Wait, if it were to be scaled down to fit within a single lane (about 2.1 meters is max legal width iirc) with the vehicle being as wide as a Chrysler Crown Imperial, then the cockpit would probably be able to fit one person rather comfortably in front of the front wheels, the engine could be a V12 from a BMW E38 750i and be sat backwards in the middle of the wheelbase coupled to a 3-speed Powerglide driving the front with a transfer case sending power back to the rear, the wheels could be truck wheels since they're big compared to the body on the Snowcruiser, cooling components could sit above the transmission and pull air in behind the cabin while pushing it out to the sides, and the tail end could hold a significant volume of cargo space behind the rear wheels with a huge fuel tank above the rear axle. If I had money and a space to build it, I'd make this for sure XD
@@tl1024 Huh. I never realized I got it wrong all this time. Well, with some research I guess a built TH400 would do better, does that sound right? Transmissions are one area of cars that I am still somewhat mystified by XD
11:52 Those are some smart cops! I bet that farmer was quite happy with the solution. Fantastic story of a vehicle I'd never heard of! Very interesting stuff.
I think the end result shows that none of the ideas were very good. They put all their eggs in a single basket that weighed more than a truck. If one thing breaks, the whole expedition breaks. That's why the poles were conquered with dog sleds.
@@zambotv8150 yep, they has a tracked machine connected to an equal sized powered and tracked trailer with hydraulic articulation between them. They apparently had a long life serving as cargo transports
@@WesleyKagan I was showing him free valve and what fancy cars it's used on--- and then we watched you build it in your little garage. His face lit up when that realization hit him-- that it's still possible to build radical things yourself. He's been inspired to want to build everything now.-- thanks a lot. lol
If you talk about the Antarctic snow cruiser, then you also have to mention its Arctic cousin, the LeTourneau Snow Train, which was meant to haul supplies to the RADAR stations of the DEW line in the mid-1950s. Side note: this is where the original Bigfoot Monster Truck got its massive wheels and tires!
Josh Dean's "The Taking of K-129" is an interesting read on the engineering challenges the CIA undertook retrieving a Russian submarine off the ocean floor. I just finished it, and it sounds like something you would be interested in.
This is one of those bonkers military projects that has always intrigued me and when this video showed up in my subscriptions I was surprised but also completely not surprised to see it was from you. Thanks for the great and thorough research.
I did a little bit of research into this vehicle a few years back, but not as in depth as you have done. Thanks for your research and I really appreciate knowing a bit more about it.
Fascinating video, thanks. I have only one small criticism which is that the photographs and graphics didn't remain on screen for long enough but apart from this as I say it was great.
Clive Cussler incorporated this vehicle into one of his novels, there was a lot of information about it in the book but I can't remember what the title was.
@@Mile3500 i think this audio is adequate, but have you noticed the weird loud fraction of a second after every cut? something is wrong with that software too
Have you seen the LARK LX from Lane Motor Museum in Nashville? This reminded me of it right away. Different purpose, but size is gargantuan. Love your vids.
I was just thinking the other day about how I havent seen a video from you lately. Boy is THIS not what I expected it to be about. Thats not to say it was unwelcome, just unexpected
Without digging into the technical records...it SOUNDS like the whole thing was just doomed by a poor choice of tires. Either tracks or even a proper set of snow tires (which Nokian had just invented in 1935 if I recall correctly) could have helped some. I doubt studded tires would help much when sinking into powder, but adding more contact patch area to reduce ground pressure should alleviate the problems misattributed to excessive weight.
Loving your videos, even if I don't understand some of it! Maybe it's time to get a decent youtuber mic though. I'm sure there are failed influencers selling second hand ones on eBay, or you could check out DIY Perks recent video and make your own
To think, something as simple as a chain "track" going from the front wheel to the rear would have done so much better. It's biggest downfall was the tires. They didn't even have tread. lol.. What an embarrassing failure.
@@AnttiBrax could have designed it with tracks from the get go tho. I guess it wouldnt have been able to drive to the ship then. I was thinking why they didnt construct snowchains too, but honestly those fat tires probably deform a lot and act as a kind of suspension. What im really surprised about is that they didnt put nails or screws in the tires to act as spikes. I mean i get it for the 4 mounted tires it probably wouldnt work to do that on the ice but at least put spikes in the 2 spare ones, no? :D
A) Do an analysis on what would make the snow cruiser fit for expeditions B) what would you build/how would you build as an arctic/antarctic expedition vehicle?
This is a super cool story! Were you inspired by RCR's long-format history pieces? Engineers typically hate writing shit down; it's always fun to discover their scribbled musings, and they can provide some one-of-a-kind insight into the problems they faced.
