The story of the huge US Army land trains - the largest off-road vehicles ever made!

[@cincinnatislider]

I was in Alaska one summer as a youth and in the middle of nowhere, there was this huge 4-wheeled vehicle with gray paint like an old warplane and GIANT tires sitting on a beach. It was incredible.

[@xploration1437]

And…

[@xploration1437]

@David Moore lol, some people have a broken thought/typing separator.

[@JPER-cv2lq]

Hello 👋. I found one between Fairbanks and Delta Junction while being stationed at the Fort Greely cold weather test station 1969-1970. Just abandoned out in middle of no where along with about 12-15 Austin mini's and other vehicles.

[@yupcrazy...5465]

Was it a sherp?

[@johnsantillano6528]

I work for the company that built the land trains back in the day. The motors and planetary drives are awesome.

[@Erreul]

You just taught me a new thing, planetary drive. Thank you.

[@cliffwhite5552]

Hey I used to work there too! They still make really amazing (and even bigger) machines.

[@crhu319]

Hub motors.

[@jamesbizs]

@@Erreul I don’t think you know what the word “taught” means. He didn’t teach you anything. Knowing the word, doesn’t really mean knowing something new. You’d actually have to know what it means, which means you have to look it up.

[@Erreul]

@@jamesbizs I didn't read passed the first period, please never talk to me again.

[@laingadaing]

I'm honestly surprised we haven't seen a restored land train at some mud fest in the Southern US. I think that would be an instant win.

[@thebunnisher109]

Bigfoot 5 beat you to it. Those wheels came straight off the land train.

[@littlejackalo5326]

@@thebunnisher109 he said the whole unit, not just the wheels/tires.

[@thebunnisher109]

@@littlejackalo5326 I’ve seen the chassis and some wheels rotting up in Alaska. I think Fairbanks and Nome.

[@guitarsandexplodingdinosau7821]

Sounds like a job for whistling diesel

[@huntertopoleski7085]

Nobody has land train money

[@RADIOACTIVEMASCULINITY]

It’s a shame that they saw such limited use after the efforts that must have been put into making them

[@crhu319]

It has to be flat and roadless without a lot you care about running over. Tundra buggies.

[@comeberza]

It just shows how governments spend a huge amount of resources in projects that barely make sense

[@RADIOACTIVEMASCULINITY]

@@comeberza and that’s only the stuff we know about lol

[@comeberza]

@@RADIOACTIVEMASCULINITY between all the languages available you chose to speak facts

[@RADIOACTIVEMASCULINITY]

@@comeberza that’s how we roll on my channel lol

[@CriticoolHit]

Me: It's 2 am we should go to bed Brain: No. It's time to learn about US army land trains.

[@tobyfish5534]

That's exactly what happened

[@kennedy796]

I know someone wgo cleans the oil tanks on those early warning systems. They have to fly in and fly out but damn he makes good money Its 2021 and they still maintain them

[@denali9449]

Kinda sorta but not really. Many of the original DEW Line facilities were deactivated in the early 60's with the balance decommissioned in the early 90's. In 1991 the Northern Warning System using non-manned and minimally attended stations were up and running. While many of the new facilities were built on the same site as the DEW Line stations, all, save two in Alaska and one in Canada were completely new facilities. All the Dew Line facilities (except the three mentioned) were "remediated", i.e. buildings dismantled and soils treated for contamination.

[@billtomo]

.

[@TJ-qz6hr]

Everyone: You can’t put those tires on a pickup truck. Bob Chandler: Hold my beer.

[@stupidsnek]

Whistling diesel now

[@ljs5757]

Wow what an amazing vehicle it would have had to use one of those train cars 2 carry the 20-ton can of Fix-A-Flat

[@haidenthomas6002]

@@stupidsnek can't wait for monstermax 2

[@TJ-qz6hr]

@@stupidsnek what size tire is he using?

[@ShortArmStrongArm]

‘ol FigBoot

[@danielhahn55]

this is basically a build from the Space Engineers game in real life.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

I saw the thumbnail and thought it was a Let's Game It Out video at first.

[@0Letten0]

@@MonkeyJedi99 me too

[@mikelliteras397]

Now I know where Bigfoot got those 10ft tires

[@TheWisdom3]

True.

