"The Snow Cruiser"-Antarctica's Abandoned Behemoth

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 19. 03. 2019
  • What happened to the Antarctic Snow Cruser? In 1939 a fifty-five feet long, twenty feet wide monster, weighing 37 tonnes and designed to have a range of over 8000 miles arrived on Antarctica. Built in the late 1930s for Richard E. Byrd’s Third Antarctic Expedition, it was one of the most incredible ventures in engineering history, not just in its size and scale but also her failure as an exploratory vehicle and subsequent disappearance.
    In this video, I look at the background, design and disappearance of the Snow Cruser and ask what happened to this incredible vehicle (I'm afraid it's not good news).
    I have a Patreon now! / calumraasay
    More photos, video and sources on my website: calumraasay.wordpress.com/por...
    Source & Reading:
    The best website for archives and information on the cruiser: www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/snow...
    Best overview and details on the design and history of the cruiser:
    www.autoclassics.com/posts/re...
    An Atlantic article with great photos of the cruiser:
    www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016...
    Interview with someone who saw it in person:
    web.archive.org/web/200701291...
    Colour footage of the cruiser:
    • Antarctic Snow Cruiser...
    "With Byrd at the South Pole"- a documentary Byrd made (where I got most of the stock footage) that went on to be the first documentary to win an Oscar. - • Video
    Books on the subject:
    Antarctica: A Biography by David Day
    www.amazon.co.uk/Antarctica-B...
    All the information you could ever need on the attached plane:
    www.joeld.net/snowcruiser/wing...
    For Shackeltons/Scott
    Shackelton: By Endurance We Conquer by Michael Smith
    An Unsung Hero- Tom Crean by Michael Smith
    Corrections:
    The Ferguson tractors show at roughly 4:00 are not the tractors Byrd used during his second expedition. This is placeholder footage of Fergressons used in the 1950s as I couldn't find any photos or videos of the tractors used in the previous 'little America' expedition. Upon Reviewing my footage I found there was actually a clip of the tractors in Byrd's 'Discovery' film made about the second expedition, linked to 26:24 in this video- • RICHARD E BYRD "DISCOV...
    Twitter......................► / calumraasay
    Instagram................► / calumraasay
    Website....................►calumgillies.com
    Facebook.................► / calumgilliesart
  • Věda a technologie

Komentáře • 4,2K

  • @williamalbers9325
    @williamalbers9325 Před 4 lety +1512

    I remember seeing the Snow Cruiser roll past my home in Schenectady N Y on its way to Boston Mass. Your film is the only presentation of experience with it in Antarctica I have ever seen. I am very grateful for your depiction of its ultimate employment and final fate.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +149

      That you for watching William and it means a lot to have shared this incredible machine with a wider audience. I'm always amazed to think of the people who got a chance to see this in real life, and I'm glad you got to finally see it actually on the snow!

    • @virgiljjacas3955
      @virgiljjacas3955 Před 4 lety +14

      Grandpa just to collect all the newspaper clippings from the machine trip.

    • @scuzzjumper
      @scuzzjumper Před 4 lety +4

      Cool

    • @chrisw5742
      @chrisw5742 Před 4 lety +6

      Albany, NY here :-)

    • @musaddiqshah698
      @musaddiqshah698 Před 4 lety +5

      Now where is this beast..under the snow...

  • @TrentCantrell
    @TrentCantrell Před 4 lety +3488

    "Hey, look at how well tanks and other tracked vehicles move around on the ice. Lets not use anything like that."

    • @davep6977
      @davep6977 Před 4 lety +56

      sorta a predecessor to the Mars roamer

    • @bruhmoment9240
      @bruhmoment9240 Před 4 lety +66

      We big brain do better

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +709

      The Cruiser was built in 11 weeks, and Poulter (the designer) accepted from Gulf Research a set of moulds for large tyres 3 m in diameter and 0.9 m wide, developed by Goodyear for a lightweight swamp vehicle used in oil prospecting. At the time they knew that wheeled vehicles worked on ice but not on snow, however, there were no real measurements or systematic observations to say why that was the case. Poulter had seen tracked vehicles running successfully on deep snow, and could not see why suitably clad wheels, large enough to distribute weight and minimize pressure over the surface, should not work just as well.
      The cruiser was tested briefly on Sand dunes and found to work quite effectively. Sand and very cold snow behave similarly but not identically. Poulter had measured and found coefficients of friction for the two to be about the same, but the unit weights (which he apparently did not measure) differ. Sand is roughly four times heavier than snow, and Poulter might have predicted that performance in sand could well be four times better than in snow.
      It's frustrating in the comments of the video because I keep having to respond to people calling the designers and entire team 'morons' and even worse weirdly aggressive insults for not knowing how to build the snow cruiser effectively. It's hard to appreciate how much of the technology that was being utilised here was in its infancy, and that so much of what we now know about tyres, treads and transportation over ice and snow came through failure such as this.

    • @killergameplay7750
      @killergameplay7750 Před 4 lety +2

      Another Trent Sup

    • @ECHOFOXTROT289
      @ECHOFOXTROT289 Před 4 lety +29

      Calum cmon its just the typical yt joke.

  • @Werkplaatsvlog
    @Werkplaatsvlog Před 3 lety +543

    I knew this vehicle before and asked myself; how could this thing move around in the snow with such a small clearance angle and bald tires... but now I know; it didn’t.

    • @aserta
      @aserta Před 3 lety +28

      It was built and designed in under a few months. Dumb choices in rushed thoughts.

    • @iansnyder274
      @iansnyder274 Před 3 lety

      i know. It seems blatantly obvious that it was not well conceived to say the least!!!

    • @brsrc759
      @brsrc759 Před 3 lety +30

      Not only the clearance and bald tires but the tires are also extremely narrow and the approach and departure angles of the vehicle are atrocious. It's like the designers didn't even understand basic physics

    • @mr.slaphappy3794
      @mr.slaphappy3794 Před 3 lety +1

      ayy MasterMilo!!!

    • @johnalan4860
      @johnalan4860 Před 3 lety +4

      @Enzo Issac The only thing anyone should care about (aside from your scamming, piece of shit ass) is that you violated the privacy and trust of someone you supposedly love. Shame on you for scamming, and shame on you more for promoting despicable behavior!

  • @markbooket6477
    @markbooket6477 Před 4 lety +494

    "Let's build something that won't sink into snow"
    "Yes , and make it weigh 38 tons,"

    • @emprsnm9903
      @emprsnm9903 Před 4 lety +25

      It's probably a blessing in disguise that it didn't make it very far. Imagine if it fell into a (I don't know the term, thin ice form?). Whether into water or cavern, all crew aboard would have been lost.
      And with that tonnage, they would have found one.

    • @mam362
      @mam362 Před 3 lety +11

      a vehicle's footprint could largely counteract its weight, in theory

    • @markbooket6477
      @markbooket6477 Před 3 lety +2

      Yes in theory

    • @LeoMkII
      @LeoMkII Před 3 lety +7

      @@mam362 yes, to measure if a KingTiger could pass over bland terrain one of the crew would jump onto another's back and that one would stand in one feet over said terrain, if they didn't sink then the tank could pass, so yeah, tracks are helpful to distribute weight, 79tons putting the same pressure to the ground that a couple of germans

    • @LeoMkII
      @LeoMkII Před 3 lety

      sorry for my english btw :)

  • @barry7608
    @barry7608 Před 4 lety +2493

    Very interesting and no unnecessary background music.

    • @rubennavarro2003
      @rubennavarro2003 Před 4 lety +65

      So many CZcamsrs add unnecessary music to otherwise interesting and/or informative videos. This was a pleasant change.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +91

      @@rubennavarro2003 Thanks, I always feel background music to be a bit unnecessary and hard to get the levels right on when I'm putting these together. Glad people agree!

    • @TURBOMIKEIFY
      @TURBOMIKEIFY Před 4 lety

      Can't see how those who agree with you can do it. Makes me feel uneasy.

    • @vladimirnezinskiiv2960
      @vladimirnezinskiiv2960 Před 4 lety +9

      @@CalumRaasay Im glad you just use your voice instead of music. It makes things feel more authentic.

