Inside The Insane 1960s Nuclear Overland Vehicle - LeTourneau TC-497

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The LeTourneau Overland Train (TC-497) was one of the longest, largest vehicles ever made. For years I've been obsessed with this strange machine, now sitting abandoned in the middle of the American desert and so, in the midst of my honeymoon, I set out to track it down.
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0:00 - Introduction
02:24 - Origins of the 'Trackless Train'
07:00 - Could I visit the TC497 in Person?
08:02 - Seeing the TC497 For the First Time!
09:41 - The Innovative 'Electric Drive' Wheels
11:09 - The Huge Loading Crane
11:46 - A Unique Suspension System
12:38 - The TC-497 Compared to the Largest Tank?
14:30 - Climbing Inside the TC497!
15:30 - The Galley/Mess Room
17:50 - Sleeping Quarters
18:38 - The Engine Room
20:08 - The Toilet
22:11 - The Bridge of the TC-497
27:18 - Nuclear Power?
29:13 - What Happened to the Rest of the TC-497?
30:42 - Restoring the TC-497
33:24 - Waffling on a Bit

[@CalumRaasay]

Thanks again to my friends at Warthunder! playwt.link/Calum You can Mark's book here! 👇 US- amzn.to/3mBIPsI UK - amzn.to/3L54CD2

[@eurotrash5610]

DAMN HARKONNENS!

[@eurotrash5610]

PS. please excuse my manners, I just noticed: all the best to you and your wife!

[@aserta]

Congratulations on getting married! :)

[@hayleyxyz]

Congrats on getting married x wish the best for both of you I’ve loved your enthusiasm for esoteric topics ever since I watched your video nerding out over the Jerry Can

[@Archangelm127]

See if they're willing to model this beautiful monster into Warthunder. :D

[@MrDDiRusso]

I'm surprised Hollywood never showed anything like this. This would have made an epic sci-fi movie prop.

[@CalumRaasay]

I know right? Maybe the mothership for the armoured personnel carrier in Aliens haha

[@tomcardale5596]

There are things like this in the Thunderbirds series. Slough rather than Hollywood but near enough I suppose?

[@Janzcu]

When I was young '85 i saw a movie of a land train, they had a race race, land train lost because it was made of pure smuggled gold..

[@ErikOrdway1984]

The sort of did with the movie 'The Big Bus.'

[@aserta]

I think there's at least two black and white movies from back in the day that have if not the same concept, then exploration by large vehicles. I wish i could remember the name of the big vehicle one - movie. In modern stuff, there's the spice gatherers of Dune, but they're only snippets. That said, they do exist in games. The Homeworld saga. They had lots of big land stuff.

[@DavidBGleason]

For us old-timers who remember mechanical odometers, the mileage at 25:26 is 889.4 miles, not 8,894. The white number wheel represents tenths of a mile.

[@C0ttageChees]

I learned something. Thank you, sincerely :)

[@GlutenEruption]

Was looking for this comment. Lol. Also noticed that gauge says the outside scale = RPM and the inside scale is MPH. We can see all of the labels above but someone used a label maker to print out “? miles = REV. X 1.?” So I’m guessing those are tire revolutions per minute. So that definitely seems like a Speedo/odometer so I’m guessing that’s 889.4 miles total

[@ThePaulv12]

I thought it was an hour meter.

[@DavidBGleason]

@@ThePaulv12 It might be. But because it's integrated into the speedo, I'd assume miles. I'd expect to see an hour meter separate from a speedo.

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

My first and second cars had mechanical odometers. I'm 34. Its crazy there's people now who don't know how to read such "old" technology.

[@Harv72b]

Where did you go on your honeymoons? Couple 1: We spent a lovely two weeks in the Bahamas, soaking up the sun. Couple 2: We spent an exquisite week in Paris, soaking up the culture. Couple 3: We went on a romantic Mediterranean cruise, soaking up everything the region had to offer. Calum: We went to the Arizona desert so I could crawl around inside a decommissioned overland train from the 1960s. 😂😂😂 (The odometer was reading 889.4 miles. You've probably been told that four dozen times already but I didn't see those comments.)

[@CalumRaasay]

Hahaha I’ll take our honeymoon anyday!

[@Melody_Raventress]

Not to mention tracking all those arrows across the barren American southwest. It's an amazingly beautiful area, but not for everyone. Because fantastic desolation.

