you for making this video. I greatly enjoyed it.
@cf4533 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay Is that a land train in your pocket or are you just happy to see us?
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
@@DIEGhostfish hahaha I need these likes they fuel me
@nicolek40763 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Calum for this film. These machines have always intrigued me. Inevitably, your thorough research and presentation have completely satisfied my curiosity. One thing, though. Nothing can be very unique - well, at least not in the UK; they can be distinctive, notable, remarkable. This doesn't detract greatly from the quality of the film. Well done!
@dd_ranchtexas45013 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Really dredges up the memories. In 1965, I was a radar technician stationed at a DEW site on the west coast of AK. About 100 guys in the main site down in the valley and 6 of us up on the mountain with the radar set. Don't think that they would have built it with road train. So much difficult terrain. We were right on the water so they probably brought the materials in by barge (when the sea melted in summer!). While there, that was the way we got the years supply of bulk goods. The rest came in by air - when the weather allowed, which was not that often.... Now a retired Old Coot, I live about 40+ miles from Longview tx . (Is that the Longview where this beast was built? Or was it different Longview?) Have a great New Year and keep up the good work....
@JStevenYork3 жыл бұрын
Great video! I'm lucky enough to have seen the still mostly intact TC-497 Overland Train Mark II back in the 1970s in Yuma. My dad worked for Bell Helicopter and often went to Yuma on business. On one trip he took my brother and I to a scrap yard where the Mark II sat waiting an uncertain fate. I say "mostly intact" in that the train was along an outside fence and ran the entire length of the yard! Except, that was only half of it! They'd seperated it in the middle and it ran the length of the yard TWICE! Just an unbelievable thing to see, especially when you weren't expecting it!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Wow, what an inredible story! How lucky were you to catch sight of that when you did. I truly can't imagine just how vast those trains must have been to wintess in person. Thanks for watching and hsaring that anecdote!
@jirihamersky61522 жыл бұрын
Excellent documentary, wonderfully crafted. I have to subscribe.
@Reewen3 жыл бұрын
What an interesting Video. I must say, I am surprised how well these huge vehicles like the Land Trains or Kharkovchanka worked yet they never managed to take off because they were just in this very niche market. Thank you for documenting these peculiar vehicles, it's hard to find well made documentaries about obscure vehicles I always thought only existed as concept art. Keep up the good work!
@richardprice59783 жыл бұрын
ww1 dr. prorsa greman had one two and the concept can be used for HGV aka simi trucks to improve safety and hybridisation/solar powered/battery
@richardprice59783 жыл бұрын
longer that about 100+ft for simi's aren't realistically legal on I80 ect as the laws are written in 2019 as this road train is. it might not help that the usa 🇺🇸 government in the 40's-90's was super paranoid about sharing technology like this equipment designs and may have stunted the civilian/other market for things like this. and at the time being so big vs what normal freight companies need or used in 1970 aka a little to big 7-car vs 3ish-car long, may work better in-today's market place as the need for moving more freight with less labour and quicker/cheaper is more so appetising than in 1970
@MrPeperidge3 жыл бұрын
Calum this is an astounding piece of documentary. You must know this, but you've got a gift mate. These types of videos, same as the like of Jago Hazard and Tim Traveller, are titans of niche transportation documentation. You're a legend and thank you for producing these. 👍
@DaveInPA2010 Жыл бұрын
I've gotta say, as much as I loved the whole documentary, your outro and waffling on a bit was equally wonderful! Thank you!
@bernardboudreau9534 Жыл бұрын
Exceptionally well compiled and produced video, and quite entertaining! Museum level material, in my opinion. In gratitude.
@BatCaveOz3 жыл бұрын
Outstanding content! (Although when I saw the tyres as depicted circa 0:09 I got a little worried that this might be a reminiscent of the Arctic Cruiser... fortunately further images confirmed that the tyres had treads).
