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 ...
“EMD, the electro motive division of General Motors that started building diesel electric locomotives since the 1940s”
I was wondering the same, I figured trains pre-dated it.
“Wouldn’t diesel fuel have gelled at Antarctic temperatures?”
Likely heaters of some type, although they’d have to run close to non-stop on the coldest days, unless really well insulated too. Then you also have to worry about the fuel lines gelling...and have a way to take care of that.
(I used to be in the winter-hardening business)
As soon as it crossed the line into MA they slapped both a sales and excise tax. Then forced them to get regulated insurance.
Yup, diesel engines to charge the batteries.
Who knew?
It will eventually show up as an anomaly on a high resolution magnetic areal survey in the future.
Electric wheel drive was pretty standard on R.G. LeTourneau heavy earth moving equipment during WW-2.
I remember going to the fair in IL about 1958 and seeing the Cat tractors with extra wide low ground pressure tractors headed to Antarctica. They worked pulling trains of sleds. I wonder if they are still running down there.
Ferdinand Porsche designed an electric wheel motor in the 1890s, and created gasoline-powered military transports with electric wheel drive during WWI.
When they do find it, I bet it will have a ton of parking tickets tucked under the windshield wipers.
The no tread was the reason it was abandoned. If some of the modern farm machinery tire engineers would have been employed for that job, it would still be cursing the countryside there.
I don’t think they were so stupid as to think that smooth tires were a good idea on snow and ice but the manufacturing ability to include “molded in tire chains (tread)” probably hadn’t arrived yet, especially at that tire size.
Why would you try to run a diesel engine in Antarctica when diesel fuel jells at about 10* F?
True. But how are they gonna tow it?
CC
I’d think “Prist” would help with the fuel gelling problem.
“Electric wheel drive was pretty standard on R.G. LeTourneau heavy earth moving equipment during WW-2.”
Did not know that either.
Was not aware of that but I did know he used it in armored vehicle prototypes in WW-2.
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