    • @hughaxton
      @hughaxton Před 4 lety +1

      it needs the necessary background music

  • @notsoancientpelican
    @notsoancientpelican Před 4 lety +1096

    Principle #1 for engineering in unknown environments: Calculate the engine power required-then double it, and add 25%.

    • @frantisekzverina473
      @frantisekzverina473 Před 4 lety +140

      and then round it up

    • @huw3851
      @huw3851 Před 4 lety +77

      Oddly enough that's the same formula used to estimate how long it will take to write a program - the final 25% being for management overheads and admin tasks (that basically give the managers something to manage).

    • @sparky6086
      @sparky6086 Před 4 lety +22

      The Antarctic Snow Cruiser was a complete failure.
      ...If you look up the word "Boondoggle" in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of the Antarctic Snow Cruiser!

    • @sparky6086
      @sparky6086 Před 4 lety +21

      It was likely one of those high profile projects, where everyone wants to get into the act, so there were probably too many chiefs and not enough indians, internal politics and external politics, corruption, etc.
      I'm sure, that many, who worked on or were close observers of the project had doubts, that it would work at all in Antarctica, but once all that money was spent, they pretty much had no choice but to go ahead and send it to Antarctica! ...Classic boondoggle.

    • @misscauliflowergreen9904
      @misscauliflowergreen9904 Před 4 lety +12

      notsoancientpelican Except it wasn't the *power* which was the issue here. It was the *traction* , or lack of, by using smooth rubber tires. Even if this snow cruiser would have had TWICE the power it had it would still get bogged down.
      Principle #1 for common sense. Don't ever reduce every single issue into power.
      I sincerely hope you're kidding. You must be.

  • @mellinghedd267
    @mellinghedd267 Před 4 lety +543

    I'd love to design something like this, but more practical. I love the idea of a mobile base for dangerous conditions

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +78

      Well you'll be happy to hear the Soviets succeeded in creating one! The Kharkovchanka! czcams.com/video/f6R-h06IsJw/video.html

    • @Ceej3
      @Ceej3 Před 4 lety +11

      That is a fascinating idea isn’t it. It seems like such a crazy idea to venture to Antarctica in even today’s standards let alone almost 100 years ago. Such a mysterious place. Wonder what’s buried in the ice there

    • @oliverguidetti7569
      @oliverguidetti7569 Před 4 lety +4

      Didn’t Top Gear make something like that in a special?

    • @DickotheClown
      @DickotheClown Před 4 lety +5

      @@oliverguidetti7569 As far as I know they drove there in a lifted Toyota but that's it. That sounds like an great idea for old top gear though, planning this big expedition in some half assed contraption lol

    • @iandetroitdieselpower3498
      @iandetroitdieselpower3498 Před 3 lety +4

      You would think they would have had tractor tread or snow tyre spikes for better traction.

  • @adobedirtblues1321
    @adobedirtblues1321 Před 3 lety +181

    My dad used to say “Son, just remember that every idiotic endeavor was somebody’s fantastic idea”.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 3 lety +12

      Thats a great comment. Well said.

    • @Jefff72
      @Jefff72 Před 3 lety +4

      Soviets learned from this which lead to Kharkiv'yanka (Ukrainian: Харків'янка) or Kharkovchanka (Russian: Харьковчанка. Which BTW I learned last night from Calum.

    • @supertramp6011
      @supertramp6011 Před 3 lety +2

      Adobedirt Blues my dad used to say,” the titanic was built by experts,but the Ark was built by ‘Amateurs’!”🤣🤣

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 3 lety +4

      Rod Gillanders my dad used to say “why are you wasting your time making CZcams videos?” Proved him wrong! 😂

    • @supertramp6011
      @supertramp6011 Před 3 lety +2

      Calum haha,checked out a few vids,awesome job bud! I’m up in Applecross,fishin’ n crofting!👌

  • @johnpatterson8697
    @johnpatterson8697 Před 4 lety +1948

    this thing looks like it was designed in the late 1960s, yet it was made before WWII

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +253

      Totally right, very 50/60s "retro futuristic" design

    • @johnpatterson8697
      @johnpatterson8697 Před 4 lety +105

      @@CalumRaasay Now I want a WWII or Cold War Video game set in the Antarctic

    • @Blippity_Bloop64
      @Blippity_Bloop64 Před 4 lety +54

      I was thinking the same thing! Looks totally out of place for the era.

    • @twodigitscout9800
      @twodigitscout9800 Před 4 lety +2

      *during WWII

    • @TheHabsFan77
      @TheHabsFan77 Před 4 lety +6

      It could have looked like a spaceship but it doesn't matter if it's a failure

  • @mattwolf7698
    @mattwolf7698 Před 4 lety +2573

    So they didn't even test in in the snow in the U.S. before leaving and they put slick tires on it.

    • @mercoid
      @mercoid Před 4 lety +248

      Matt Wolf ....the slick tires were the first thing that struck me. Ridiculous

    • @ericwsmith7722
      @ericwsmith7722 Před 4 lety +95

      The one or two guys on the design team , that were from the north east were faced with the prospect of being right, and replaced, or not mentioning the king has no clothes . Good year was no help, must have saved a bunch making that mold with no tread

    • @Martin-xh1hd
      @Martin-xh1hd Před 4 lety +1

      @@mercoid slick tires are better

    • @skilkiller10
      @skilkiller10 Před 4 lety +34

      @@aegisgfx yet you're watching this video on an American platform,gtfo here.

    • @Alaninbroomfield
      @Alaninbroomfield Před 4 lety +57

      @@aegisgfx We are fucking stupid. We're letting our country be flooded with millions of people from shithole countries. Where are you from by chance?

  • @solwen
    @solwen Před 4 lety +360

    Looks like my first space engineer rover: Took a lot of time and ressources to build, travelled 100m, flipped over in a ditch and was never touched again.

    • @shinkicker404
      @shinkicker404 Před 4 lety +16

      Was going to say looks like my moon rover bases in Kerbal. Which rolled over and exploded.

    • @rambo8863
      @rambo8863 Před 4 lety +5

      Looks like my APV from alian in space engineer

    • @waterhead1029
      @waterhead1029 Před 4 lety +1

      @@rambo8863 That's the first vehicle I thought of.

    • @Kusunoky
      @Kusunoky Před 4 lety +1

      @@rambo8863 I tought about the Alien the Marine vehicle lol

    • @1D991
      @1D991 Před 4 lety +1

      Scrolling through I honestly thought this was a Space Engineers video.

  • @TheTrainspotterFromTauranga

    I can't believe that such a crazy machine ever existed. She looks so far ahead of her time that it's hard to believe she was built in the 1930s.
    The strong Scottish accent combined with the wealth of information make for a good way to spend 16 minutes.

  • @jeffmartin3406
    @jeffmartin3406 Před 4 lety +714

    The Snowcruiser became stuck in a creek near Gomer, Ohio on Lincoln Highway. Still the biggest event to ever happen in Gomer.

    • @barbsprague7941
      @barbsprague7941 Před 4 lety +37

      Jeff Martin My Mom told the story of seeing the cruiser, since the family lived about a half mile from the event. 😊

    • @nztphotography5758
      @nztphotography5758 Před 4 lety +6

      Jeff Martin any pictures?

    • @aserta
      @aserta Před 4 lety +18

      Still better than slipping off the ship and falling in the water.

    • @drwatson1234
      @drwatson1234 Před 4 lety +8

      @@nztphotography5758 czcams.com/video/3ixqwDecLno/video.html

    • @captainvanhorn773
      @captainvanhorn773 Před 4 lety

      One in Ohio

  • @skaie.
    @skaie. Před 4 lety +1555

    So the designer was inspired by the success of the early snow tractors, and decided nah, it wasn't the tracks that helped, lets give ours balloon tires.

    • @bengrogan9710
      @bengrogan9710 Před 4 lety +60

      it wasn't such a strange idea - The balloon tyres weighted far less and made for better ground pressure than the tracks on a vehicle of that size
      Also in sub-zero temperatures for long periods track linkage pins become brittle and risk throwing a track

    • @Dr.TJ_Eckleburg
      @Dr.TJ_Eckleburg Před 4 lety +41

      If the technology was there to put tread on those tires and a mechanism for regulating tire pressure I think they would have done much better. Big smooth balloon tires may have been efficient for getting them along a flat surface, but there was no way it was going to be effective in the snow on any kind of incline.

