Logging Halftrack

[Nick Balmer]

Hello,

While I am uncertain if Lynn half-tracks were used by the military, in Russia during World War I many American half tracked vehicles were fitted with bodies similar to those going onto armoured cars of the period.

Other Bullock and Allis Chamber half-tracks were fitted with smaller field guns for service as early self propelled guns. Many of these vehicles went on to play very important roles in the civil wars fought in Russia between 1917 and 1922.

[Nick Balmer]

Here are some more.

I have been looking for plans of the basic Bullock chassis for several years as I would love to be able to scratch build one or more of these extraordinary Russian conversions.

[Lang]

Adolphe Kegresse was the inventor of the flexible "high speed" half track vehicle. A French engineer (later Andre Citroen's general manager at his armaments factory during WW1). He came up with a scheme to allow the Tsar to go driving in snowy conditions which translated into many variations including the American WW2 half track which had a Kegresse track system.

Citroen/Kegress half tracks made the first Sahara crossing, first Africa north to south and first Mediterranean to Pacific.

lang

[Lang]

Here are some more Kegresse variations

[Lang]

This is for the Canadians.

An expedition was undertaken by a businessman Bedaux to drive a group of Citroen Kegresse half tracks to Alaska.

John Huston the famous film maker recorded it on an interesting movie and Bedaux himself is an interesting character. He finished up in a US jail for collaborating with the Nazis on business deals.

The trip was a complete disaster and all but two vehicles were lost (they drove one over a cliff for a film effect when they could go no further and put another on a raft in a raging river to film it disappearing around the bend. A couple were recovered from the bush in recent years.

Here is an interesting clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e_VxBFBpXs

And this is a great movie of the trans-Asia expedition (a couple of them died).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUfqZUEJFJI

And here is a movie of the earlier Trans-Africa La Croisiere Noir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDsajU7sQ-Y

And this is the one that started them all - the Sahara crossing 1922

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GmrgQbEuLA

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

Citroen/Kegress half tracks made the first Sahara crossing, first Africa north to south and first Mediterranean to Pacific.

Lang,

Seeing your postings here I recalled you had plans to recreate the Sahara crossing in a Citroen Kegresse half track, didn't you? Current instability in the region must make it hard to realise that plan.
A friend of mine had a WW2 White half track chassis, we toyed with the idea to rebuild it as a desert cruiser and retrace part of the "Croisiere" routes in a "son of Kegresse" style.

Hanno

[Lang]

Hanno

Shane Harris and I have had the Sahara crossing planned for years. Our Kegresse is finished mechanically - it was a big job! Shane put his heart and soul into the restoration and many worn or corroded parts had to be duplicated for a real life journey. Luckily the rear axle, diff and complete brake/steer system were as new. The tracks had to be made in China with Kevlar internal cord to replace the original steel rope inside the rubber - could have bought 2 restored CMP's for the cost of the tracks but now we have the molds and drawings they can be made for about the same price as a good set of tyres.

The vehicle is just sitting at the old car club hangar in Darwin at the moment.

The whole area through which our route takes us is totally out of control of the government and Timbuktu is a no-go area. Maybe we will do the Black Journey from north to south of Africa which passes away from rebel territory (well, sort of!)

Lang

[Dennis Cardy]

Lang,

I was vaguely aware of the cross-Canada trip.

Thanks for all those links and photo's.....great stuff.
Lots to digest.

Also nice to know the spirit of adventure is still alive and well in this "risk adverse" society we now live in.
Good on ya.

That was interesting about your new track.

Here's a close-up of the Linn track...Sure looks complicated...and all dry-pin, as far as I can tell.

As someone of British descent, I'll repeat the comments I got when I showed the Linn track system and video to a close family member...who runs tracked construction equipment for a living.

" gee dad... there must have been a Englishman involved...

No harm intended to the Mother Land...cough...cough..

Dennis.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

Shane Harris and I have had the Sahara crossing planned for years. Our Kegresse is finished mechanically - it was a big job! Shane put his heart and soul into the restoration and many worn or corroded parts had to be duplicated for a real life journey. Luckily the rear axle, diff and complete brake/steer system were as new. The tracks had to be made in China with Kevlar internal cord to replace the original steel rope inside the rubber - could have bought 2 restored CMP's for the cost of the tracks but now we have the molds and drawings they can be made for about the same price as a good set of tyres.

The vehicle is just sitting at the old car club hangar in Darwin at the moment.

The whole area through which our route takes us is totally out of control of the government and Timbuktu is a no-go area. Maybe we will do the Black Journey from north to south of Africa which passes away from rebel territory (well, sort of!)

Lang,

Great to read about your and Shane's efforts in restoring it to better-than-new condition. Here's hoping you will once take it on one of those epic trips you make. Meanwhile - not that you're procrastinating! - waiting for the situation along the "croisiere" routes to improve, here is some reading dating back to 1925 which may be of interest to you: http://archive.commercialmotor.com/a...tractor-trials

HTH,
Hanno

[Lang]

Thank you for that Hanno

Lang