Giant military truck tested in 1962

In 1962, the U.S. Army tested a massive 170-meter-long truck called the TC-497 Overland Train, built by the company LeTourneau. The vehicle had 54 driven wheels and could carry 150 tons of cargo.

Design for difficult terrain

The TC-497 was made up of thirteen connected sections and weighed 135 tons itself, allowing it to haul an additional 150 tons. It was intended for areas without roads or railways, especially Arctic regions, where the U.S. Army had faced logistical problems during World War II.

Helicopters made the truck obsolete

The development of heavy helicopters, like the CH-54 Tarhe, made the TC-497 less useful. Helicopters could deliver cargo faster and cheaper without needing roads. The civilian version of the CH-54, the S-64 Skycrane, first flew in 1962, the same year as the TC-497 tests.

Nuclear power considered but not used

Before the project was canceled, the U.S. Army explored using nuclear power to turn the vehicle into a mobile refueling station. However, this idea never moved past the planning stage. The fate of the TC-497 remains unclear, with some sources saying it was scrapped in 1968 and others mentioning an auction in 1971.

Control cabin preserved for display

The only surviving part of the TC-497 is its control cabin, which was used as a billboard for a motorhome dealer in Yuma, Arizona, before being returned to the Yuma Proving Ground in the late 1990s, where it is now on display.