@andrewm1373 жыл бұрын
aww man, your quality keeps going up! I'd love to see you do a video on British Columbia's heavy off highway log truck companies like Hayes and Pacific. There are so many things about these companies that are being forgotten to time, considering both companies are long gone. Their trucks, however, are still going strong.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the idea! Maybe one day - I've a long list of propjects to get through
@RuzzP3 жыл бұрын
That would be awesome, I grew up in Nanaimo. Still remember the sights, sounds, and the amazing cedar smell on the ferries. I blame Pacific for my love of trucks 😂
@andrewm1373 жыл бұрын
@@RuzzP Ey, I grew up in Nanaimo too! Mind you, it was probably a lot later than you. I both love and hate Nanaimo, it's weird. The smell of the Mill every morning sure is something I'll think about.
@ZGryphon3 жыл бұрын
It took me a while to work out what the Land Trains' aesthetic reminded me of, but I finally pinned it down: they're like something out of the second series of Tom Swift books, the ones written in the 1950s and '60s and starring the son of the original 1910 character. If they had ever actually built the nuclear-powered one, it would be _exactly_ a Tom Swift Jr. creation. _Tom Swift and his Atomic Land Train_ would absolutely have been a title in that series. Hell, the whole Arctic convoy thing wouldn't be at all out of place as a Tom Swift Jr. storyline, except that in addition to the elements, Boris-and-Natasha-style Communist agents would have been trying to stop them the whole way. :)
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Really quite amazing how ahead of their time those books were!
@ronaldhall97012 жыл бұрын
Looking down on it from a picture from above it looked like a gigantic snake
@unknownuser1102 Жыл бұрын
They also look like a car featured in speed racer, one episode has a racer in a car that's pretty much a train
@Wandera19702 жыл бұрын
I clicked on this with idle curiosity. Thinking I would skip through the video. But wow. I loved the whole thing. I can see the next chapter for these types of land trains been used on other planets like mars for exploration. Tech has advanced enough to make them lighter stronger, I think they would suit exploring mars. just like a rover :D
@dangerrangerlstc2 жыл бұрын
All this, from a guy who dropped out of school at 14. THAT is amazing in and of itself.
@richardscathouse Жыл бұрын
Not really, I dropped out at 15. They had nothing to teach me 😂
@CybershamanX3 жыл бұрын
Oh, wow! This is SO CLOSE to that one weird and cool arctic vehicle I was trying to tell you about a (long) while ago. Just imagine this with wider and treadless wheels and with only one trailer (which also has the same big cushy tires). Every once in a while I try to find out what TV program I saw it on. It was a Discovery show, I think. (sigh) I'll keep looking... 😉
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Haha don’t worry I’ve a long list of things still to get through!
@popuptoaster3 жыл бұрын
You are talking about the Antarctic Snow cruiser, it was pretty terrible but looked awesome, the Russians built a more successful tracked vehicle for a similar purpose. One of the Big-Foot monster trucks used surplus tyres from the snow cruiser.
@CybershamanX3 жыл бұрын
@@popuptoaster The show was about these monster vehicles that hauled immensely heavy loads, like tanks of aviation fuel, across the ice. They were high tech. The cabs were big and heated so the driver could be comfortable for long journeys. They would have two vehicles for each trip with one basically being a support vehicle just in case one broke down along the way. They had built in cranes for changing the big wide tires if they had to. They had multiple sets to support the giant loads. They looked like something from a scifi movie. I'll find it someday... 😉
@CybershamanX3 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay You said that last time! LOL! 😜
@DIEGhostfish3 жыл бұрын
@@popuptoaster But the antarctic Snow Cruiser was Calum's first big break. I'm sure Cybershaman already saw that video and is pretty sure it's another similar design made for hauling other stuff.
@CalumRaasay2 жыл бұрын
Amazing news! My friend Mark has written an incredible history of the overland trains, I'd highly reccomend reading if you like the subject! amzn.to/3EysUC9
@kevinb1582 жыл бұрын
Well this kind of reminds me of speed racer because there was a over land train in there as well 👍👍
@toddsmith86082 жыл бұрын
Would it be accurate to say RG LeTourneau is the father of the monster truck?
@traumgeist3 жыл бұрын
These designs date back to a time when it was apparently believed that driving a wood factory into the middle of a forest and cutting down the whole thing was a good idea. It's definitely a good thing for both the inventor and Mother Nature that the logging train wasn't put into production, but it's still kind of cool that he actually built a prototype of it.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Agreed!