[@Mr_Everyman]

That bigfoot was in the 90's though, such a tiny detail that I'm really surprised it was missed.

[@CanIbeFrank]

@@Mr_Everyman before 1985

[@corinilfarms8854]

Originally, a set of 4 were purchased from a military scrap yard in the Seattle area in the early 80's. The first set of 10' tires debuted on Bigfoot 3 in 1983 and appeared on other Bigfoot trucks until Bigfoot 5 was specifically designated to wear these tires exclusively. Today, Bigfoot 5 in Pacific, Mo., Bigfoot 7 in Kissimee, Fl., and Bigfoot '13' in Roscoe, Il. have these 10' tires. Bigfoot 7 and '13' were dedicated display trucks at the former Race Rock Cafes in Orlando and Las Vegas. Very interesting about the land train and there current locations! Thanks for sharing!

[@mikeherbst1825]

You mean now we know where Bigfoot is hiding & why we can never find him!😆🦍

[@dougscott6002]

Four of those tires and wheels wound up in Nome, Alaska on a gold mining machine.

[@Sillyturner]

Yes but greed and contra versify amongst the owners doomed that project. I knew the engineer that designed it.

[@rixille]

What's the name of that mining machine? I'd like to look it up and see pictures of it with the wheels on.

[@dougscott6002]

@@rixille those tires were on another gold machine up there in the early 1970's. Sat on Sandpit for years by Dale Whitney's metal shop until they wound up on that machine. The original had a 3208 Cat engine running a hydraulic pump and motors for motive power. I tube might have more videos.

[@dougscott6002]

@@rixille sent before I looked. It was U-Tube.

[@komombaz]

This gem of a channel is atrociously underrated.

[@semajksuh694]

Two Jims' don't make a wrong any less right

[@DocLulzson]

@@semajksuh694 underrated... no just hard to understand because this cat's 1st language is not English.

[@semajksuh694]

@@DocLulzson the only people in the U.S.A who're babbling aloud using the Queen's language consist entirely of either those recently acquired ''Subjects of THE European Union'' or exactly the opposite of latter statement

[@semajksuh694]

Rest of us speaking something in between whatever those court stenographers use, Morse code, and tongues as goes the holy rollr definition of said audicommunicatory preference

[@DocLulzson]

@@semajksuh694 I see it struck a nerve. lol

[@dp.oennismaurer205]

Mr. LeTourneau was a very smart man for someone who had quit school in the sixth grade !!!

[@WezleyB]

Schooling doesn't make people smart... It makes them knowledgeable and easily trained..

[@privatesector0422]

I'm just blown away that this wasn't clickbait

[@kristjanmartin9883]

A land train? That's way more exciting than the traditional sea trains we've been using for hundreds of years, take that BNSF D.M.

[@michaeltaylors2456]

Land, meaning no expensive steel tracks to be limited to.

[@averagewso]

@@michaeltaylors2456 Steel tracks arent that expensive, definatly cheaper than making land trains if you expect to keep using the area

[@jeremaihmoyer3262]

I drive past one of these every day on my way to work

[@StudioDaVeed]

ALMOST shut video off when I heard that AI text to speech voice. It's a real dude! Phew, I can continue watching.

[@cudwieser3952]

The whole Le Tourneau story is a crazy one, especially the story of the LT 360

[@Mrwednesday84]

I get a very strong Homeworld/Deserts of Kharak vibe from these vehicles.

[@wilfdarr]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@teamidris]

Jackknifed it :o Makes me shudder to think what a mess that would have been!

[@chetmyers7041]

Probably moved quite slow, and with each wheel driven by electric, easier to control the speed of each wheel.

[@johnmckinney1493]

Grew up in peru and roy letourneau had a base there called turnavista. Had a small land train there plus many other experimental pieces. Fun place to play as a kid.

[@darrylsouthern1346]

R.G. Letourneau was a very smart man. Many videos on Letourneau and his many machines on KZbin

[@papasfixitshop7982]

I live in Yuma Arizona, and in the early 1970’s I worked at a military surplus equipment yard called “Jet Sales”. That company bought the Land Train and I was involved in cutting the thing into smaller chunks for recycling. It was built entirely out of Aluminum!

[@KentuckyFriedChildren]

Do you remember which one it was?