[@jugo1944]

​@@CalumRaasaythe galley is actually gorgeous, I wouldn't mind at all

[@icoopify]

As a graduate of LeTourneau University and a former employee of LeTourneau Inc (now part of Komatsu), it's always really cool to see the legacy of R.G. LeTourneau in the wild.

[@bensendthompson2296]

Yeah, as an alumni, it is always fun coming across these videos

[@natewiebe7815]

Another alum, same here!

[@michaelgmyers]

Grew up in Longview Back in the 80s there was an old machine shop. In the yard we're these very large metal wheels. I was told there were part of a machine use help build interstate 20.

[@bigglilwayne7050]

His concrete houses were awesome as the whole thing(floors, walls, and roof) was done in one continuous pour

[@bigglilwayne7050]

​@@michaelgmyers The Sabine River bottoms was the most difficult part of construction for the entire project and he did it for free to test his equipment

[@charliestevenson3500]

I grew up in Yuma and remember seeing the control unit in the surplus dealer’s yard for the first time in 1967 when I was a child. It was very large and imposing. I’m glad it got restored and is no longer forgotten. Great job and I’m glad that you enjoyed your trip to my hometown . Congratulations to Mrs. Calum and you on your wedding.

[@CalumRaasay]

Yeah I have a cool article from the 1970s when it was being moved. how cool that you saw it when it was almost new!

[@Mis73rRand0m]

Awesome to see someone flying out to my home town for this! AZ is an amazing boneyard for these types of hulks; very little corrosion, worst you'll get is some dust.

[@ghomerhust]

@@Mis73rRand0m my brother was stationed at Davis Monthon up the road from Yuma, playing with aircraft. he said it was really incredible how well the climate there preserves all those old airframes simply because of how dry it is.

[@johnserrano9689]

He is definitely a secret spy, a foreign agent. He is definitely spying for Greenland....

[@roypennock8046]

You might be interested to know that after changing hands many times over the years, LeTourneau is now part of Komatsu Corp. and produce hybrid diesel-electric drive surface and underground mining equipment including the L2350, which is the largest rubber-tired front-end loader in the world. It still has in-wheel traction motors with forced air cooling, dynamic braking and enormous Firestone tires (but "only" 4...) just like the overland train.

[@josephpadula2283]

Thank you! Good the know the corporate memory was not dumped like many old projects! Perhaps you can ask an Old engineer if they kept the prints when the company was bought out? If so ask them to donate to a museum or library if they are ever to discard And scan them first .,..

[@To-mos]

Komatsu makes some massively massive huge equipment next to Liebherr, love watching both companies contraptions crawl around.

[@daniellebcooper7160]

@2:12 Youre new wife looks absolutely thrilled to bits. I'm glad you found someone that obviously shares your enthusiasm for looking over old machinery on their honeymoon. In all seriousness, good luck to the both of you.

[@chadhughes8151]

When I was a kid the first 10’ tire overland train was abandoned in a junkyard near FT WW. We use to sneak into it to play on all the old military equipment include the control car. We’d climb up into the cab and pretend we were driving it. After about 20 years or more of sitting there, the ground in the junkyard was found to be highest toxic due to its owner purchasing and burying old transformers full of PCB’s. That’s when the overland equipment was moved to a museum.

[@TesserId]

I love that this wasn't destroyed. Too many important creations in history where allowed to slip into the void, leaving us wonder what such things were really about. Getting to see the inside of this beast was a big thrill, having thought from other videos that this was destroyed. Thank you so much for this video.

[@CalumRaasay]

Right? I guess it many ways it was just SO big that it was difficult to move or scrap! The crazy size of it probably helped save it, in many ways.

[@tomfxstc4833]

Thanks to my Brother

[@smugly6793]

Absolutely true. So many amazing machines and vehicles were scrapped the second they became obsolete with nothing being preserved for the future to learn from. It’s incredibly sad to see

[@jlo13800]

Its got a nuclear 2 stroke engine.

[@Tigershark_3082]

Makes me think of a lot of the forgotten aircraft. Stuff like the Martin P6M SeaMaster, or XF10F Jaguar

[@MccoppingSalvage]

Please travel to Alaska and visit the other two pieces of this history. It would be amazing to see the rest of story that still exists. Very interesting and entertaining video.