    • @bengrogan9710
      @bengrogan9710 Před 4 lety +27

      @@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg the tread directly runs counter to the ability of the balloon tyres as they restrict the volume adjustment of the tyres.
      You are applying logic from tyres that have PSI that work in a range of +/- 15% to ones that work with +/- 300%
      The tread of a tyre is based on the idea of compacting material under the tyre to gain surface area for friction as the vehicle bites the material.
      Tread works on compressed pack snow, and only on powder snow by packing it using vehicle weight.
      The balloon radically increases contact surface area and prevent the compression of the snow that tread needs, as all surface snow in on the poles is powder for dozens of feet thick, standard tread ideas simply throw a powder plume until the vehicle is beached on its belly.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +101

      The biggest issue is The Cruiser was built in 11 weeks, and Poulter (the designer) accepted from Gulf Research a set of moulds for large tyres 3 m in diameter and 0.9 m wide, developed by Goodyear for a lightweight swamp vehicle used in oil prospecting. At the time they knew that wheeled vehicles worked on ice but not on snow, however, there were no real measurements or systematic observations to say why that was the case. Poulter had seen tracked vehicles running successfully on deep snow, and could not see why suitably clad wheels, large enough to distribute weight and minimize pressure over the surface, should not work just as well.
      The cruiser was tested briefly on Sand dunes and found to work quite effectively. Sand and very cold snow behave similarly but not identically. Poulter had measured and found coefficients of friction for the two to be about the same, but the unit weights (which he apparently did not measure) differ. Sand is roughly four times heavier than snow, and Poulter might have predicted that performance in sand could well be four times better than in snow.

    • @alexini5
      @alexini5 Před 4 lety +6

      i like how u defend an obvious FAILURE. I mean its was stupid and it was proved to be so. Tracks are used for ice and snow and until this day its the most effective way to move around with. So wtf are u talking about.

  • @Pyronimous
    @Pyronimous Před 2 lety +22

    I came here to rewatch this masterpiece after Mustard's recent video

  • @kevinstephenson3880
    @kevinstephenson3880 Před 4 lety +16

    The airplane, a Beechcraft D-17A "Staggerwing" that served in Antarctica is being restored in Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand. It is well along and is being restored as it was in 1939. I met and spoke in great length with Sgt. Pete Petras, the gentleman who flew the Staggerwing originally. Very interesting gentleman. Great story.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +3

      Yes I've been talking to the couple behind the restoration, lovely folks, and incredibly interesting project. wish I had covered it in this video- maybe in the future!

  • @stormywindmill
    @stormywindmill Před 4 lety +814

    Alarm bells should have rung when the " Snow cruiser " got stuck in a country road ditch on the way to the ship.

    • @ikat_tracer
      @ikat_tracer Před 4 lety +4

      I agree xD

    • @rogerhearn7109
      @rogerhearn7109 Před 4 lety +30

      stormywindmill
      Would have given anyone with an ounce of common sense a real good clue that it was a non starter in the snow, ( running on slick tyres). if it can't pull it's self out of a ditch what chance would it have over a crevice,? But I suppose bull shit rules once again

    • @AremStefaniaK
      @AremStefaniaK Před 4 lety +11

      Alarm bells should have rung when the supply ship was named NORTHSTAR

    • @sawspitfire422
      @sawspitfire422 Před 4 lety +4

      At that point the whole thing had already been built, might as well have sent it off to its doom even if it was a one in a million chance it would work. Better than spending all that money and scrapping it immediately

    • @deseremere
      @deseremere Před 4 lety +3

      "During the trip, a damaged steering system caused the vehicle to drive off a small bridge on the Lincoln Highway and into a stream near the town of Gomer, Ohio near Lima, Ohio, where it remained for three days" - alarm to fix steering? they did

  • @EATSLEEPDRIVE2002
    @EATSLEEPDRIVE2002 Před 4 lety +1752

    We need to send Freiberger and Finnegan down to Antartica to revive this beast

  • @lukemanius
    @lukemanius Před 4 lety +93

    *Can't handle creeks*
    "I'm sure it'll be fine!"

  • @rvalent9366
    @rvalent9366 Před 4 lety +55

    "what an amazing vehicule, it's strange to think the slick tires can be useful on ice"
    2 min later : oh

  • @calebpaauwe3335
    @calebpaauwe3335 Před 4 lety +139

    The new crown jewel of Jay Lenno’s garage

    • @HU1212ICAN3
      @HU1212ICAN3 Před 4 lety +4

      Don't we wish. This would have made an amazing addition to any collection!

  • @HungryGuyStories
    @HungryGuyStories Před 4 lety +647

    That thing looks like something International Rescue would have to go after... _Thunderbirds are _*_GO!_*

    • @WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs
      @WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs Před 4 lety +1

      Check out Caterpillars Trucks and Wheel loaders. I think they’d work. I’ve seen them work in Sweden at -30.

    • @tadpetrie3464
      @tadpetrie3464 Před 4 lety +4

      FAB!!!

    • @adrianfundescu5407
      @adrianfundescu5407 Před 4 lety

      Exactly....

    • @adrianfundescu5407
      @adrianfundescu5407 Před 4 lety +1

      @Alex M Actually they didn't ...strings and etc.Models.Not real.So this thing would have been perfect there.

    • @joyceandchrisaccount3644
      @joyceandchrisaccount3644 Před 4 lety +2

      I preferred the cartoon over god live action dolls. Damn I am old. I think their were licensing issues over the American release of the cartoon so it will never be seen again.

  • @zcrib3
    @zcrib3 Před 4 lety +53

    I imagine it drifting out to sea. Then sinking at the bottom. 300 years from now someone will find it at the bottom of the sea. They will wonder.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +18

      "Slick treads on the seabed? it would never work!"

    • @laalonso
      @laalonso Před 4 lety +6

      @@CalumRaasay "Those tyres not big enough to float"

    • @jaydendiaz9836
      @jaydendiaz9836 Před 3 lety +2

      These guys are dumb as they fly away

    • @alexgeier7326
      @alexgeier7326 Před 2 lety

      Future person : and this is a perfect example of a typical underwater Winnebago used by the people of the lost city of Atlantis

  • @pmwebber22
    @pmwebber22 Před 3 lety +1

    Very interesting bit of history, but also (and rarely heard on CZcams) a natural, professionally delivered and entertaining commentary. Thank you.

  • @stevesundt8605
    @stevesundt8605 Před 4 lety +109

    my grandfather was on the ship when it was transported to Antarctica , the north star , he was the steward on the ship.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +10

      Fantastic! I used to be a ship steward as well, although we didn't have as interesting cargo!

    • @DadBodZaddy
      @DadBodZaddy Před 4 lety +2

      Naheim Googolla cabin boiiis

  • @jakobfromthefence
    @jakobfromthefence Před 4 lety +462

    I imagine trying to take a scaled model for a drive on snow would not have been expensive

    • @PACKERMAN2077
      @PACKERMAN2077 Před 4 lety +15

      I would have not been most effective *_not_* to bring the full sized equipment with them, if they're already en route to such a distant place.

    • @CarlMarx
      @CarlMarx Před 4 lety +43

      @@PACKERMAN2077 Didn't have to be snow in antartica

    • @PACKERMAN2077
      @PACKERMAN2077 Před 4 lety +7

      @@CarlMarx oh sorry I understood you as saying, _"go all the way to Antarctica with the models just to test them there because they didn't have snow in the place where they built them at that time of year because they were trying to meet a deadline."_
      🙄😅

    • @Shorjok
      @Shorjok Před 4 lety +31

      @@PACKERMAN2077 You know if they went up to canada there'd still be snow in summer in some northern parts right? And besides, testing it on sand or something would have sufficed. Testing it at all would have been a good idea.