[@papasfixitshop7982]

@@KentuckyFriedChildren it was the one in the video that was tested at Yuma Proving Grounds. I still remember filling barrels with the bolts that held the wheels together as I disassembled them. My boss was really upset because the specifications for the train said that the Buss Bars, the conductors that carried the current from the generators to the individual motors in the wheels were supposed to be Copper. The potential value of an an estimated one mile of 1/2” by 3” copper plate was very high in 1975! But the manufacturer substituted aluminum instead. I still filled multiple semi trailers with aluminum though.

[@hardrays]

@@papasfixitshop7982 so you helped spawn bigfoot 5

[@papasfixitshop7982]

Yeah, I had to take the tires off to get the motors out of the hubs. Lots of bolts! We never thought the tires were good for anything!

[@That_Guy5575]

#1 These look like something more at home on Mars rather than here on earth #2 I want one of those little tricycles as seen at 8:43 lol

[@JS-1983]

Le Tourneau company made so many interesting and clever equipments and many of those were HUGE. I have a book of Le Tourneau Earthmovers, what a book with lots of cool photos of those machines. I think that company was ahead of it's time, because those diesel-Electric drivetrains...

[@austinknowlton1783]

Wow is that an F-16 Hayes manual on your shelf? I didn't know such a thing existed.

[@Trooper6190]

Oh they’re out there! There’s even Apollo 11 Lunar Lander manuals and Saturn V manuals all by Hayes. I don’t know the extent or depth they go into (for those specifically) but they’re thiccc books and pretty entertaining

[@austinknowlton1783]

That's crazy.

[@mikez1017]

Nerds

[@paulg3336]

@@mikez1017 yes,Homer

[@bennylofgren3208]

@@Trooper6190 @Austin Knowlton Haynes, not Hayes. :)

[@OldSonyMan]

So this is where the Thunderbirds got their inspiration from !

[@stevenhess5616]

That was a sweet, sweet piece of history. Thank you for making this very engaging video,.

[@jimmyburnworld9572]

I’m amazed, given the period it was built in, that someone didn’t decide to try to make the final version atomic powered. Infinite length with infinite range.

[@apaijmans]

Should of made it a submurgable one then.

[@argentosebastian]

I'm not sure but I think the Russians made an atomic version or an atomic portable generator or something like this.

[@steventhompson399]

Lol atomic everything was all the rage then, even nuclear powered aircraft

[@whogavehimafork]

That actually sounds super rad. I'll see myself out.

[@skuzlebut82]

A piece of Army equipment that I've never heard of and had no reason to learn about. KZbin decided that I needed to learn about it and I'm glad because I found a new channel that I have happily subscribed to!

[@motorheadscom]

Thank you!

[@avugiak]

I live in Alaska seen the two rigs, that orange one was behind fort wainwright at a junk yard but the city took over the owners property but that was in 2006, haven't seen it since, I even was next to it wanting to go inside it, but my friend didn't want to, the man that owned the property was old and he lived in a busted wood shack, he was cool and nice, will always remember him! Thanks for the video some history in my life and past!

[@Colonel_Obvious]

I was stationed at Ft Wainwright from 06 to 11, I called the scrap yard and asked to come take a look at the land train. They were clearing the yard at the time and wouldn’t let me in. Wish I would have tried to get in there sooner. I drove through Whitehorse about a year after it was taken there, but I didn’t know that’s where it went at the time. One of the cars was sitting in Tok around ‘11 as well . The Alaska Freight Lines VC was still just south of Fox in ‘11, sounds like it’s still there.

[@BrassMtn]

I’ve seen this thing parked in Alaska while I was stationed there. I miss Alaska. Also seen the last one at Yuma proving grounds while I was there for dog handling.

[@CAPNMAC82]

To keep things interesting DEW was the third of three Warning Lines. Mid-Canada, and Pinetree being the others, north to south. Each of those lines were often in rugged and hard to reach places. So, there looked to be a maor need for all-weather logistic support for all these. Le Tourneau had been part of the AlCan Trans-Canada, Highway project during WWII supplying winterized trucks, and truck trains (then, mostly multiple trailers) in that effort. Le Tourneau used to have a respectable museum of some of their signature work, there in Longview Texas.