[@CalumRaasay]

That's the plan! Haha I’ll start booking flights 😂

[@oswurth8774]

@@CalumRaasay Expanding the Calumverse

[@berryreading4809]

I hope so too! Although Nome Alaska is certainly not the world's best tourist attraction 😄 Or very easy to even get to... However with the abandoned snow train atleast the surrounding areas would be enjoyable during the trip up 😉👍

[@herzogsbuick]

@@CalumRaasay I have some friends from Nome that I'm sure could act as fixers. I live in Anchorage -- about a 7 1/2 hour drive south of the sno-freighter in Fairbanks. It would then be a 13-odd hour drive from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, plus however long the border takes (I unfortunately missed the Yukon Transportation Museum last time I passed through, not again!) Just throwing myself in the ring here in case you want to do this, I've been watching your videos around 3 years now, stop what I'm doing every time I see a new one come out. Cheers!

[@canonicaltom]

@@CalumRaasay I used to live in Fairbanks, definitely recommend going in the summer :D

[@bugman72]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but the tires on Bob Chandler's Bigfoot #5 are off of one of these. Not sure if they originated from the TC-497, but they are the same wheel/tire combo. In fact, at some point, Bigfoot #5 ran 8 of these tires at once.

[@StephenGillie]

This thing looks oddly like the Antarctic Cruiser we made in the 1940s, and abandoned in Antarctica to fight WW2.

[@CalumRaasay]

Funnily enough I made a video on the Antarctic Cruiser!

[@silontninja6947]

Yes it does remind me of that and it seems to have the same objective as well

[@CalumRaasay]

Visiting this crazy machine was the absolute honour of a lifetime and it's you guys, my viewers, that have helped make it possible! Thank you again. I'll be doing a giveaway this month on my patreon for a couple copies of Mark's book for anyone interested - patreon.com/calumraasay Discord: discord.gg/BPahz6vHJd

[@keab42]

I'm so glad you actually got to visit it! I loved your documentary on it.

[@nefariousyawn]

And you did it on your honeymoon? Let's call it the second absolute honor of your lifetime, for the sake of your marriage 😉

[@CalumRaasay]

@@nefariousyawn haha good point, nice save 😂

[@bigbossimmotal]

@@CalumRaasay Hey honey, where do you want to go for our anniversary? ALASKA!

[@CalumRaasay]

@@bigbossimmotal Haha luckily I have an understanding wife!

[@jason0870]

It's cool to see how when vandalism is kept at bay and im sure minimal maintenance, the machine stays in relatively stock condition. I enjoyed your original video and this video very much. Thank you

[@CalumRaasay]

Thanks Jason! Yeah even BEFORE the restoration she was in amazing condition, I can't believe how much was left behind.

[@davidkaufman1]

I saw a video on the Russian Buran space shuttles on military bases that were vandalized. When all ladders were removed vandals brought ropes

[@JoshuaTootell]

What's funny is when you hear people talk about people being disrespectful these days, but the Battleship Texas had to close up sections of the ship because of vandalism...in the 1950's.

[@TriGogglin]

Calum, I remember seeing some of the old footage you shown in this video as a kid, and always thought this had to be extremely awesome to see. You were the right person for this video. Thank you for the time, effort and knowledge you put into this.. it was worth it.. excellent presentation. thank you, best regards, Pappy

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you pappy! Apologies I seemed to miss your message, but your support really means a lot!

[@TriGogglin]

@@CalumRaasay no worries, i totally understand, it's hard to keep up sometimes. Be safe out there on your travels

[@hvonwolfenstein2638]

We have an LCC-1 Sno-Train by LaTourneau Inc. at the transportation museum up here in Whitehorse, Yukon. It's super cool and really fun to go see! My favourite part is the bubble dome on the top which allows for navigation by stars! Very cool.👍

[@CalumRaasay]

The bubble dome is so cool! Similar to the Soviet Kharkovchanka actually!

[@jp-um2fr]

Congratulations Calum and wife - what have you let yourself into young lady. All the best for the future and thanks again for yet another excellent video.

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you very much!

[@ivanekprochazka]

I love the educational value of your videos and their unceasingly improving production quality. I'm glad you've been able to turn your passion into your career. I always had crossed fingers for you. Greetings from Prague!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you Ivánek, that means a lot. They take a while to make, but I love being able to go into such detail and have such a receptive audience!

