The Antarctic Snow Cruiser that Couldn't
Last time, we looked at an aircraft carrier made out of ice that didn't make it past the planning stages. This time we are going to look at a vehicle that made it out of the planning stages, but still failed.
The Idea
Before mankind reached for the stars, they explored something closer: the Antarctic. Dr. Thomas Poulter was one of these explorers. He was part of Admiral Richard Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition in 1934 and acted as Byrd's second-in-command. During the expedition, Poulter almost died when he became trapped in a base. Because of this experience, he decided to create a mobile base to protect future expeditions. Thus, after two years of design, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser was born.
The only example of the Antarctic Snow Cruiser was built by the Pullman Company in August of 1939. It was paid for by a government grant for $150,000. It was completed in 11 weeks
The Vehicle Itself
The name Antarctic Snow Cruiser brings to mind an image of a large vehicle cruising the snowy expanses of the frozen south. That image is correct. The Antarctic Snow Cruiser had a wheelbase of 20 feet and a total length of 56 feet. It was powered by a pair of diesel engines with a total output of 300 hp. These engines in turn generated power to run four electric motors, one for each wheel. Each massive wheel measured 10 feet in diameter and weighed 750 pounds. It had a top speed of 30 MPH up a 35 percent grade.
The cruiser had a 30-foot turning circle due to its four wheel steering. The suspension could also be raised and lowered. This feature was added to allow the vehicle to push itself across large crevasses. The wheel could also be pulled up inside the body of the cruiser, so that the rubber tires could be warmed by the heat from the exhaust.
Inside, the cruiser had room for four people to live, a kitchen, a darkroom, food storage, and a machine shop. Huge internal fuel tanks carried 6,000 gallons of fuel, 5,000 of which was for the cruiser and 1,000 was for the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing biplane that was strapped on top. The plane was supposed to be used to scout the land ahead.
The Trip to the Antarctic
Once work on the cruiser was completed, it had to be moved from Chicago to Boston. Since it couldn't fit on a truck, the cruiser had to be driven over 1,000 miles to meet the United States Coast Guard Cutter North Star for the trip to the Antarctic. Remember, the cruiser had a top speed of 30 MPH. Inevitably, it created a traffic jam wherever it went.
Since they made the trip in the winter, you'd think the cruiser wouldn't have any problems, After all, it was designed for the Antarctic. However, that was not the case. The cruiser had several accidents and issues on the way to Boston. In the worse case, it hit the side of a bridge, fell off, and got stuck in the riverbed for three days.
Once the cruiser made it to Boston, it was discovered that the cruiser was too long for the ship. They had to cut off the rear compartment where the extra tires were stored. After an uneventful voyage, the cruiser arrived at the Little America III base on the Ross Ice Shelf. Then, things started to go bad again.
The crew built a wooden ramp to get the cruiser off the ship. As they drove it down the ramp, the ramp collapsed. They had to go full speed to avoid sinking into the icy water.
On the snow, things were not much better. The tires sank several feet into the snow. The cruiser couldn't make it up a snowy hill because the treadless tires could not get traction. They did discover that it was easier to drive the cruiser in reverse. On top of that, the scout plane experienced an engine failure and had to be shipped home for repairs.
Poulter planned to return to the US and get parts to fix some issues. However, World War II intervened. After the War, interest in exploring the Antarctic had waned quite a bit. In the end, the cruiser was used as a base for a while. It was uncovered and used by an expedition in 1946 and again in 1958. After that, it was never seen again. The ice shelves that make up the Antarctic are constantly shifting, so it could be anywhere.
Why It's Cool
I could pull out the ice pun that I used in the previous post, but I think I'll skip it this time.
Dr. Thomas Poulter had a good idea. He was trying to fix a real problem. If only they had paid attention to the issues that the ran into while transporting the cruiser, maybe they could have made it more useful. It probably would have also been a good idea to test the vehicle in a snowy part of the US, like Alaska.
Regardless, the cruiser must have really been something to see. A large red vehicle driving through a sea of white. With an airplane on top, no less.
If you have a suggestion for a historical tidbit, feel free to comment below. If you enjoyed, please share with your friends and relatives. Thank you.
Sources
https://www.dieselarmy.com/news/antarctic-snow-cruiser-the-doomed-missing-diesel-exploration-unit/
https://www.throttlextreme.com/unsolved-mystery-1939-antarctic-snow-cruiser/
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/01/the-antarctic-snow-cruiser-updated/424851/
https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/lost-1939-antarctic-snow-cruiser-was-outrageous/
https://www.thedrive.com/news/37291/scientists-find-probable-location-of-massive-polar-exploration-vehicle-lost-for-decades
https://www.thedrive.com/news/33433/theres-a-massive-antarctic-exploration-vehicle-lost-somewhere-at-the-bottom-of-the-world
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Snow_Cruiser