@JurisKankalis3 жыл бұрын
The "preserve the nature by all means imaginable" aspect of nowadays is often exaggerated, piloted by people who somehow gain much traction and who are somehow overly loud (become very much visible with loads of followers) on media and of course the internet, without realising that even such "traction" and exaggerated fanatical approach tends to be destructional, including for nature - most often such attitude seems to be advocating not the nature, but their own agenda and over-swollen "face". One very topical example is the EV craze where an industry which is globally encompassing (been in place for more than a century) and is becoming gradually cleaner and cleaner will have to be re-invented, re-done, re-manufactured, re-industrialized, re-standardized and re- everything - with very often much more harm done than the magical "saving the earth" which the panda, penguin and polar-bear lovers see in their slightly zombified minds. One specific example is digging for lithium (not mentioning thousands of other spheres which will have to be completely re-done in all fields imaginable) - if one sees how we've been engaging in extracting minerals so far, been to some of the oldest old-fields - imagine a new mineral (lithium) now coming into play - many pristine territories, even countries will be dug up - just because the EPA (propogated by the green-glassed penguin people) and the appropriate EU institutions have said "no more ICE-cars until 2030". So while I'm categorically against throwing your crap and waste around you without regard, I don't think "ooooooh, mother earth will revenge and rise against us, I need to hug some trees" and similar attitudes can be based on anything serious - apart from serious mental issues.
@Js-rq9uj3 жыл бұрын
@@JurisKankalis lesser of the two evils is kind of the point, we do need to halt c02 emissions, the oceans cannot become acidic at all costs or we're looking at a mass extinction event, even if that means pillaging the ocean shelf for lithium.
@harbl993 жыл бұрын
"You see Timmy, Communists can hide among trees. That's why we use all-American know-how to clearcut the area. Try hiding now Ivan!"
@AvanaVana3 жыл бұрын
@@JurisKankalis you’re right on about lithium especially and most “save the planet” people not having a clue about the actual cost of what they believe to be saving the planet…organic vegan food comes to mind, grown with bone and blood meal from slaughterhouse floors 😂. That said, I think it’s in inescapable reality that our natural resources are limited and there is need for better engineering…there are some 3 billion plus more people in the world than when I was born, and every one of them wants cell phones and cars with rare earth minerals, pure silica, etc. I am a firm believer in the conservation of specific wilderness areas that preserve our nation’s (I’m American) patrimony. Basically I agree with you that most people are clueless bout the actual cost of what “clean” stuff they are buying, and that they are just buying into the marketing, but I think there is an inescapable reality behind the need to find better ways to do things. Logging is a great example. It used to be thought clear cutting was they way to go, most efficient, greatest margins. But the logging companies themselves found in the longer run that they were depleting their own future resources, losing all the old growth and growing skinny, pathetic monoculture trees in their place. So they’ve had to shift tactics.
@grob252 жыл бұрын
I was stationed in Yuma. That command module is a terrible wasp nest. It is across the street from the barber shop.
@pankajkulkarni67223 жыл бұрын
I like KZbinrs who put so much efforts and care into their video. Thanks man for such a wonderful video.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
So nice of you to say! Thank you Pankaj
@CullenCraft3 жыл бұрын
Incredible! Fascinating history. The dry/gross weight ratio is interesting on these machines. I'm sure with more design and prototyping they'd be able to reduce the dry weight. But a 2/3 ratio is laughably miniscule compared to tracked trains.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Yeah I was thinking that too!
@CullenCraft3 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay wondering if the v2 was ever even loaded? I may have missed it, but I cannot remember seeing a picture of any cargo - only machinery and spare tires. Anyway, incredible video. These machines have stuck in the back of my brain for years and its great to have a go-to video to scratch that itch.
@martinschulz93813 жыл бұрын
Great video. He not only had natural engineering abilities, but an incredible imagination.
@WAXXWIZZARD3 жыл бұрын
my great grandad once said literally: "If it wasn't for corporate lobbying, we'd have trucks the size of buildings delivering stuff for my wife to buy."
@curtisaknopp2 жыл бұрын
26:27 is great. I giggled for a solid 5 minutes 😆
@tannertasman Жыл бұрын
10:26 it's persistent cornering ability is crazy
@5705HU3 жыл бұрын
I cannot stress enough how great these videos are. Thank you for all your work!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@marsaustralis68813 жыл бұрын
A modern land train seems like a novel idea for scenic desert tours in Nevada, and transportation in places like the Sahara and Australia. Cheaper than building railways through or helicopter flights, and tall enough to peer over most rocky outcroppings and sand dunes.