[@billyhess5263]

I’m not even 10 minutes in so I’m not sure if you mentioned it but, back when I was 7 years old (1986) a new Bigfoot monster truck was revealed, it would be the tallest monster truck ever made (I think even still today), Bigfoot 5. Bigfoot 5 used those very tires from that very vehicle (well, from one of its trailers anyway). That truck made an entire generation aware of the Alaskan land train. Such cool history!

[@1978garfield]

Yup that truck (Bigfoot 5) is on display in Pacific MO.

[@kevineckelkamp]

@1978garfield pacific has an earlier Bigfoot, the taller one is also right off the interstate, but much closer to st louis

[@JMRCDesigns]

I was gonna say if no one had already posted, about looking into Bob Chandler's BIGFOOT 5. I'm not sure if it's ever mentioned which land train they got the tires from, but Bob stated that he found them at an army surplus store. Two very cool pieces of history in both this video and the history of BIGFOOT 5. 👍

[@kevineckelkamp]

@1978garfield u were right, they moved it to pacific

[@willpowerfpv3246]

Very cool! I worked at the largest coal strip mine in Canada, and we had a massive La Tourneau front end loader. It's ridiculously large, and was broken down most of time, as parts were difficult to source. 😕

[@SM-rn3xy]

Thanks for another great video! 25:29 Fairly sure that is 889.4 not 8 thousand. The note 'Total Miles Rev x 1.2' might indicate its something similar to a Hobbs meter which would be close to hours plus a bit and would make sense for a turbine engine that would have to be serviced according to hours.

[@CalumRaasay]

Yeah someone pointed out that the counter looks lifted from a cummins setup, which makes sense as thats what most letourneau products used. So maybe they adapted the cummins counter then added that note to account for the turbine?

[@mr.squarebody5554]

Sometimes I worry calum left his channel then he comes back swinging

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha just a Wedding, Christmas & Honeymoon break!

[@Edward-pw6zz]

@@CalumRaasay well deserved!

[@linksbro1]

The choice of Clair De Lune for when you first saw it in person speaks volumes to how important that moment was to you.

[@warrentobey5237]

I worked on letourneau log unloaders in the Pacific Northwest. Letourneau also made tanks in ww2. The drive motors on all 4 wheels were DC motors. The lifting, steering, log clamps were AC motors. The turning was controlled by a left/right toggle switch and the drive motors were controlled by a rheostat. They had a 2 part generator driven by a diesel engine. The engine ran at 2000 rpm which made the ac generator run at 73 hz at 500 vac. The dc generator also produces 500 vdc. Nice video😊

[@gafrers]

I bought the book in November because of your first video. Read it all in a weekend and was amazing. This video feels like the culmination of this fantastic topic but not the end. Thanks Calum and Miss

[@CalumRaasay]

So glad to hear you got the book! Mark's work is fantastic.

[@rustythrombosis5417]

My favorite part was how at the 8:06 mark you had to hold up a photo of the TC497 next to the real TC497 to make sure you had the right TC497. Of course all of that was said in jest and I love your videos. Thanks for the time and effort to make great and interesting content.

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha reminded me of when a detective is trying to match a photo to a face!

[@beb38138]

@25:44 It looks like each train car has the ability to steer individualy and follow the footsteps of the control car. That is amazing right there, and the fact that they did it in the '50s and '60s even more mesmerizing. 👏

[@rockymountainlifeprospecti4423]

Very well done! Glad you actually got to visit what you had put so much work into researching, how cool!

[@paulgoz7281]

It's so much like a real life prop from an episode of Jerry Anderson's Thunderbirds. Especially with the possibility of being nuclear powered. Many thanks to your bride for allowing you to take a sizeable detour on your honeymoon and make this fantastic follow-up video on an imagination stirring topic.

[@YellowRambler]

Probably a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor? It would have been a less heavier.

[@pendantblade6361]

Aaaaah, another day another video of Calum filming a Jawa sandcrawler. Thanks to all the Marks that helped with the restoration and research of this wonderful machine.

[@adammillwardart7831]

Your videos about these old crazy arctic vehicles are super interesting and well done. Thoroughly enjoy them. Thanks for putting them together.