[@jdiluigi]

The KZbin algorithm gods have been recommending random videos from your channel the last couple weeks it's about time it does its job. You just gained a subscriber. Time to binge watch.

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Thanks for the vid!! Just one thing: Butane can't be used in arctic conditions - most probably it was intended to use propane. Look up LPG if you are interested...

[@jakedelaymustdie6665]

Cool! Always wanted to know about these behemoth machines. I appreciate the history lesson.

[@motorheadscom]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Stormblessed72]

I want to see some shit like this on mars

[@Queue3612]

out of all the crazy ideas ive heard about mars projects, this actually makes sense. Although the land train would weigh a fuck tonne it would still be less then the locomotive AND its infrastructure. The low gravity and thin atmosphere would also mean it would take less power to run too.

[@inventor121]

@@Queue3612 not just that it would be VERY practical for supplying martian towns. But probably the biggest factor in all of this is that with modern technology you could just mass produce the carrier cars with integrated batteries and hub motors, and then put different modules on the flatbed. Also could be fully self driving. You could not only supply smaller martian towns, this thing could be a mobile base in it's own right.

[@thermophile2106]

@@inventor121 A mars base would definitely need large scale transportation. If the base is producing rocket fuel to get home, bricks of compressed mars dust, growing lots of food, or any other industrial production, they would probably need satellite locations for mining operations. This would require mass transportation of raw materials and the occasional transportation of people.

[@swfreeD]

@@thermophile2106 this thing IS the mars base.. all mobile. you have seen and researched everything in one spot? a rather nasty sandstorm is coming? move your entire base like a RV to a nicer spot.

[@unpaintedleadsyndrome]

@Phil M Elon Musk and the guys at Boca Chica: holourmy beers

[@johnchristopher20]

DEW -we pronounced it “Dew” as in the drink, “Mountain Dew”. Advantages to being old.

[@LawrenceGerman]

For those of us who remember, the TournaTrain appears to be the “Real Life” example that was made into a toy from the 80’s called “The Giant.” It was a 16 wheeled vehicle that was driven by one motor and four “C” sized batteries. It had two other attachments that brought the wheel count to to 32. The movement of it was made by a very simple gear system that was on both sides of the toy. Thanks for uploading this video.

[@Feedergang]

Mind boggling how our Military spends so many man hours and money on projects only to toss them after maturity.

[@superstarmcgee1128]

That government spending bro how about dams that fail . You blame military wait u have no clue!

[@billybobwombat2231]

Its not coming out of the generals personal pocket so they don't care

[@fraidykat]

It's called sunk cost and when the demands eclipse the scope of the project, you end the project, no matter how much it cost.

[@superstarmcgee1128]

@@fraidykat not government They spend just because!

[@fraidykat]

@@superstarmcgee1128 Not even close.

[@travisruble6873]

I remember when I was a private at ft Waynewright Alaska, I saw the LCC1 in that junkyard I think it was in North pole Alaska just outside of fierbanks and the army post

[@holgerrittinger8645]

Go and read „Amtrak Wars“. They‘re still using these Monsters in the year 3000.

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@ShortArmStrongArm]

Gunsngear acknowledges a channel with a funny accent 👏

[@thefixer1905]

I worked for the salvage company in Yuma that ended up with the train. We had the engine, two cars, and a few wheels in our yard for about a year. It was my boss who gave the engine to the Yuma Proving Grounds (he even contracted with a trucking company to supply the trailer to haul it out there). I have been all over that rig. The story told by the narrator isn't quite right. The engine was eventually sold for scrap in the early 2000's (when my boss bought it). He had it for several years trying to find a buyer in Alaska or Canada that would purchase it. My job was to get it running again (which I did), but we eventually pulled the diesels and generators out before giving it to the Proving Grounds. I remeber trying to cut up one of the magnesium wheels with a plasma cutter. They were over 2 inches thick and very hard to cut up. We ended up hauling them to Barstow to a friend of my boss who had a shear that could cut up a tank. He made short work of cutting up the wheels.

[@ethersecure2432]

The old picture of train with the two guys in bowler hats is so surreal. Hard to believe they had that technological and engineering ability back then. But then again, I guess huge ocean liners back in the day like the Titanic were even more impressive...

