Posted on 01/01/2023 7:22:31 AM PST by Dr. Franklin
Last seen in 1958, it was designed to travel 5000 miles and self-sustain for an entire year.
It’s quintessentially American to drive everywhere. This must’ve occurred to the planners of the United States Antarctic Service Expedition in 1939 when the joint government-private sector project ran into the question of how best to traverse Antarctica’s frozen wastelands. The obvious answer? A car. A really, really, really big car. Or so thought Thomas Poulter, designer of the doomed Antarctic Snow Cruiser seen in these pictures.
You’d think a massive machine like this would still exist somewhere, even in pieces. And surely they made more than one for the journey. But no—the single Snow Cruiser built is lost somewhere in Antarctica (or at the bottom of the Southern Ocean). Just where exactly is an international mystery that’s likely to remain unsolved forever.
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The vehicle—there is no other word for it—had a twenty foot wheelbase and a total length of about 56 feet. Powering the cruiser were two Cummins diesel engines. Their combined 300 horsepower spun two generators, which sent their power to four motors—one per 10-foot-diameter wheel. Yes, this was a diesel-electric drivetrain in a vehicle way before that was a thing. The motors could push it to a top speed of 30 mph and up a 35 percent grade.
With four-wheel steering, the Snow Cruiser had a 30 foot turning circle, excellent for its size. It could also raise and lower its suspension, allowing it to (theoretically) push itself over wide crevasses on its smooth underbelly—like a 75,000-pound penguin. Interestingly, that independent articulation was designed to allow the craft to tuck its wheels up into the body when parked so the rubber tires could be warmed with exhaust gases.
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(Excerpt) Read more at getpocket.com ...
"Smile 'n wave, boys. Smile 'n wave."
IIRC, it’s been spotted a few times over the years as the drifting snow periodically unburies it.
CC
Jeez, car thieves are everywhere! :^)
At least they tried. Probably keeping the location hidden so that Greenies don't sue for polluting the pristine penguin poop in the area.
Research Foundation of the Armour Institute of Technology
Built in Chicago, driven to Boston. All on smooth tires ...
Must have been some sight to see on it's way to Boston.
Antarctica’s ice is forever shifting, and several years after that final Snow Cruiser sighting, a large chunk of the Ross Ice Shelf broke off near where it had been parked. Whether the vehicle is still entombed on the landbound side or lost at sea is unknown.
Sounds like a challenge....
I see the problem. They didn’t put snow tires on it.
Now if it was required to renew an expensive license plate tag, or somebody had left a BlockBuster video in the living quarters, it would have been found and recovered a long time ago.
“ Their combined 300 horsepower spun two generators, which sent their power to four motors—one per 10-foot-diameter wheel. Yes, this was a diesel-electric drivetrain in a vehicle way before that was a thing.”
EMD, the electro motive division of General Motors that started building diesel electric locomotives since the 1940s, such as the famous Santa Fe chief F7 model would be fascinated to know this not a thing until the late 50s.
In fairness someone has been calling constantly to get the warranty extended.
“Their combined 300 horsepower spun two generators, which sent their power to four motors—one per 10-foot-diameter wheel. Yes, this was a diesel-electric drivetrain in a vehicle way before that was a thing.“
This is how every diesel locomotive works and did for two decades before this. They don’t have a drive shaft to a differential. Sounds like the car inventor in Illinois knew this. That state was home to EMD.
Navy diesel subs also. Same thing.
Matt’s Off Road Recovery. “We’ll get ‘em out”.
They didn’t test it driving it on snow until taking it to Antartica. It carried 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which should weigh about 15 tons.
Wouldn’t diesel fuel have gelled at Antarctic temperatures?
Contact the car jackers in any major city pay a reward. They will figure it out.
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