[@BarbarianGod]

16:00 oven next to the fridge/freezer seems like a bold choice!

[@krissfemmpaws1029]

Dad being an Alaskan bush pilot saw the Snow Freighter in use at the time. He flew the Dew Line before there was a Dew Line... Back in the 60s till the mid 90s parts of the Snow Freighter were in a Seattle scrap yard on East Marginal Way in South Seattle. This is the place Bob Chandler of Bigfoot monster truck fame found the tires that went onto one of the Bigfoot trucks. Another overland machine you may was to look at is the Rollagon, I think I have the spelling right.

[@TheOtherBill]

Kriss, you made me look it up! I couldn't resist. Interesting little article at amusingplanet for anyone else interested. It would make a great video for Calum on his future trip to Alaska since there's supposed to be some still (as of 2018) operating near Prudhoe Bay. BTW, it's spelled Rollligon but either spelling will find it.

[@CalumRaasay]

Wow, that's amazing! Those bush pilots were some pioneering guys, and it was their scouting and survey work that really what made the Alaska Freight Lines convoys viable. Yeah the story from Bigfoot IIRC is that the wheels were found from the earlier slo-train, though I think looking closely they are from the TC497 (something to do with the wheel lugs). Mark Moore knows more about it I believe.

[@bigratkiller1]

Dude, on your Honeymoon!!! Congratulations to you both and that's a super understanding wife you got there 😁

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha she's a trooper!

[@petermower5708]

Amazing! Thanks for taking the trip out there, Calum! I’d love to see you visit the other overland train remnants that still exist.

[@bobuncle8704]

What a stunning piece of equipment. Thanks for taking us along.

[@olliedean3454]

I remember watching your original video on this last year. Amazing that you've been able to now see this in person! what a brilliant piece of engineering and a great video! Well done man :)

[@bartfoster1311]

Amazing to see it still stocked inside like it is!

[@CalumRaasay]

Same here! I couldn't believe it!

[@TheOtherBill]

It seems we have those volunteer restorers to thank for that. If I didn't live 3,000 miles away I'd love to volunteer for a week.

[@dersaegefisch]

Right? The thing looks like it's in better shape than some of the older tractors on my uncles farm. ...And those still run. I mean it is obviously missing th motor, but still. You can really imagine how the crew must have felt when they first saw this monster. And what their reaction probably was when they did: "I CALL DIPS ON THE MIDDLE BUNK BED!!" (everybody screaming at once)

[@dougtaylor8735]

My son went to LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. While visiting him one time, we went to the R.G. LeTourneau museum on campus. It is fascinating and I highly recommend checking it out. He was an amazing designer and built many different large pieces of one off equipment. He also built the first off shore oil drilling platform.

[@anthonysmalawipredators8794]

I can't get enough of these amazing old machines so please keep moving forward with your passion =) The interior is what blew me away the most, I would have expected much more rugged living conditions but that cab looks like a 5 star hotel room! I couldn't even imagine what life aboard would have been like. I hope your trip to America was everything you were hoping for and that you make many more great American road trips in the future !

[@SVanHutten]

Not even in his wildest dreams could Mr LeTourneau have imagined that his innovative vehicles would be given such deserved attention that many years into the future. Great video and a big thank you for taking your time to get there and sharing your unique experience with us. From a long time admirer of these contraptions.

[@pudo1312]

why not

[@patchthesinclair5896]

A camper to die for except it's a bit big for the roads of the NC 500! Thanks for another great upload.

[@CalumRaasay]

Haha I'd love to see this trying to do the turn at Helmsdale!

[@grantlee5393]

Graduated from the Engineering Program at Letourneau Uni last year and now work as a design engineer at Peterbilt. Great video and so cool learning about this history

[@JackpineGandy]

traveling all the way from Old Blighty to Yuma Arizona to see this incredible relic...amazing! and a tip of the hat to your dear wife, for going along on this trip!

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Calum, I just wanted to say thank you for making yet another great video and for continually making some of the best content on KZbin!! Each video on your channel shows all the time, effort and passion you pour into them and we truly appreciate it my friend! Keep up the good work. 👍👍 Idk about anyone else but I would definitely be interested in a video on the other land trains in the future.

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you so much! Really appreciate such a lovely comment, it's so great being able to have an audience to share these adventures and niche pieces of history with!