[@Gerald.69]

I saw one of these travelling at around 3 am in a huge convoy with all types of military vehicles behind and in front of it, going 30mph or so down a local road and onto a highway on ramp . They were carrying long things covered with white tarps. 5 or so years ago

[@Magic-Conk]

I'm surprised this channel is so small, really great scripting and research! Subscribed and liked!

[@ProfessorPottsy]

Awesome video! I am pretty hooked on all kinds of military tech, history and that sort of stuff, and I have never even heard of this land train until now. Thank you for sharing this video!

[@nathanjaffrey]

I go to college at LeTourneau University, His inventions are just amazing in there size. He was a true innovator.

[@fredford7642]

Great video! I grew up during the DEW years, and often heard of the massive operation to establish the DEW line, but had no idea of the equipment required. Thank you for the video and old photography. That certainly puts a great twist to today's off road vehicles.

[@nickf.2871]

Thats still pretty amazing electric atvs use similar principles with the hub motors

[@djfitzgerald111]

I always appreciate different perspectives on topics I am familiar with.

[@MrSimulatedsanity]

This is the "Amtrack Wars" books come alive.

[@unhippy1]

Lol guess this is where the author got the wagon train idea from.......

[@M3rVsT4H]

Those books were the first thing that came to mind.. Darn that guy for stubbornly refusing a movie option..

[@MrSimulatedsanity]

@@M3rVsT4H there was an offer and he refused? I never knew that. Bums me out even more as that would be an awesome series on the big screen. Especially now with our cgi, the iron snakes moving across the plains as the plain folk watch from afar. Damn now i gotta reread the series

[@M3rVsT4H]

@@MrSimulatedsanity @justan idiot Hey guys, having blurted that out, I thought I'd better go double check.... I definitely remember Tilley turning down movie offers back when the books were written 20 odd years ago, because I remember feeling so gutted by the news... And I'm pretty sure it was because he just didn't think it could be done well on film. But it turns out by 2007 someone had convinced him otherwise and he optioned the film rights for the whole series to some Australian Film company. Over the next couple of years he wrote the script for movie 1 and there was some artwork displayed at the Cannes Film Festival one year. Now if you want touching storylines and amazing natural beauty, then Australian Film company might be the go... But if you want something to be well funded and made promptly... Not so much.. So it was with no surprise I discovered the whole website for the project is now defunct. One last thing, Mr Tilley who sadly passed last year apparently had also written to a fan-site in 2007-8 and said a few interesting things.. Like it was originally a 12 book series planned, hence the cliffhanger ending. And at that time he apparently had every intention of finishing the series.. But alas, it seems he never did. Soo... I guess sadly it's worse than I first thought. He was against the film idea.. Now goodness knows who even owns the rights to it. Or what they might plan to do with it.

[@MrSimulatedsanity]

@@M3rVsT4H thanks for that. Rip Patrick Tilley

[@jackbeets3838]

Wow that was well worth the watch

[@907goose]

Can confirm the land train remnants on the Steese Highway outside Fairbanks. It's on property full of old mining equipment and a "Pan for Gold" tourist attraction, right across the road from a Trans Alaska Pipeline viewpoint. It's been there for decades. You used to be able to crawl all over it before the property was developed.

[@Alex.Kirkpatrick]

The snow buggy one looks like something I’d build in scrap mechanic haha

[@Seven50ml]

As soon as he showed and said "ten foot tires" I immediately thought of Bigfoot

[@hardrays]

that beach ball tread is always on my mind since 86

[@7curiogeo]

Looked so good on paper to the puzzle palace. Oh missle magnet Ooops. But look how much support we gave to lobbyist.

[@firefighteruppy9121]

"Hello... AAA... yeah, I've got a flat..."

[@bondee5865]

😂🤣

[@knobsdialsandbuttons]

Great video ! 👍

[@dannymitchell6131]

Never seen this thing, thanks for covering it. Subbed my man.

[@motorheadscom]

Thanks for the sub!

[@mattberg916]

He was generations ahead of his time

[@diraziz396]

the story of War budget altogether. and a good one. thanks

[@NCRRangerVet47]

So THAT'S where Bigfoot got the wheels from

[@nilo8642]

Amazing video production and comprehensible explanation, you have a new follower

[@motorheadscom]

Thanks and welcome!