    • @jeremymcadam7400
      @jeremymcadam7400 Před 4 lety +4

      @@Shorjok noo no, you can't do that

  • @blacksheep25251
    @blacksheep25251 Před 4 lety +4

    This was awesome!! I've watched tons of documentaries on the Antarctic, but never knew about this failure.
    Great job with the voicing, the pace of the video, and wow... the footage you pieced together!
    ..and thank you for no background music!

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety

      Thank you! I'm obsessed with the antarctic and I had never even heard of this, so glad others have been similarly interested!

  • @robertrulebirtannia
    @robertrulebirtannia Před 4 lety +38

    Funny, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser turned up in Clive Cussler's novel, 'Atlantis Found'. I had no idea that it was real.

    • @kingfishercomputing9497
      @kingfishercomputing9497 Před 3 lety

      Yup!

    • @email4664
      @email4664 Před 3 lety

      There were tundra tractors in use in Alaska, and one is still sitting as you come into Homer from Fritz Creek. They were similar, with extremely tall tires, but were Bar ribbed, as the WWII USA vehicles were.

  • @badbirdkc
    @badbirdkc Před 4 lety +379

    This thing looks like something I would have drawn as a kid.

    • @ian_b
      @ian_b Před 4 lety +21

      Or Elon Musk announces is the future of transportation.

    • @badbirdkc
      @badbirdkc Před 4 lety +10

      @@ian_b Cybertank

    • @thomasbummer4361
      @thomasbummer4361 Před 4 lety +5

      homer car

    • @highadmiraljt5853
      @highadmiraljt5853 Před 4 lety +2

      Looks like the early concept art for a Star Wars vehicle

    • @Czeckie
      @Czeckie Před 4 lety +2

      you are hired!

  • @walterkersting1362
    @walterkersting1362 Před 4 lety +626

    25’wide 37 tons, it gets ten feet and it’s stuck forever.

    • @lonewolf2156
      @lonewolf2156 Před 4 lety +59

      Indeed It would’ve been better if it rolled on caterpillar tracks like a bulldozer, granted not as fast as wheels, but at least it would not get stuck

    • @carlosandleon
      @carlosandleon Před 4 lety +63

      what's that in non retarded units?

    • @the0mighty0burrito
      @the0mighty0burrito Před 4 lety +156

      Carlos Leon
      For countries that haven’t landed on the moon, it’s 7.5 m wide, and 33,000 kg.

    • @carlosandleon
      @carlosandleon Před 4 lety +82

      @@the0mighty0burrito lol even NASA uses metric

    • @Ian-oe9wp
      @Ian-oe9wp Před 4 lety +70

      @@carlosandleon 1/4 of a football field wide and weighed as much as the water that would fill a 20th of a Olympic size swimming pool or about as much as 4 school busses

  • @porpus99
    @porpus99 Před 4 lety +6

    Fun fact, the Snow Cruiser played a role in the Clive Custler novel "Atlantis Found". Our heroes Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino utilized the vehicle after it had been found in the ice and restored.

  • @isakburak3275
    @isakburak3275 Před 4 lety +1

    you made by far the best snow cruiser video available, thank you.

  • @alphaone101
    @alphaone101 Před 4 lety +320

    Who would have thought that the bald tires on the Snow Cruiser wouldn't grip the ice and snow like an eagle grasping a fish?

    • @donovan9356
      @donovan9356 Před 4 lety +13

      alphaone101 your wrong bald tires are actually better they still use bald tires today in the Arctic and Antarctic

    • @IIAndersII
      @IIAndersII Před 4 lety +4

      @@donovan9356 that sounds interesting. Do you know why bald tires are better?

    • @Jin88866
      @Jin88866 Před 4 lety +1

      They did not have the knowledge we have today, but they could've imagined it, it's pretty intuitive.

    • @TheMarkk116
      @TheMarkk116 Před 4 lety +19

      @@IIAndersII More surface area to grip, especially if they're really soft they will conform to the shape of the surface. They just should've had like, twelve of them.

    • @IIAndersII
      @IIAndersII Před 4 lety +1

      @@TheMarkk116 ah that makes sense. thx :)

  • @p24hrsmith
    @p24hrsmith Před 4 lety +253

    slick tyres on snow and ice is just the start of a long list of why this wouldn't work and I'm frankly amazed that anyone could think it would

    • @someotherdude
      @someotherdude Před 4 lety +18

      Me too. Absurdly, weirdly naive to think it would.

    • @knarftrakiul3881
      @knarftrakiul3881 Před 4 lety +4

      Lol I thought same thing

    • @robhartshorn6823
      @robhartshorn6823 Před 4 lety +19

      Wonder why they didnt make some giant tire chains for it like they use on log skidders?

    • @p24hrsmith
      @p24hrsmith Před 4 lety +6

      @@robhartshorn6823 I think in 1 of the pics it did have chains on but only 4 so waste of time on such a big wheel

    • @heavyseven88
      @heavyseven88 Před 4 lety +10

      Smooth tires, 🤫 low air pressure 🤔🤨tires, equals maximum grip 😏 today we have
      Tubeless mountain bike wheels 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • @stevejohnson6248
    @stevejohnson6248 Před 4 lety +14

    I remember reading an article about this in a magazine in the 80's. Absolutely fascinating something like this was approved and built. I agree it would be awesome to find it but it is almost certainly at the bottom on the ocean now.

  • @wayneworthy2672
    @wayneworthy2672 Před 3 lety

    Video is well done, professionally edited, instructive and entertaining. You covered a lot of information in sixteen minutes. Thanks.

  • @ProjectRedfoot
    @ProjectRedfoot Před 4 lety +487

    "Little America, Little America 2... What should we call the third one?"
    "No use getting creative now."

    • @sheilaolfieway1885
      @sheilaolfieway1885 Před 4 lety +12

      Big foot 7

    • @deathcogunit106
      @deathcogunit106 Před 4 lety +3

      "Fuck off shi.thole countries 1"

    • @sniperdoug1969
      @sniperdoug1969 Před 4 lety +8

      My science teacher in high school was the lead medic on both of the little America expedition. He even was on the cover of life magazine. He was carrying 2 big steaks out of the “ freezer “ room. He told us many stories of both expeditions. His name was Ken Aldrich.

    • @doggdemuro
      @doggdemuro Před 4 lety

      New Moscow

    • @ProjectRedfoot
      @ProjectRedfoot Před 4 lety +1

      @@sniperdoug1969 That is so awesome!

  • @freelyfarmexploits8854
    @freelyfarmexploits8854 Před 4 lety +215

    I know a lot of people have already commented on this. However it struck me as a superb project, however really stupid mistakes. No testing in say Alaska beforehand, slick tyres, madness. Surely spikes or a deep off road tread, snow chains even. It just strikes me as a great idea but ruined by simple mistakes. Engineers got the basics wrong!

    • @dycantos
      @dycantos Před 4 lety +27

      It was designed by a Physics Professor then built in 11 weeks by a company that made train coaches, started up only to be driven across country without any testing or even a shakedown run. Crashed into a creek because a faulty steering system. It was a rush job and a publicity stunt with a bit more development time and testing it might have been a success not likely, but politics got in the way as they often do.

    • @emprsnm9903
      @emprsnm9903 Před 4 lety +13

      It's wildly odd how this was engineered in Chicago. The winters can toublesome there. I wonder what kind of tires simple trucks were using around then and there. Atop of that, what were we using in Alaska at the time? (Being our snowyest local territory).
      I bet there were a number of engineers quietly shaking their heads after being told to "shut it", after bringing it up during design. Of course, Illinois isn't known for its squeeky clean politics. So in hindsight, its not hard to understand how "a" led to "b", and then to the flop that is "c".

    • @olliebear9256
      @olliebear9256 Před 4 lety +4

      One article I read said that chains were used on the tires, when it was learned that the slicks did not function in Antarctica. One can only imagine how chains were fashioned for ten foot diameter tires, but it went on to say they were a failure as well. The article also said that the air plain malfunctioned too and was never used.

    • @brunoraoni
      @brunoraoni Před 4 lety +6

      @@dycantos World War 2 was around the corner and nobody wanted to invest time and money in a machine like this by this point.

    • @dycantos
      @dycantos Před 4 lety +3

      @@brunoraoni To us in hindsight WWII was just around the corner but in the United States late 1930s that was a distant possibility an ocean away the funds were there for the project but it was a race to build it and get there first.