Repeat after me, I need to crossfade my audio. Pop. I will learn to crossfade my audio. Pop. I will always crossfade my audio. Pop... Other than that great video.
So one question about it: you said it was a hybrid and also that it stalled. Was it a true hybrid or did the engines just produce power for the hub motors, kinda i3 rex style?
Whats the deffernece between this and the snow train ( i think it was called) from memory it looked similar to this and had a similar drivetrain setup but was meant to have multiple sections with what was pictured here being one "car" in the train.
Yeah it was an awesome idea and concept. Too bad the execution of that idea seems to have been laughable in a number of ways though. So much so that one questions if it was a bit of a boondoggle? Only other explanation is if they had never seen snow in their life before.
I mean, if I scale it down to fit on a roadway... Just sayin'.
Wait, if it were to be scaled down to fit within a single lane (about 2.1 meters is max legal width iirc) with the vehicle being as wide as a Chrysler Crown Imperial, then the cockpit would probably be able to fit one person rather comfortably in front of the front wheels, the engine could be a V12 from a BMW E38 750i and be sat backwards in the middle of the wheelbase coupled to a 3-speed Powerglide driving the front with a transfer case sending power back to the rear, the wheels could be truck wheels since they're big compared to the body on the Snowcruiser, cooling components could sit above the transmission and pull air in behind the cabin while pushing it out to the sides, and the tail end could hold a significant volume of cargo space behind the rear wheels with a huge fuel tank above the rear axle. If I had money and a space to build it, I'd make this for sure XD
@@Avetho 3 speed - or- powerglide, can't have both. As far as I know, whats commonly called the powerglide was a 2 speed.
@@tl1024 Huh. I never realized I got it wrong all this time. Well, with some research I guess a built TH400 would do better, does that sound right? Transmissions are one area of cars that I am still somewhat mystified by XD
@@Avetho this is the way!=)
I'm quite confident that if there was anyone that would/could do it, it would be you. Let's make it happen.
I'd love to see a Titanic-style expedition to uncover this thing's final resting place. Such a cool folly of engineering.
Same here! But that’s an expensive expedition hah
It's said it was in a part which later became icebergs so it probably has long sunk or if not, it's been long covered under a few km of snow and ice.
Over engineering..... VW Beetle with minimal changes/upgrades much cheaper
So, when does the build start?
Love to see old engineering projects. especially the ones that failed as those always have the best lessons to learn. Great video👍🏼
I agree- it’s always a learning experience at least!
@@WesleyKagan With more modern tire design, or some sort of tracks, could it have worked?
11:52 Those are some smart cops! I bet that farmer was quite happy with the solution.
Fantastic story of a vehicle I'd never heard of! Very interesting stuff.
Also wish you had covered how the inside of it looked in more detail. And how they designed it to survive the coldness inside it.
Ah sweet a new Wesley video! Just when I was starting to miss you :*
Yeah! I'm trying to keep some videos coming!
@@WesleyKagan that would be awesome!!
Talk about overlanding, always loved the inclusion of the Beach 17, those are only slightly more attainable than the snow cruiser itself.
Amazing machine with great ideas put into it. Awesome how it was designed to be worked on from the inside. Great video! Just like all your other ones!
Thank you very much! It's a fascinating piece of engineering
@@WesleyKagan I think the USSR had some kind of equivalent machine
I think the end result shows that none of the ideas were very good. They put all their eggs in a single basket that weighed more than a truck. If one thing breaks, the whole expedition breaks. That's why the poles were conquered with dog sleds.
@@zambotv8150 yep, they has a tracked machine connected to an equal sized powered and tracked trailer with hydraulic articulation between them. They apparently had a long life serving as cargo transports
Great video, it's nice to have all the info in one place now. A lav mic might help the audio from your room.
I wish they took their time on that rig instead of rushing it along. Had potential to be an incredible, or catastrophic, expedition.
I agree. Or developed an adaptable track system. A lot of potential.
My 5yr old son and I have watched all the little doc videos about this lately. lol.. How funny. What timing.
It's an interesting piece of history for sure!
@@WesleyKagan I was showing him free valve and what fancy cars it's used on--- and then we watched you build it in your little garage. His face lit up when that realization hit him-- that it's still possible to build radical things yourself. He's been inspired to want to build everything now.-- thanks a lot. lol
Calum's videos about it are fantastic. Yours adds a more technical view. Quality content on a fascinating subject
Thank you! Yeah I tried not to go over content that has already been explored- I tried to go into a bit more detail
If you talk about the Antarctic snow cruiser, then you also have to mention its Arctic cousin, the LeTourneau Snow Train, which was meant to haul supplies to the RADAR stations of the DEW line in the mid-1950s.