@arbjful2 жыл бұрын
They have trucks in Australia that tow several large sized trailers, this kind of vehicle is found only in Australia and are used extensively in the interior
@donlindell19943 жыл бұрын
Speed Racer captured my imagination for giant land trains as a child. I had no idea that R.G. leTourneau gave birth to the vision! Now I work in his Peoria factory where we build electric drive mining trucks that weigh 1.4M lbs, more than a 747 or an A380! The technology continues evolving and is a critical element of delivering the copper and steel required for the future of electrification.
@smelly_elvis2 жыл бұрын
kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJfQd6ZnftOkrpY
@olliebrown892 жыл бұрын
Really good video mate. That took a lot of work.
@davidmolin8944 Жыл бұрын
Amtrak wars is like the funniest title I’ve ever heard, makes me think of american passenger locomotives going to war with one another instead of post apocalyptic trucks with guns lol
@CybranM3 жыл бұрын
I appreciate the metric conversions (15:10 for example) but they should stay on screen longer, you barely have time to register them before theyre gone. Great video!
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Noted!
@bennnhold3 жыл бұрын
Calum i wiser than NASA with their Mars Climate Orbiter mistake 😄
@Tigerdragon22 жыл бұрын
Agreed. Also, at 29:35, we see the metric weights "40,8233 KG" and "27,2155 KG". Commas are in the wrong spots (maybe for comedy? (also also, the weights should/could be in metric tonnes)). Otherwise, a great video! Loved machines like these since reading The Amtrak Wars novels.
@whyjnot4203 жыл бұрын
I have operated a front end loader with articulated steering and 6 foot tall tires. By no means does that qualify as a small piece of equipment. But this thing had tires not much shorter than that entire loader was tall. Puts things into a visceral context for me.
@CalumRaasay3 жыл бұрын
Right? it's really quite hard to full visualise just how huge this thing was.
@whyjnot4203 жыл бұрын
@@CalumRaasay Even when you have references nearby, like a human to show the scale. You cannoot truly admire the size of these monster until thew are right there in front of you. Thery make you feel tiny, but at the same time they make you feel enormous for 2 reasons, 1 we can operate them and 2 We, humans, designed and created them for us to use.
@rikkijohnson7165 Жыл бұрын
I love how you gave this video such a personal touch, giving a nod to man behind the machine. Well done. Thanks for a great video.
@truckerrespect77972 жыл бұрын
Thanks for all your hard work putting this together. Absolutely fascinating. I’m headed to the Yukon some day
@angelmarco32892 жыл бұрын
This video is a work of art and dedication, thank you very much for sharing it!
@rogerbayless2 жыл бұрын
This warms my heart seeing a great inventor and engineer actually getting the funding needed to do what he is great at, which is inventing and pushing the world forward. I would have loved to see what he could do today with the technology that has came out in the last 50 years
@bc-guy8522 жыл бұрын
I have no idea how I got here - but I'm glad I stayed!! This was fabulous; thanks for the incredible amount of work it takes to put something like this together. I think my favourite part is the outro! It was neat to hear about all the people involved and how you got the B-roll and to have a look at your studio setup. I worked selling Caterpillar and Komatsu earth moving and forestry equipment for many years. The reputation earned by LeTourneau machines was epic - even for seasoned Caterpillar salesmen. I'm not able to buy you a whiskey (and it's only 0645 here in BC, Canada) but I did sub, like and comment. I hope that helps. Fabulous job. Thanks for your efforts!
@mikeniz1352 жыл бұрын
Finally. A KZbin recommendation I can appreciate.
@erikig2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@MrAnderson45093 жыл бұрын
thank you so much for investing yourself in this project my grandfather who was an officer in a dank destroyer unit and his friend a very inventive fellow used to talk about Letourneau with high praise, I heard more than once references to Letourneau things like "if anybody can do it, l'éternel can" Or they should get Letourneau he could make it happen. Of course after Liternal passed away he didn't much talk about him anymore, so this is from my childhood. I always wondered about it and never dug for information, and eventually I forgot Letourneau's name. So this helped give me perspective on the emphasis of some of the projects that my grandfather would talk about and what was needed behind them to complete the job, and what that completion would actually mean. Thank you so much it brought back into my memory many conversations between my grandfather and his inventive Friend.