[@Ayeskint]

Honeymoon? Congratulations to you both! May health and happiness be your companions in life.🤘

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! It's been a great start to the year and our life together!

[@Ayeskint]

@@CalumRaasay Start as you mean to go on! Have fun, guys.

[@apollomoon1]

Thanks for your tireless work on these marvelous machines. I remember the first time I saw them in Popular Science as a young boy. I’ve been interested since then but they were so obscure, it was nearly impossible to find information about them. When I stumbled across your channel I was astounded to find so much information about them. Fantastic effort and thank you.

[@russelljohnson6243]

I am so glad your extraordinary efforts paid-off! The word for the brand of the cook stove is chef, as in a cook, no big deal, just mentioning it.

[@Never_heart]

Every time I see these vehicles my imagine runs wild. They are so evocative in their scale and design

[@CalumRaasay]

Right? It takes me to some crazy post-apocalypse, mad max story!

[@Never_heart]

@@CalumRaasay Yes so much that natural evolution of the Mad Max world and aesthetic. But also I can't help but ask myself where is point of intersection between these land trains and extreme artic exploration vehicles? And then that snowballs into imagining running various essential supplies between disparate deep cold based across a near frozen planet.

[@VLGCombat]

​@@CalumRaasay I like to imagine an alternate timeline where these things came to fruition... it reeks of 1950s futurism, especially with the plans for an nuclear reactor car. Would fit so well in something like the Fallout universe.

[@BatCaveOz]

Just when I thought that Calum had already taught me all there is to know about land trains, he releases yet another amazing video. Thank you for continuing to publish such engaging and high quality content.

[@CalumRaasay]

Wow, thanks! Really appreciate that

[@benmcreynolds8581]

Ever since watching your first video covering this company and these vehicles.. I have been facinated with them. I really think we need to bring this BACK! They are so well made! It's amazing. Seriously.

[@borisattva]

fantastic stuff. thank you and all the marks that have contributed directly/indirectly to this production.

[@zimtt1276]

Thank you! You have such an amazing talent/skill of presentation. The floor plan insert was brilliant! You have grabbed me and drawn me into a subject matter I had no idea of my interest. I was riveted to for 35 minutes.

[@CalumRaasay]

Wow, thank you! Really appreciate that.

[@Teredifa]

I was trying to remember where i had watched a documentary on these overland trains then I realized that you made it 😄 Thanks for the great content.

[@mikemace9644]

16:17 Robert shaw is the name of a company who makes controls for heating instruments. They've been around for almost 100 years & they still make heating and air conditioning controls today.

[@matt01506]

A well made documentary which is very interesting by itself but made all the better by your enthusiasm which gives it a "feel good" vibe ! Very enjoyable.

[@Thinginator]

I'd definitely love to see a video on that gold dredger in Alaska! I had no idea any of the Overland Train cars had survived in a functional state, let alone being actively used in recent years.

[@CalumRaasay]

I know right? Shows how durable they really were!

[@FFmike790]

@@CalumRaasay Any chance you could give us a link to where you got the video of it that you show the few seconds of it here in yours? Thanks.

[@1224chrisng]

Great work Mark, Mark, Mark, and --Mark-- Callum. You never miss the Mark. It's amazing to see this machine, and even more amazing that this is only Mark-1. Imagine if this was further developed, this would really leave its Mark on history. Shame it was sold to the scrap Mark-et instead.

[@CalumRaasay]

I know right? This was certainly the most advanced of all the overland trains but the entire development only happened over the course of a decade of so. Who knows what could have happened if this had been allowed to develop further!

[@AZ762SHOOTER]

The cab of this thing used to be right next to the 8 freeway on araby when i got stationed here. This was around 98. At the time i just figured it was just farming equipment until a gunny in my unit told me what it was. It sat there for a couple years before it moved to yuma proving ground.

[@absolutemattlad2701]

Love seeing you talk about these awesome adventure machines and living your best life

[@KonjonoAwesome]

An earlier version of the overland train concept was the Lombard Log Hauler. These were steam-powered track and ski "locomotives" that pulled sleds loaded with logs across snow and ice in Maine and other northern US states. Patented in 1901, the Lombard Log Hauler was the first successful commercial application of a continuous track for vehicle propulsion.