Side note: this is where the original Bigfoot Monster Truck got its massive wheels and tires!
I love that you shared your research! that's such a good habit, more engineering/science content creators should do this!
My great grandfather was a navy pilot who flew the mission to rescue byrd, and dropped supplies to him waving from the ground.
Josh Dean's "The Taking of K-129" is an interesting read on the engineering challenges the CIA undertook retrieving a Russian submarine off the ocean floor. I just finished it, and it sounds like something you would be interested in.
I’m hoping for a part 2! I’d love to see you cover the plane.
Dude this thing is sick, can you imagine if they had done it like... 15/20 years later?
Crazy looking back at the technologies and knowledge that they just didn't have which we take for granted today
Honestly- some understanding of basic physics is fairly new and tire and rubbers have come so far
This is one of those bonkers military projects that has always intrigued me and when this video showed up in my subscriptions I was surprised but also completely not surprised to see it was from you. Thanks for the great and thorough research.
I'll never understand why they couldn't have bothered by testing in the snow, readily available in northern states.
Sounds like the whole project was rushed and they decided against tracks. If either of those were different it probably would have been successful
Yep, seems naive in the extreme.
I did a little bit of research into this vehicle a few years back, but not as in depth as you have done. Thanks for your research and I really appreciate knowing a bit more about it.
It’s a fun vehicle to research! I had to do a lot of digging and a lot of emailing!
One of my favorite RUclips videos.
coolest vehicle you can't have is the dune buggy on the moon.
Very interesting dive into the snow cruiser!
You gotta read about Kharkovchankas. A really weird and cool soviet arctic vehicle. RUclips channel Calum made a quite good video about it.
Fascinating video, thanks. I have only one small criticism which is that the photographs and graphics didn't remain on screen for long enough but apart from this as I say it was great.
13:13 the Northstar can be found in in the hood of several Cadillac models from the early 90's to late 2000's, all of which are leaking oil profusely.
Don't forget they leak coolant and overheat causing warpage
@@BrokeWrench never have had one leak coolant, but if you overheat the block the studs pull and stretch causing head gasket failures
Might I suggest some knobbies next time? No winter testing...D'OH!
That was fun, Thanks Wesley
Clive Cussler incorporated this vehicle into one of his novels, there was a lot of information about it in the book but I can't remember what the title was.
Finally a well researched vid on this amazing craft!
119K subscribers and quality content-you deserve a nice microphone!
Ah or maybe some of that acoustic foam that reduces reverberation in the room of recording
@@Mile3500 i think this audio is adequate, but have you noticed the weird loud fraction of a second after every cut? something is wrong with that software too
Have you seen the LARK LX from Lane Motor Museum in Nashville? This reminded me of it right away. Different purpose, but size is gargantuan. Love your vids.
I was wondering where you'd got to. Interesting stuff. We never know what we're going to get with your videos.
Really enjoyed this one, lot of little information I hadn't heard before. The only thing is the audio being a bit weird, but that's no big deal.
Actually, the cold water is pretty good at preserving metal, so it might be savable.
So your building a snow cruiser replica?
I wish. I don't think that's in the cards anytime soon.
@@WesleyKagan So, your saying there is a chance
I'll never say never.
January would be high summer there.
Great summary of an interesting project, thank you 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
If it preformed well on sand, could this perhaps be a *Desert Sand Cruiser* ?
That would likely work pretty well, it had 3 feet of vertical wheel movement after all
I was just thinking the other day about how I havent seen a video from you lately. Boy is THIS not what I expected it to be about. Thats not to say it was unwelcome, just unexpected
I’m the leading expert of making videos that absolutely nobody asked for
@@WesleyKagan yea man, and again thats not really a bad thing
Such an interesting vehicle!
I agree!
Something similar would make a great Luna Exploration Vehicle.
Without digging into the technical records...it SOUNDS like the whole thing was just doomed by a poor choice of tires. Either tracks or even a proper set of snow tires (which Nokian had just invented in 1935 if I recall correctly) could have helped some. I doubt studded tires would help much when sinking into powder, but adding more contact patch area to reduce ground pressure should alleviate the problems misattributed to excessive weight.
Spoiler it went nowhere. Very cool still and this is a very well put together video. Great work!
"No winter testing was done before it hit the Antarctic ice"
Oh no.
You are going to build a scaled replica, aren't you? Very interesting. It's a long way to go to steal a cylinder head though.... Lol.