  • @kevinmartin2586
    @kevinmartin2586 Před 3 lety

    Absolutely wonderfully executed and detailed story of the Snow Cruiser! A subject that has fascinated me for many years! Thank you!

  • @danischeel4846
    @danischeel4846 Před 4 lety

    Thank you for the post! This vehicle has always fascinated me. I hope it's found one day.

  • @welshdragon99
    @welshdragon99 Před 4 lety +369

    Only driveable in reverse?
    Snow cruiser = Italian tank

    • @chrissyboi88b
      @chrissyboi88b Před 4 lety +31

      Haha, they say Italian tanks have 1 gear to go forward and 3 in reverse 😂

    • @Jan_372
      @Jan_372 Před 4 lety +42

      @@chrissyboi88b wasn't that a joke about french tanks?

    • @MVSTNGGT
      @MVSTNGGT Před 4 lety +16

      Jan Krähe yeah it was a french joke, guess its Italians now

    • @adamhavelock2104
      @adamhavelock2104 Před 4 lety +37

      The french have a tank that has four gears in reverse and one in forward, in case the enemy attack from behind.
      The Italians paint their tanks with the enemies flag on them for when they change sides.

    • @kevinbroderick3779
      @kevinbroderick3779 Před 4 lety +4

      French.
      French surrender after valiant minute 13 hour fight.
      We left things just as you wanted, French high command says to Adolph Hitler.

  • @MrCarnutbill67
    @MrCarnutbill67 Před 4 lety +214

    Great, now every soccer mom in America is gonna want one of these.

    • @td6608
      @td6608 Před 4 lety +3

      LOL, I was thinking if it rearends a Hummer they would look like they were mating 😅

    • @jk9554
      @jk9554 Před 4 lety +16

      ♪♫ Twelve yards long, two lanes wide, 65 tons of american pride, canyoneroooo-hu-oh, canyonero...

    • @JDMatthias
      @JDMatthias Před 4 lety +6

      Well at least it doesn't look like a minivan, so it's sexy

    • @karrotop
      @karrotop Před 4 lety +15

      'I like the high driving position'

    • @starstencahl8985
      @starstencahl8985 Před 4 lety +7

      Kelly Larsen “It’s easier to get in and out”

  • @starfishsystems
    @starfishsystems Před 4 lety +1

    Now this is an outstandingly engaging documentary! It's clearly in the nature of a personal project, but dense with information and narrative wit, right up there with the best of the institutionally funded material. What a pleasure it is to encounter this!

  • @houzepw
    @houzepw Před 4 lety +4

    Clive Cussler used this vehicle in his book Atlantis Found. Heros Dirk and Al drive across 90 miles of frozen wasteland to defeat the bad guys. He did a great job of explaining how it was built and wrote that it was pretty much useless due to the tires having no tread. With a few modifications to the tires, it performed flawlessly. Cool video!

  • @morganrobinson8042
    @morganrobinson8042 Před 4 lety +162

    This is one of the most Dieselpunk things to ever actually happen.

    • @revenevan11
      @revenevan11 Před 4 lety +10

      It absolutely fits the aesthetic, that thing's an RV I'd love to live in!

    • @sergeytn6487
      @sergeytn6487 Před 4 lety +6

      and there's plenty of similar vehicles been in extensive use in Russia. Except successful ones. Noyt to mention the one experimental with locomotive cab and missileplatform bottom.

    • @morganrobinson8042
      @morganrobinson8042 Před 4 lety +11

      @@sergeytn6487 But you have to really appreciate the context.
      A vainglorious and ill-conceived behemoth made to cement nation ownership of a little-explored icy wasteland, only to be brought to nothing by improbably faulty design. Abandoned, it was lost to the ice, only to be sporadically seen for decades until it finally collapsed into the sea.
      That is some Grade A pulp material. A hackneyed plot about man's reach exceeding his grasp practically writes itself.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +2

      @@sergeytn6487 I'm actualy making a video about those- the 'Kharkovchankas'. The Soviets took the idea of a self-contained exploration vehicle and really perfected it. Amazing vehicles.

  • @garyschraa7947
    @garyschraa7947 Před 4 lety +211

    The snow cruisers little brother was in the movie "Alien" . The low flat tank that they broke the transaxle of

  • @rustandoil
    @rustandoil Před rokem

    ... Sent here by a friend, this video has sparked some memories from my childhood in the 60's.
    Thanks for posting the video 👍🏻

  • @WillemterHarmsel1
    @WillemterHarmsel1 Před rokem

    My friend, this is extreme effort. Thank you.

  • @popanollie1
    @popanollie1 Před 4 lety +83

    my great grandpa helped byrd design and build that snow cruiser. my family has lost of pics with byrd and my great grandpa together during the build process

    • @chucky29949
      @chucky29949 Před 4 lety +9

      popanollie1 did he ever explain the relatively skinny smooth tires instead of tracks like those of the tractors and smaller machines of before?
      A shame about the pictures, this is really interesting exploratory history!

    • @popanollie1
      @popanollie1 Před 4 lety +15

      @@chucky29949 sorry that was supposed to say lots of pictures. not lost. and i vaguely remember something about the tires being heated and easier to heat and retain the heat. and wouldn't say they were skinny compared to the more common car tires of that era that were not much more than a bicycle tire with wooden spokes. (my grandpa drives a 1932 model a, have pics and video of it driving 50mph on my insta, its pretty sketchy lol) i also dont really think tread was a thing back than, or im just guessing here but maybe they thought without tread they would have more surface area and get more traction in return. i dont know for sure but i will definitely mention it to my grandpa and sit down and talk over the pics and get back to you. might not be this week but i will let you know when i do. also funny you ask about the wheels, i know for a fact my great grandpa designed or helped design the wheels, tires, suspensions and i think something else drive related.

    • @greggv8
      @greggv8 Před 4 lety +10

      @@popanollie1 if you can get all the photos scanned they'd be much appreciated by people who study and preserve the history of Antarctic exploration.

    • @popanollie1
      @popanollie1 Před 4 lety +11

      @@greggv8 i do have a scanner, i can copy them for anyone who wants, tell me where to send them, or private message me on instagram with a email to send the pics

    • @rallycrosscraig
      @rallycrosscraig Před 4 lety +1

      popanollie1 I think we’d all love to see these, have read lots about Byrd and seen most of the clips on YT, amazing to see the colour film on this great channel please share your photos!

  • @jasonvoorhees8545
    @jasonvoorhees8545 Před 4 lety +679

    The firsst thing I noticed was the treadless tires. Did they not see that before they left ? Like seriously lol. WTF ?

    • @PapiDoesIt
      @PapiDoesIt Před 4 lety +49

      Same thing I was thinking. It's like someone who had never driven in snow decided on what tires would be best for driving on snow.

    • @boredfartless4221
      @boredfartless4221 Před 4 lety +41

      If that was the only problem it begs the question why didn't they knock out 4 new tyres and send them over for a try

    • @JasperJanssen
      @JasperJanssen Před 4 lety +8

      I’d bet they designed that deliberately that way.

    • @250txc
      @250txc Před 4 lety +14

      Tracks would maybe have solved this issue

    • @JasperJanssen
      @JasperJanssen Před 4 lety +7

      250txc not to 60 miles an hour in the thirties, though. Especially not at that size.but then they probably shouldn’t have designed for faster than 5-10mph.

  • @jdmbeats
    @jdmbeats Před 3 lety

    Very fascinating, I've never heard of this before! Just goes to show how rugged the terrain of the Antarctic is. Great video. Subscribed!!👍🏼👍🏼

  • @XanthanGgum
    @XanthanGgum Před 4 lety +1

    Seriously high quality documentary thankyou!👍

  • @Remo860
    @Remo860 Před 4 lety +478

    Should have brought the snow chains.

    • @DonoldMcPeterson
      @DonoldMcPeterson Před 4 lety +15

      There is a photo where they are putting on snow chains...