[@AfroMyrdal]

Thank you for this in depth video! I've always been fascinated by the last train, wonder what it could've been used for here in Norway!

[@thedeloachsdoyoutube8377]

Awesome job man very informative and great content.

[@motorheadscom]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ErokLobotomist]

I worked on machines similar to this in the Oilfield in Northern Canada. They were made for heavy hauling into swamps and muddy places regular trucks couldn't go. There's nothing like catching a ride on a Marauder or Commander through a swamp while hauling a load lol

[@histershellac2842]

the s we pay for. really came in handy during that arctic war of 72' boy oh boy!

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Excellent, a great new channel to subscribe to. We appreciate the time and effort.

[@robertocesarbrogiolo9735]

Very impressive thanks

[@mr.jimmyjohnsr.ohyeah7835]

AWESOME , I REALLY ENJOYED THIS VIDEO !!!

[@daviddavis1322]

This is really great!

[@info145]

One day, kids will own these toys...

[@marckart66]

I'd love to hear the stories of the people who drove these things... must have some good ones!

[@branon6565]

States that Bigfoot ended up with 4 of the huge tires in the 80's.... Shows a 1992 Ford Bigfoot...lol

[@meds4all]

I've seen the mark 1 and 2 in person, didn't know about the first one they had. The things ya see while hauling fright from place to place.

[@henrycarlson7514]

Thank You

[@motorheadscom]

You're welcome

[@AllAmericanGuyExpert]

Contractor: What tire size would you like? US Army: Yes.

[@budcollar1341]

Stationed at Eielson AFB,Fairbanks Alaska 1968. Saw what was left of one of these in scrap yard outside of town.

[@markfrye9178]

Nice work researching this. A rhetorical, "Who knew..?"

[@raynyhus2026]

Typical of anything the government does, get a working vehicle, then when something new and shiny comes. That thing was cool and useful.

[@woody2505]

Ohhhh, so this was where the inspiration for the Terrahawks Overlander came from!

[@pellesomethingsomething]

Good stuff. I love enormous truck thingies :)

[@telinoz1975]

Very interesting, thanks.

[@Thundarr995]

Looks like the mechanical version of the Human Centipede..🤣

[@LaynesAddiction]

Nice haynes manual, I have that one also!

[@B-M.B]

Now I get where Patrick Tilley got its inspiration from for its post Apokalypse First Family scifi book series. Impressive.

[@celluskh6009]

Amtrak! That was my first thought as well. Read it as a kid and never knew they were an actual thing.

[@MoparNewport]

Ive seen the LCC1 in person, up in Whitehorse YT. I would love to get the chance to get inside that beast. Very impressive creation.

[@charlesnash4579]

I lived in Fairbanks in the 1980's. Part of this "dinosaur" land train was parked by the Badger Road shops on Ft. Wainwright.

[@Jared-Brubaker]

R. G. LeTourneau- Mover of Men and Mountains

[@BradleyBeeksAdventures]

Such a cool channel, just subscribed!

[@JeffChapa]

Wow, what an engineering marvel I can't understand the stresses machines operate in, amazing. I think today's feats are being created in the gigafactories

[@Heinz_Stresseinheimer]

I loved in Yuma for 11 years, been to the proving grounds tons of times but have yet to see that behemoth there...lol. Awesome video though!

[@dhy5342]

In 1964-65 I was in the US Army, stationed at a base in the northern part of Munich Germany. One day, a large vehicle with huge tires showed up at the base and remained for several days. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of it and my memory has lost the details of it but I do remember that the tires were larger than 6 feet and the vehicle was painted in military OD. In recent years I've tried to find any details of what it was and why it was there but so far I've come up dry.

[@pauldiesel4582]

Nice work. I found it very interesting!

[@craigmacgibbon9166]

Need that snow buggy for the next time my neighbor tells me about his dually...

[@969thewhip]

This gave birth to one of the coolest trucks ever. Bigfoot 5

[@ARMA2ARMENIA]

Nice video , thnx

[@jtuttle11]

These things were the source of the wheels and tires for the Largest of the 'Big Foot' trucks.

[@the5thpc808]

I live in fox and see this thing every day, this is so cool to know!!!!