This was cool. Thanks
That was super interesting! Can we expect a part 2? Did you get any more details from the viewers?
Loving your videos, even if I don't understand some of it! Maybe it's time to get a decent youtuber mic though. I'm sure there are failed influencers selling second hand ones on eBay, or you could check out DIY Perks recent video and make your own
You can have it, you just need to find it. Like real life finding nemo sort of adventure!
I can find it, but pulling it up from the bottom of the ocean is an amount of money that terrifies me.
@@WesleyKagan I don't think it's at the bottom. Probably like 30 meters under ice
@@WesleyKagan watched till the end, you are probably right about its final resting place :( didn't know it was this close to the shore
To think, something as simple as a chain "track" going from the front wheel to the rear would have done so much better. It's biggest downfall was the tires. They didn't even have tread. lol.. What an embarrassing failure.
It had 4 wheel steering so tank treads wouldn't have worked. Snow chains, though. Such a trivial idea. Maybe the rubber wasn't strong enough for them?
@@AnttiBrax could have designed it with tracks from the get go tho. I guess it wouldnt have been able to drive to the ship then.
I was thinking why they didnt construct snowchains too, but honestly those fat tires probably deform a lot and act as a kind of suspension.
What im really surprised about is that they didnt put nails or screws in the tires to act as spikes. I mean i get it for the 4 mounted tires it probably wouldnt work to do that on the ice but at least put spikes in the 2 spare ones, no? :D
12:19 Michelin showed the cruiser....that was using Goodyear tires?!
Clive Cussler in "Atlantis Found" features the Snow Cruiser in great if fictional detail . Read it.
One of my favorites- read most of his work
Imagine building a scaled down version
Cool, but i am just going to throw this unpopular opinion in the room: antarctic snow cruiser < kharkovchanka < ripsaw EV3-F4. Proof me wrong.
I mean I’d run a ripsaw in a heartbeat
tracks need so much maintenance why not a regular truck with big tyres. unimog is better than any of these
A) Do an analysis on what would make the snow cruiser fit for expeditions
B) what would you build/how would you build as an arctic/antarctic expedition vehicle?
or you could try the craziness of ground effect vehicles. If you live next to large bodies of water x)
This is a super cool story! Were you inspired by RCR's long-format history pieces? Engineers typically hate writing shit down; it's always fun to discover their scribbled musings, and they can provide some one-of-a-kind insight into the problems they faced.
So, monster truck tires, carbon fiber and free valve technology in your version? lol
Hah I can’t imagine the carbon fiber cost on that
That was a really interesting video 👍👍👍👍
Thank you!
Repeat after me, I need to crossfade my audio. Pop. I will learn to crossfade my audio. Pop. I will always crossfade my audio. Pop... Other than that great video.
Ah yes the engineering wonder the snow cruiser but instead of snow tyres they put it on "slicks" and thus it didn't work in snow.
Actually the problem wasn't the lack of tread but the excessive ground pressure from all that weight shared by only 4 wheels
So one question about it: you said it was a hybrid and also that it stalled. Was it a true hybrid or did the engines just produce power for the hub motors, kinda i3 rex style?
It sounded like it was hybrid hydraulic since it crashed with a hydraulic line failed
Also, what's with the audio my man? Usually it's much better than that :0
If you do, make sure it can actually drive forward
right it is something straight out of a Jules Verne novel
that's cool but what happen to the totally mechanical CPU?
Whats the deffernece between this and the snow train ( i think it was called) from memory it looked similar to this and had a similar drivetrain setup but was meant to have multiple sections with what was pictured here being one "car" in the train.
I always wondered what happened to it...
Yeah it was an awesome idea and concept. Too bad the execution of that idea seems to have been laughable in a number of ways though. So much so that one questions if it was a bit of a boondoggle? Only other explanation is if they had never seen snow in their life before.
Not if you BUILD IT... *with freevalve*
so it didnt have the plane on top when it made its voyage? maybe i missed it
Not during shipping or the winter- but it was up there for a test fit at some point.
Apparently the current owners of the plane are restoring it in Wanaka, New Zealand.
Is the video sped up?
We all know that the "south pole" is the circumference around the flat earth so its all a conspiracy!!! :D
Can you imagine making this for snow,with bald tires?why no tracks?what a joke.when giving units of measure we use feet,gallon,and pounds.
There's no audio...
Uhh... I know I'm not the only one that pictured this thing being used to storm a neo nazi stronghold in the Antarctic, right?
Can not but wonder the borderline arrogant faith in technology.
What has changed?
Interesting video! But audio is horrible! The room needs some audio treatment and a proper microphone setup.