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +40

      They did try chains actually, but also it's important to note that the tyres weren't exactly the failure point- it was bad maths and too much weight that sunk it. Poulter (the designer) had calculated that a vehicle with capabilities to drive in the sand would also work in the freezing snow as both shared similar behaviour and weight-bearing capabilities, however, he miscalculated the unit weights. The friction between rubber tyres and snow remained was perfectly high enough for traction but the weight of the vehicle caused the wheels to sink in deeper than they calculated, so that the 'climb-out' of each wheel rut was equivalent to ascending a 20-30% slope. Power had to be expended to break the snow structure and climb this ‘slope’; applied to the tyres this overcame friction and caused wheel slip, which served only to deepen the wheel ruts. If Poulter had calculated correctly they could have accounted for the weight differences and she probably should have been a lot more effective even with treadless balloon tyres.

    • @brynclarke1746
      @brynclarke1746 Před 4 lety +16

      @@CalumRaasay Imagine shipping it to Antarctica without even testing it in snow though, or any prototype

    • @nikosyrjala8584
      @nikosyrjala8584 Před 4 lety +4

      @@brynclarke1746 sounds like bad idea to me

    • @happyfox711
      @happyfox711 Před 4 lety

      @@CalumRaasay so what you're saying, in a very complicated way, is that it lost traction or spun as we say in english. I get the reason you so perticularly explained, but do you mean that winter tires would not have improved the performance ?

  • @chinocracy
    @chinocracy Před 4 lety +160

    They should've learned from the St. Chamond tank that anything with long overhang is far from an "all-terrain" vehicle.

    • @revenevan11
      @revenevan11 Před 4 lety +18

      Yeah that's just asking to get stuck, looks goofier than an old school bus

    • @HiringHamblin
      @HiringHamblin Před 4 lety +1

      It also slips sideways like a real bitch if Battlefield 1 is anything to go by

    • @christopherrto
      @christopherrto Před 4 lety +8

      I think the overhang was supposed to be a feature, if the terrain is relatively flat except for crevasses, the overhang would help to cross them, which is also why the wheels were retractable.

    • @chinocracy
      @chinocracy Před 4 lety +1

      Ah, like a hook. Push up on wheels, overhang hooks, let wheels down, etc. But it probably didn't work as planned. Tank tracks might have been better.

    • @christopherrto
      @christopherrto Před 4 lety +9

      @@chinocracy More like a big ski, but ya. Yah, I can't possibly imagine who thought giant innertubes would provide good ice traction. You literally use those for sleds on toboggan hills. Tracks was the logical step.

  • @MakinEndsMeet69
    @MakinEndsMeet69 Před 4 lety

    Callum great video my friend very informative very well put together video make some more videos for sure that was great thank you for sharing

  • @TobiHReact
    @TobiHReact Před 4 lety

    Wow thank's for sharing this! This is pure Historic gold!

  • @HiringHamblin
    @HiringHamblin Před 4 lety +84

    This looks like something that I the Thunderbirds would bust out for one of their more mundane rescues

  • @tomfisher44
    @tomfisher44 Před 4 lety +297

    Painting it "John Deere Green" would've helped.

    • @patrickmccarron5059
      @patrickmccarron5059 Před 4 lety +14

      lol - And paint the rims bright yellow.

    • @zekeoutdoors
      @zekeoutdoors Před 4 lety +19

      Why paint it that way? It would only show everyone the owners are gay

    • @craigcorson3036
      @craigcorson3036 Před 4 lety +9

      @@zekeoutdoors Tell that to the owner of any John Deere tractor. S/he'll hand you your ass.

    • @AremStefaniaK
      @AremStefaniaK Před 4 lety +7

      +5 offroading

    • @rudyschwab7709
      @rudyschwab7709 Před 4 lety +5

      They should have went to John Deere and asked them about where they get their tires.

  • @LoftBits
    @LoftBits Před 4 lety +5

    Love those grand transportation designs (being myself an airship enthusiast).
    When I look at the diagrams how ice crevasses were expected to be crossed, I cannot help thinking that each time it happened, the whole crew would be kneeling down and praying, while the behemoth did its 'leap of faith' - if the other side was not strong enough to support it, they would just fall to their deaths. And if any of the sides were too sllippery for the baloon tyres grip vs "sliding belly" - they would be stuck over the crevasse - in which case they would be better off with entrance hatches on both ends of the vehicle.
    And all this when tracked vehicles and mobile bridges were already in existence and doing well...

  • @joncoutinho5416
    @joncoutinho5416 Před 4 lety +2

    Hey mate, i'm finally stoked at my youtube recommendations. 19k subs, add 1 to that. loved the vid. cheers, keep it up.

  • @user-gv4bf4zx2s
    @user-gv4bf4zx2s Před 4 lety +287

    When the 'Unstoppable' expedition vehicle gets stuck *on the way to the pier* , it's time to rethink the design ,LOLOL

    • @brunoraoni
      @brunoraoni Před 4 lety +5

      @@DarkAlex1978 They tested on sand which is similar to snow, the only catch is... sand is 4 times heavier than snow, consequently, the machine had 4 times better performance because of that little detail.

    • @brunoraoni
      @brunoraoni Před 4 lety +6

      @@DarkAlex1978 There is also the detail that those tires actually worked incredibly well on ICE, not SNOW.

    • @briananthony4044
      @briananthony4044 Před 4 lety

      The smooth bottom was to slide over ice and snow. Over earth and grass it just got stuck.

  • @elmerexpress
    @elmerexpress Před 4 lety +114

    30+ tons of weight on tires that relatively small?
    What were they thinking? Getting stuck in the creek should have told them...

    • @bzdtemp
      @bzdtemp Před 4 lety +10

      Exactly. Someone should have stopped this silly waste of effort.

    • @theginjaninja132
      @theginjaninja132 Před 4 lety +5

      And the tyres where smooth without paddles or any real tread, it wouldn't get through deep mud or sand let alone snow.

    • @j-pbelliveau4439
      @j-pbelliveau4439 Před 4 lety

      Smooth tires, too.

    • @gregsmall5939
      @gregsmall5939 Před 4 lety +6

      They were worried about traction when they should have worried about floatation. Dispersal of vehicle weight over the ground.

    • @andrewyork3869
      @andrewyork3869 Před 4 lety +5

      @@bzdtemp at this point it's important to remember not much was understood about tire design. Honestly I am shocked that none of those tires poped....

  • @MisteriosGloriosos922
    @MisteriosGloriosos922 Před 2 lety

    *Thanks for posting this video!!!*

  • @terminator3000
    @terminator3000 Před 4 lety +41

    I could totally imagine find the wreckage of this in a fallout game.

  • @someotherdude
    @someotherdude Před 4 lety +200

    An interesting design, but incredibly naive/optimistic. The schematic showing how it would get over crevices.... omg that thing would be stuck the very first time. There is no chance whatsoever this thing would have made it. There's no chance it could have made even a fraction of the journey.

    • @I_THE_ME
      @I_THE_ME Před 4 lety +11

      The main reason why the vehicle failed was the lack of spiked tires. Those doughnuts it had offered next to no traction and were not shaped accordingly. 3 extra wide tractor tires strapped together would've been a good start for the design as the mass of the vehicle would've had to been spread on a large area to minimize pressure.

    • @euro1859
      @euro1859 Před 4 lety +1

      @@I_THE_ME No,i think we should go with the slicks,??? 🙄

    • @corycarlson3846
      @corycarlson3846 Před 4 lety +5

      lots of designing 0 testing. cant believe it lol

    • @STSWB5SG1FAN
      @STSWB5SG1FAN Před 4 lety +4

      @Funny Bunny We're still learning. There will be things we're doing now that people of tomorrow will be like "OMFG, how can they have been so STUPID🤦‍♂️🙄"

    • @marguskiis7711
      @marguskiis7711 Před 4 lety +1

      Soviet Union built several special Antarctic tractors. The most succesful was Kharkovanka, built on a base of a military tank. www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/12/unique-soviet-snowmobiles.html

  • @hundejahre
    @hundejahre Před 4 lety +133

    This thing was built in Chicago and couldn’t drive on snow and ice? *sigh*

    • @jackthorton10
      @jackthorton10 Před 4 lety +3

      Chicago..., a snowy wonderland...... should have seen this coming

    • @Oldbmwr100rs
      @Oldbmwr100rs Před 4 lety +3

      Yeah, i mean slicks work so well in snow..

