Alaskan Land Train

Built by the US Army in the 1950s, this colossus was designed to transport cargo in the arctic — operating like a train, but without tracks. It was used successfully for over a decade (for the last time in 1962), but was eventually made obsolete by the development of helicopters. Read more about it at Diseno-Art.com.

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Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 04, 2015
Category: 1950s | Trains

Comments

And The Ice Road Truckers aren't using it??

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/04/15 at 09:21 AM

Expat, that was my first thought, too!

Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 12/04/15 at 10:20 AM

I would "LOVE" to see a competition where these guys have to drive in reverse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb5d6ISHoMU

Drag race, slalom, and etc.

If you visit a town named after Josiah Flintababbatey Flonatin you can see a a truck converted to track and ski train that would pull several sleighs over an ice road.

Posted by BMN on 12/04/15 at 02:08 PM

Reminds me of a few of the vehicles I've seen at ski resorts on the Left Coast. Not so grand but similar.

Posted by KDP on 12/04/15 at 03:30 PM

Reminds me of the (even more extreme) Artic Cat Antartic Trucker driven by sir Edmund Hillary (yes that sir Edmund Hillary) to the South Pole.

The overland supply route is now being used for the South Pole station. link

Posted by crc on 12/04/15 at 04:43 PM

Well it reminds me of the vehicle used to transport the Apollo rockets and then the shuttles to the launchpad by NASA. Make sure you go take a look at the 39 new enhanced photos of Pluto and it's moons released today.

Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 12/05/15 at 07:04 AM

That is all kinds of cool! Would love to ride in it, hell I'd love to drive the thing. What am I gonns hit up there? They could have went and got that doctor that was snowed in, choppers couldn't fly to her. She had to treat herself for cancer till the storms abated. We are too quick to discard old tech entirely.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 12/05/15 at 10:02 AM

It looks really expensive to maintain. Just one flat tire would be costly as those things look custom made (and huge). It does look neat but probably not economically feasible unless you need really big heavy stuff constantly moved into your evil ice fortress lair.

Great (Robert) Scott that Antarctic ice road is pretty cool : )

Posted by Fluffy Bunny Slippers on 12/06/15 at 09:17 AM

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