[@douglasmgriffin]

"Feels like a ship." I worked in a push boat for a bit. Barge movers like push and tug boats have very similar interior accommodations for similar-sized crews, which makes absolute sense they share the same task, just over different terrain.

[@whitedevil024]

So a literal land boat

[@hilham89]

What an amazing peace of history. I love seeing stuff like this. Thank you for making this video. I hope you find the rest of them to visit them and show us.

[@bobmiller7502]

Its good to see someone follow there passion,how you talked the wife into incorparating it into your honeymoon,thats a skill of its own,thanks for giving us the chance to share in this amazing machines lifetime,keep on keeping on my brother, love and contentment from Liverpool UK,xx

[@whyjnot420]

The kitchen in this vehicle really isn't all that much smaller than the kitchen in my house. In relative terms it is about half the size, but in absolute terms it really isn't a whole lot smaller. The kitchen in my 120 year old house is clearly a small addition to the original structure. It is big enough for a full sized fridge, range & sink, along with a little room for preparation. No room for a table or anything like that. It might be small, but it really is more than adequate for my needs. addendum: Congratulations on getting married.

[@CalumRaasay]

I know right? You'd pay top dollar for an apartment that size in most cities!

[@eekee6034]

I'm sure I've seen kitchens with poorer fittings in brick and mortar houses, and I'm not counting the bedsits I've lived in.

[@KevinSmith-ys3mh]

It reminds me of the accomodations on some older submarines Iv'e visited, such as USS Bluefin?, now tied up in the Columbia river outside the Science Museum in Portland Oregon. I think it was the first modern teardrop hull sub in the US Navy, but still Diesel-Electric drive.

[@nigozeroichi2501]

That is really cool, it's a shame they basically wasted all those tax dollars and never really used it for its intended purpose, it's really nice volunteers cleaned it up and made it look like it was just parked with all the stuff in the cupboards which at first I thought there's no way it would look like the crew just stepped out and be right back, thanks to you and all that allowed you make this very interesting look at a nearly forgotten bit of history.

[@PeterTman]

Many people do look at the tax money put into this and other projects that don't end up in regular operation as "wasted," but the technologies that are developed through them end up impacting so many things outside of the project itself. Our nation would be nowhere near as technologically advanced as it is if not for tax money that is "wasted" on trying new approaches to old (and new) problems.

[@georgeliakaris53]

Maybe radiation levels were not safe?

[@57northphoto32]

Great stuff, worth the watch and so well put together. I remember seeing pictures of machines like this when I was young and they seemed so futuristic and fantastical and now a video showing how real they actually became, sadly for a short time. Thanks Calum and of course the “Marks”.

[@paper_pinscher8889]

Absolutely incredible! I love experimental technology like this from the 40's to the 80's. The cargo car used for dredging in Alaska reminds me of Captain Rex's AT-TE because of all the piping and support structures slapped on.

[@austinduvall2422]

If you like stuff like this you should look up The Gem of Egypt and The Big Muskie they were huge coal shovels used to strip mine most of south eastern Ohio and parts of P.A. they were utterly massive machines I got to see the Gem of Egypt when I was a little kid just before they tore it down and the thing was honestly mesmerizing it seriously looked like a huge mechanical dinosaur eating away at the earth.

[@haidenthomas6002]

8 of the wheels from an Alaskan land train ended up on the Bigfoot 5 monster truck

[@ccerwin]

I appreciate your passion for this, ThankYou for the video!

[@rocketman374]

RG LeTourneau built a lot of really cool machinery, this is just one of many! Also, love the Elder Scrolls map marker. Lol. First time seeing your channel, just subscribed!

[@CalumRaasay]

LeTourneau's list of inventions is just mental isn't it haha. Thanks for watching!

[@Crazyboutpeace]

I wonder if this and the previous video made anyone in the military look into a modern version of the concept, with all the miniaturization tech has had over the decades, would probably be way more efficient today, and still be useful. Great video!

[@CalumRaasay]

Mark does mention in his book that there were some rumours of a new trackless train concept, though it never came to much!

[@chain3519]

This thing using induction motors could actually be quite interesting

[@michigandon]

Most of us Yanks have never gotten to see this in person! Kudos to you for pulling all the strings necessary to get on post, and sharing the experience with us.