    • @jeffallbright4449
      @jeffallbright4449 Před 4 lety +2

      Democrats strike again

    • @DLBBALL
      @DLBBALL Před 4 lety +5

      jeff allbright Way to bring politics into this...

  • @jakubstrumillo
    @jakubstrumillo Před 3 lety

    One of the best documentaries ever watch :) Bloody GJ.

  • @herbderbler1585
    @herbderbler1585 Před 3 lety +2

    Anyone else come back to this video every now and then to cheer yourselves up when thinking too much about the things you've thoroughly bungled in life?

  • @felixcat9318
    @felixcat9318 Před 4 lety +9

    I really cannot express my thanks enough for you producing this video!
    As soon as I saw the image of this machine I knew exactly what I was seeing!
    About 50 years ago, as a boy, I read a book which contained this machine, and in all that time I never forgot about it (except one relevant part!).
    Over the years I've kept thinking about it, especially when I attended Motorcycle Technical College and became a professional motorcycle mechanic, setting up my own workshop.
    I had tried to find out more about this machine over the years, but about the only thing I forget was the name of the machine itself, and that of the explorer whom commissioned it!
    Seeing your video and the links to a wealth of information on the machine and other amazing creations has meant so very much to me!
    Thank you, naturally, I have subscribed.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +1

      Wow, what a great comment and I'm so happy you finally found the information after all this time- and that I could provide it! I know exactly what you mean though, so many books and stories and facts I can half-remember that I would desperately love to remember and rediscover!

  • @nameless5413
    @nameless5413 Před 4 lety +50

    "...innovation for the time, but remarkable for its instantaneous and complete failure"
    sounds like Tsar Tank type project to me.

    • @comethiburs2326
      @comethiburs2326 Před 4 lety +1

      the tsar tank was outdated from the drawing board on. lmao

    • @nameless5413
      @nameless5413 Před 4 lety

      @@comethiburs2326
      what i was referring to was that Tsar tank was conceptually wrong.
      with just a little bit of thinking both of these massive vehicles would have been scraped or redesigned before building them. I mean BOTH failed on their maiden drive (as far as the intended place to drive goes - offroad), both got stuck and left in the same place.

    • @monteb6276
      @monteb6276 Před 4 lety

      So what if (this would never have happened but is just a hypothetical) the tsar tank turned out to be amazing and utterly destroyed all othe tanks at the time and that then tanks evolved from the tsar tank ww2 battlefields being littered with massive metal tricycles how would modern tanks look

    • @nameless5413
      @nameless5413 Před 4 lety +1

      @@monteb6276
      leaving aside the fact that the gigantic wheels are naturally good target i would guess that the Star Wars Prequel IG-227 (starwars.fandom.com/wiki/IG-227_Hailfire-class_droid_tank/Legends) you know that thing with gigantic wheels. would have been somewhat natural evolution of idea of Tsar tank.
      or maybe more of the velocipede designs would come back.

  • @Aatell764
    @Aatell764 Před 3 lety +3

    I love how they managed to put it on the ship, the whole crew were probably thinking how this vehicle was going to kill everyone on the ship

  • @regsparkes6507
    @regsparkes6507 Před 4 lety

    Totally interesting video,..thank you for your research into this folly of automotive history.
    I enjoyed watching this,...Cheers Calum.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 3 lety +1

      Glad you enjoyed it! An interesting 'bookend' to the story is that the Soviets got the cruiser right and they're still running to this day: The Kharkovchanka! czcams.com/video/f6R-h06IsJw/video.html

  • @lawrencelewis8105
    @lawrencelewis8105 Před 4 lety +16

    I read about the snow cruiser in a car magazine many years ago but that article didn't have as much info as this. Thanks for posting!

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +3

      No problem! I have some more photos and photos on my blog if you'd prefer the long read! calumgillies.com/2019/03/20/the-snow-cruiser-antarcticas-abandoned-behemoth/

    • @bradmetcalf7832
      @bradmetcalf7832 Před 4 lety

      I remember that also, but I thought it was a poplar science or mechanics illustrated. I have looked for this in thee past but could never find mention of it. Interesting story.

    • @lawrencelewis8105
      @lawrencelewis8105 Před 4 lety

      @@bradmetcalf7832 I believe it was Special Interest Autos, published by Hemmings Motor News.

  • @subglowentertainment94
    @subglowentertainment94 Před 4 lety +14

    Oh yeah, as a Film Director I find this content very educating and inspiring! Keep doing the great work, sir !

  • @vissitorsteve
    @vissitorsteve Před 4 lety

    This was fascinating! Thank you.

  • @mardicole4202
    @mardicole4202 Před rokem

    I followed up my viewing of this video with your video on the Soviet Colossal Cruiser - very interesting - thanks for posting.

  • @visibleconfusion9894
    @visibleconfusion9894 Před 4 lety +73

    I hope this is replicated in a game, would be fun to drive around

    • @jeremymcadam7400
      @jeremymcadam7400 Před 4 lety +16

      Spintyres needs it

    • @teamcybr8375
      @teamcybr8375 Před 4 lety +10

      I would totally play a game where thing thing serves as your home base.

    • @misty8623
      @misty8623 Před 4 lety +3

      Gta it’s called the chernogbob or something like that they’ve added missiles too the back tho

    • @Nothinglefttosay
      @Nothinglefttosay Před 4 lety

      Visible Confusion the whole idea of something like sim city in Antarctica would be cool.. (pardon the pun)

    • @gonk1673
      @gonk1673 Před 4 lety +3

      @@misty8623 the cernobog is just a missile launcher not an enormous mobile laboratory unfortunately

  • @DaGauntlett
    @DaGauntlett Před 4 lety +14

    Clive Cussler wrote about it in one of his famous Dirk Pitt and Giordino books. They found it and managed to start this monster to attack an enemy base. Great book and story.
    The description and name of this vehicle is the same.

    • @init100
      @init100 Před 4 lety

      I remember it well. As is usual in Cussler novels, some bad guys are trying to engineer a worldwide calamity, and Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino saves the world. In this case, the bad guys were nazis trying to establish a fourth reich after killing the rest of the world, but Pitt and Giordino use the Snow Cruiser to infiltrate the nazi base in Antarctica and put a stop to their antics.

  • @NomadSoul76
    @NomadSoul76 Před 4 lety +11

    I'm honestly impressed at how a late 1930s design looks like it came from the 70s or later.
    Either that, or it looks like a vehicle design from the original model based Thunderbirds series. I just can't believe the time it came from.

    • @thesteelrodent1796
      @thesteelrodent1796 Před rokem

      it's more a 60s than 70s design, but then designs go in circles. Just look at the recent years where 1950s designs suddenly became 'in' again

  • @ToreHansen
    @ToreHansen Před 3 lety

    This story is amazing, and I come back to it time after time

  • @alexanaxthegreat8064
    @alexanaxthegreat8064 Před 4 lety +101

    Those tires are perfect for drifting.
    Get it?
    Snow drifts?
    (I'll let myself out)

    • @happyfox711
      @happyfox711 Před 4 lety +2

      and close the door, will ya? but as you and about everybody else here have noticed, I was also wondering what's the story behind the tires. I mean what kind of enormous communication breakdown happened at goodyear or elsewhere that made them not put snowtires on ??? I mean tire-heaters, but no threads ? It must have been a gigantic meat head that made those tires and let them ship out to the snow mobile..and even when it got stuck in a ditch, and somebody MUST have said someting, the brains obviously had no say, and the deciders had no brains..

    • @andrewjackson3278
      @andrewjackson3278 Před 4 lety

      😂😂😂😂😂

    • @TOAOM123
      @TOAOM123 Před 4 lety

      Your pic is perfect for this video lol

  • @filstewart2380
    @filstewart2380 Před 4 lety +43

    In the Clive Cussler book "Atlantis found", the "hero" Dirk used the Snow Cruiser in his mission to save the world!

    • @scouttroopermerc1506
      @scouttroopermerc1506 Před 4 lety +2

      That's the first thing I thought when I saw the thumbnail.