@garagestory3 жыл бұрын
Wow!! Great video. RG’s book is probably my favorite book (outside of the Bible). I have read it many times over since I was young. Thank you for taking the time to put this video together!
@MrSaemichlaus3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic documentation, this is amazing! You've put a lot of time into this and it shows.
@apollomoon1 Жыл бұрын
I always envisioned the use of enormous Overland Trains for hauling crude oil from remote northern oil fields instead of building and maintaining pipelines. Would make it more practical to develop smaller oil fields with shorter life spans, with minimal environmental impact. When the projects were completed, there would be no need to dismantle or abandon useless pipelines. Thanks so much for this great video. I have been interested in these vehicles since I first saw a magazine article in the ‘50s. Information on them is hard to find but you have solved that. Thanks again. Great job!!
@skyislands88872 жыл бұрын
Awesome. Thanks again for another brilliant documentary So many people who are 'ahead of their time' don't succeed, money, technology, impossible dreams, outside circumstances to name a few.... so good to see someone actually make their dreams, idea's and concepts step out from the page and exist.
@thomlinford2 жыл бұрын
Gotta say... Really love the thank you notes at the end... It's a really nice touch!
@corm75387 ай бұрын
Four huge tires originally made for the LCC-1 Sno Train were used on the Bigfoot 5 monster truck and you are correct in saying it was just the tires used on the monster truck not the wheels from LCC-1.
@superseven79472 жыл бұрын
Excellent content Calum, really interesting!!
@CalumRaasay2 жыл бұрын
Thank you 🙏 much appreciated!
@fernandochavez43122 жыл бұрын
Excellent documentary. Thanjs
@AirWarrior.732 жыл бұрын
My father was the Chaplain for the Peoria, IL factory. My dad was originally a welder of scraper shells during his high school days in late ‘30’Ss. RG paid for my dad to go to Bible school if he would come back home and be the lead chaplain in Peoria. I personally called RG grandpop. He was a dynamo! My dad traveled to the Liberia, Africa factory with RG in the refurbed A-26 Intruder Bomber into a corporate plane as he did numerous times. Thank you for doing this great informative video!
@SD1fruitbat3 жыл бұрын
This puts the massive vehicles from Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds' into context (not so much the Thunderbird machines, as the other vehicles involved in the disasters). So much so, that I was waiting for you to mention atomic power.
@mboyer682 жыл бұрын
His mother called him "restless, inquisitive, energetic, determined and ambitious" while he said of his mother "the only book she reads is a thesaurus"
@gregmonks97082 жыл бұрын
I've driven many modern vehicles derived from these originals. Some of this footage was a staple of elementary-school classrooms shown on 16mm movie projectors. The DEW Line was a big deal in Canadian schools back then. A lot of the still photos appeared in little magazines such as Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, and others, back in the 50's and 60's.
@richardscathouse Жыл бұрын
Antiquated and useless. They never thought of how to stop the ICBMs 😂😂😂
@JacobTompkinsPhoto2 жыл бұрын
Very entertaining, thanks for creating!
@nooneyouknow70362 жыл бұрын
Calum, I'm writing this from Tok, AK. I've been trucking into Alaska for a few years now and have seen the LC1 in Whitehorse, YT and there is a trailer from the LC1 still here just outside of Tok in front of Mukluk Land, a little local amusement park. I hope to get to Fox, AK to see the Snow Freighter/Train. I just finished reading the Cliff Bishop book, "18 Wheels North to Alaska". Cliff lived a wonderful life that I much enjoyed reading about. Thank you so much for the video that I stumbled onto on KZbin. Keep up the great work. P.S. My job takes me to Yuma, AZ also. Going to track these wonders down!!
@CalumRaasay2 жыл бұрын
Amazing! I always think it must be a hell of a job doing what you do and also getting to see so much of North America. Let me know if you ever get a chance to see the train down in Yuma!
@nunyanunya41472 жыл бұрын
'what did you do today honey?' OH you know... drove a city block ov 3 story buildings through 12 feet ov snow... slow day.