Page 90 - Demo

A ramp had to be built from the ship to the Antarctic shore to unload the Snow Cruiser, which one of beast%u2019s wheels broke through. Unfortunately, once on the snow and ice, it had a great difficulty moving. The large, tread-less tires had originally been designed for a large swamp vehicle, and they sank as much as 3 feet into the snow. Adding the two spare tires to the front wheels didn%u2019t help, but the crew eventually figured out that traction was better when it was driven backwards. So, its longest journey (of 92 miles) was taken completely in reverse. A virtual failure at exploring, it ended up being used for crew quarters.After being abandoned, the Snow Cruiser was visited by a 1946 expedition, and only needed minor servicing to make it operational. Twelve years later, it was dug out from beneath 23-feet of snow by another expedition%u2014but later teams couldn%u2019t locate the vehicle. While there was some speculation that it was pilfered by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, most likely it is either buried deep under the snow and ice, or it could sit at the bottom of the Southern Ocean as the ice shelf shifted.A little remembered component of Admiral Richard Byrd%u2019s 1940 Antarctic exploration was the fantastic Snow Cruiser, a $150,000 vehicle specifically built to explore the southern continent. It was also known as the Penguin. After being designed by Thomas Charles Poulter, construction began on August 8, 1939 by Chicago%u2019s Armour Institute of Technology. When completed 11-weeks later, it was driven 1,020 miles to Boston%u2019s Army Wharf where it was loaded aboard the USCGC North Star. The ship and its cargo arrived at Bay of Whales, Antarctica in January of 1940.The 56-foot-long, 16-foothigh Snow Cruiser had a pad on its top that was designed to hold a 5-passenger Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing biplane, which was to be used to conduct aerial surveys. A winch would pull the aircraft into place. The interior could be used as as a mobile habitat to support a team of explorers on an extended trip. Its engine%u2019s coolant circulated through the entire cabin for heating, and was so efficient the crew needed only light blankets for sleeping.The Snow Cruiser on the Antarctic continent with its roof-mounted airplane.Admiral Byrd%u2019s Snow Cruiser undergoing testing at the dunes near Gary, Indiana, on October 26, 1939.