    • @blisterbill8477
      @blisterbill8477 Před 4 lety +3

      Couldn’t read Cussler. He kept writing himself into the books.

    • @JeffDeWitt
      @JeffDeWitt Před 4 lety +1

      @@blisterbill8477 Well... not really. These days other people pretty much write his books.

    • @blisterbill8477
      @blisterbill8477 Před 4 lety

      Jeff DeWitt
      Well, I stopped reading Cussler about 25 years ago.

    • @filstewart2380
      @filstewart2380 Před 4 lety +3

      @@blisterbill8477 Well, so what? Custler wrote in his (annoying) style, but great yarns at that. However, he employed the essentially useless Snow Cruiser as an hero machine in a book. I like that he utilised a "failed" piece of kit and informed many people - myself included - about this awesome machine.

  • @TheSkydancer28
    @TheSkydancer28 Před 4 lety +7

    the sad thing is she did everything that was ever asked of her to the best of her ability and still she was abandoned by the very ones she was created to help....I hope if she ends up being found that someone who loves her will take very good care of her...if she's consigned to the deep then let her rest.

  • @Pennygrove
    @Pennygrove Před 4 lety +9

    Clarkson if you're watching, do a special on this!

  • @jazldazl9193
    @jazldazl9193 Před 4 lety +109

    That looks like a great machine for finding crevasses

  • @brianmorrison9066
    @brianmorrison9066 Před 4 lety +59

    Your telling me we built this thing and didnt even try it out in the snow and ice before shipping it across the globe and depending on it.

    • @air7tv
      @air7tv Před 4 lety +5

      That's because America doesn't have any snow or ice areas to test it 😀👍 LOL!!
      I was thinking exactly the same thing, someone should have been jailed for this untested pile of steaming poo!

    • @b1ff
      @b1ff Před 4 lety

      No, the private owners who built it didn’t test it out properly. _We_ had nothing to do with it, mostly.

    • @andrewyork3869
      @andrewyork3869 Před 4 lety +1

      @@air7tv Alaska?

    • @air7tv
      @air7tv Před 4 lety +1

      @@andrewyork3869 check out the meaning of " sarcasm " you might like it 😀👍

    • @andrewyork3869
      @andrewyork3869 Před 4 lety

      @@air7tv I still don't get it Alaska is the only place in the USA that can be compared to the South Pole.... To properly test it it would need to be tested in Alaska....

  • @ShhItsKelli
    @ShhItsKelli Před 2 lety

    Thank you for this! Ever since I first heard about the snow cruiser, it's been an incredibly fascinating story so I'm just binging on whatever content I can find of it. Speaking of - there's a channel named Derelict Doug who has recreated your video basically word for word in some parts. It has far less views and I don't know if you even care about that, but I thought I'd let you know :)

  • @Nimbus95
    @Nimbus95 Před 3 lety +1

    I actually learned about this originally from a fiction novel; Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler, and Clive's description of the vehicle is so concise I knew what it looked like before I looked it up.

  • @Semprefi
    @Semprefi Před 4 lety +54

    I love the Snow Cruiser.I would live in that behemoth .It reminds me of a massive car that Speed Racer had to race and avoid being killed by

    • @alcopower5710
      @alcopower5710 Před 4 lety +1

      Pacem Parabellum ......I remember that episode. Was my favorite.

    • @Inflec
      @Inflec Před 4 lety

      +Pacem Parabellum - Yep. The Mammoth Car.

  • @monoman4083
    @monoman4083 Před 4 lety +5

    thankyou for this. i learn something new about extremes every day. this is quality material..

  • @rickb9238
    @rickb9238 Před 4 lety +253

    Brilliant, the funding should have stopped at “ the tires will be slicks”.😳🤔😬🤪

    • @nathandoucette8345
      @nathandoucette8345 Před 4 lety +4

      Beat me to it lmao no wonder it got stuck, zero traction 😅

    • @darrellgoodman9585
      @darrellgoodman9585 Před 4 lety +6

      Democrats know how to waste millions in taxpayers funds .

    • @BlackEpyon
      @BlackEpyon Před 4 lety +6

      @@darrellgoodman9585 That was the engineer's goof.

    • @RiJMC17
      @RiJMC17 Před 4 lety +3

      @Big Wheel Someone else commented that they did use chains on the tires but still failed.

    • @supertramp6011
      @supertramp6011 Před 3 lety +2

      Darrell Goodman you just had to bring that up,didn’t ya!?🤣🤣🤣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • @robertceclan1269
    @robertceclan1269 Před 4 lety +1

    Why youtube throws me this only now? High quality content over there. I thought you have 2-3 million+ subscribers. Very good documentary.

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 3 lety +2

      Who needs millions of subs when I have lovely comments like this!

  • @genxtechguy
    @genxtechguy Před 4 lety +137

    Why on earth was this recommended to me? I watched it though.

    •  Před 4 lety +3

      I'm guessing by your name you watched various other things to do with various technologies which linked you onto this.
      You're welcome.

    • @revenevan11
      @revenevan11 Před 4 lety +4

      Well, the algorithm is beyond human understanding because it works on complicated machine learning to recommend things you'll watch. And you watched it. The people who made it know how they made it and the fundamental math behind it, but the equation at its most basic concept is an optimization which looks for the peak in an n dimensional surface, where n is the number of variables for which they have data on users. No one knows how or why it knew to recommend it to you, but what's scary is it was right...

    • @jasonvoorhees8545
      @jasonvoorhees8545 Před 4 lety +1

      @@revenevan11 That's putting it mildly.

    • @calumsmith9191
      @calumsmith9191 Před 4 lety +3

      I watched it because I thought it was specifically for me.... it said Calum.... "The Snow Cruiser"-Antarctica's Abandoned Behemoth. My name's Calum. I mean, I realised it was the channel name pretty quickly but here I am anyway. Great thanks, love your work, bye

    • @atlasrunner8206
      @atlasrunner8206 Před 4 lety

      That's Why.......😶....

  • @Thedoug369
    @Thedoug369 Před 4 lety +73

    What Einstein decided it was a good idea to put smooth tread tires on a 35 ton ( or however many tons it was ) on a vehicle designed to travel across ice and snow?! And it was government funded? Looks like little has changed in the last 80 years!

  • @moon-lit-rider987
    @moon-lit-rider987 Před 4 lety

    Wow great video & good info / content thanks ✨👍

  • @bodyofmystery
    @bodyofmystery Před 4 lety

    Thanks for this very informative and entertaining video! The video editing, written text, and its delivery are all top notch! I just wish that the narration wan't edited to have such short gaps between sentences or paragraphs. It's such a pitfall of youtube 'documentaries' these days, and for me it's the thing that separates this video from television or film quality documentary making. Again, thanks for an insight into this unique slice of history!

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +1

      ellwood epps tbh it’s not a CZcams thing, I am a very fast talker but when I made this I was going with a certain style all my videos up until that point had. Have moved past it slightly nowadays.

  • @johnnoble01
    @johnnoble01 Před 4 lety +88

    Like something out of Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds!

    • @CalumRaasay
      @CalumRaasay  Před 4 lety +6

      If I had known about the Snow Cruiser back when I was a kid watching Thunderbirds I would have lost my mind!

    • @trespire
      @trespire Před 4 lety +4

      The Snow Cruiser looks like one of the elevator cars from Thunderbirds "Trapped in the Sky".

    • @timsmith854
      @timsmith854 Před 4 lety +5

      FAB!

    • @anthonynelson9136
      @anthonynelson9136 Před 4 lety +3

      @@CalumRaasayYou and me both They still have Thunderbirds on the Comet channel. Maybe they could send Stingray or Supercar to look for it.

    • @christepherbatts3446
      @christepherbatts3446 Před 4 lety

      @@trespire precisely!

  • @rianmach9043
    @rianmach9043 Před 4 lety +41

    I heard about this thing in James Rollins “the sixth extinction,” however I thought that one more piece of science fiction in the book. Very cool to know it actually exists!

  • @bignedu4871
    @bignedu4871 Před 4 lety

    Wow! Thank you for this.

  • @robertphillips6296
    @robertphillips6296 Před 3 lety +1

    Thank you for posting.