[@tomfxstc4833]

I Was in it thanks to my Bro Mark The bald guy in the Pics and video

[@danwest3825]

Excellent video and research. Thank you for bringing this unique vehicle to life

[@jon_c]

I had one of those General Chefs in my first studio apartment! The apartment was tiny, but the only thing I could afford in the city. I have fond memories of that kitchen hardware as it had everything but was so compact.

[@CybershamanX]

Ok... This is just BEGGING to be in a Mad Max film. Imagine an overland train armed to the teeth fending off raiders as they tried to get their precious cargo across the desolate mutant-filled plains to the tribes on the other side. 😉

[@CalumRaasay]

I know right?! There is actually a Mad Max style book that features them - check out AMTRAK wars! I'd like to see them in a Fallout game one day!

[@CybershamanX]

@@CalumRaasay Thanks for the tip! 😎👍

[@SJNFAB]

VEHICLES AND SUBMARINES GET NUCLEAR GENERATORS BUT MY HOUSE CAN'T. 🤬

[@clxudzYT]

The interior is just frozen in time from the day it was left there… Crazy! I love this kind of stuff!!!

[@philarnold9958]

Great work Calum, well done. Letourneaus have intrigued me for quite some time. I have had an LW16 for about 20 years now. It is powered by a 4/71 GM. Wabco spares still fit it, although I have only ever fitted a new brake operating valve and fitted a bigger compressor as the original compressors were a little on the small side. Gotta love those blown two strokers! I have several of the Letourneau publications as well as the original workshop and spares manuals for the LW16. There is not much written about them I find. Keep up the good work.

[@scootpegune609]

So why does the title say it's "Nuclear"? Clearly it used gas turbines. I watched your video for way too long, curious how in the '60s they fit a nuclear reactor on it...apparently they didn't.

[@dimidimi5537]

Same here ,I then did some research they meant to fit a nuclear reactor but they gave the whole project up before they could test the nuclear motor.

[@mayeskyj]

Hey man, I really like your videos. Great work!

[@Kenny6253]

What an incredible vehicle! Thanks for the video, I had no knowledge of this creation!

[@erinschlameus3628]

Thanks for making and posting.

[@thedustkid]

Wonderful video and such hard work of the volunteers for the restoration. Never knew it existed, now I do, excellent!

[@toserveman9265]

I live in Ventura county, California. Good for you on your field trip. Diesel electric locomotives, the units used in trains here in USA, run the same way, diesel engines provide power for electric powered wheels, one has steel wheels, the other has tires.

[@MarkBarnett]

Super stuff Calum, really enjoyed that.

[@jppitman1]

Wow...unbelievable. Never heard of this vehicle before. It`s completely new to me. Your enthusiasm kept me drawn in.

[@Point221b]

Hi Calum, just discovered you. Really very good. Like the mix, factual presentation and production. You easily knock spots off several mainstream presenters. Cheers, Martin. (Kent, England). 👍

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

Thank you for your effort, both in time and treasure as well as your wife's to not only bring these close up views but also your experience to us.

[@brianball2002]

Congratulations on yet another great video Calum. Also congrats on the wedding! One little point but nothing major really, the speedometer you showed wasn't 8894 miles, it was actually 889 and 4/10th's of a mile. Such an amazing machine and you were so lucky to get a viewing!! Well done. Greetings from North East Scotland.

[@LandyVlad_Rides]

Great video - again - thanks Calum!

[@XLA-zg1nn]

Im so glad you got out, to make this one mate!! 😊

[@shades360]

Congratulations on your honeymoon and thanks for the effort of filming your once in a lifetime experience

[@NICKGAR7]

Another super-interesting video Calum! Watched it with my grandson. Fascinating. I’ll get to Raasay one day soon (Mull next month). Cheers, Nick

[@markdc1145]

Thanks to Calum and all the Marks!👏

[@janblake9468]

I explored TC-497 cab when it was in a civilian Yuma junk yard many years ago. Close by were piles of tires from the trailers that had already been scrapped. Later TC-497 cab was moved to YPG.

[@monkeybarmonkeyman]

The mere fact it sits there, looking as if its but a year old, tells you a couple things. One, the desert is very good at preserving man-made vehicles. Two, this thing was made to survive. Thanks for the video guy!

[@chrisschemmer1978]

This is such a cool piece of history and engineering! Thank you for doing this video! And congratulations on your nuptials!