MLU FORUM  

Go Back   MLU FORUM > GENERAL WW2 TOPICS > The MLU Sappers Mess

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 14-10-09, 17:36
Bruce MacMillan Bruce MacMillan is offline
a Canuck/Brit in Blighty
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Hell Fire Corner, Kent UK
Posts: 697
Default Alcan highway revisited

With talk of a possible trip along the Alcan highway in 2012 I was googling for some info and came across these photos.

http://www.tc.gov.yk.ca/digitization...ds_hays_en.php

They were taken by a member of the 18th engineers in 1942 who worked on the road. Some nice scenery and vehicle shots. Scroll down the "browse the Hays collection".
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 15-10-09, 07:11
sapper740's Avatar
sapper740 sapper740 is offline
Derek Heuring
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Corinth, Texas
Posts: 2,018
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce MacMillan View Post
With talk of a possible trip along the Alcan highway in 2012 I was googling for some info and came across these photos.

http://www.tc.gov.yk.ca/digitization...ds_hays_en.php

They were taken by a member of the 18th engineers in 1942 who worked on the road. Some nice scenery and vehicle shots. Scroll down the "browse the Hays collection".

Great website Bruce. It really gives a feel as to how austere the living conditions were for the Engineers that built the highway.

CHIMO! Derek.
__________________
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18-10-09, 07:09
Bruce MacMillan Bruce MacMillan is offline
a Canuck/Brit in Blighty
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Hell Fire Corner, Kent UK
Posts: 697
Default roughing it

Yes, conditions were pretty austere. The photo of them winching the 4 ton truck full of beer out of the river shows that. I could think of better ways to cool the beer.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-11-09, 04:34
George McKenzie George McKenzie is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Northern Alberta CA
Posts: 451
Default Alcan Hiway

I live about 100 miles from the hiway and heard alot of stories when it was built .In the winter there was one person killed a day ,mostly from trucks going off the hiway and rolling over .The military tires were nogood for the snow and ice .My friend in Whitehorse worked most of his life on the hiway and told me a story about the army sending a truck and trailer from White horse to Dawson Creek to get a load of peanuts .This truck was sent with top priority over all other vehicles and the van was sealed and not to be inspected . Needless to say the truck made the trip in record time .and the boys in Whitehorse got there peanuts .George
__________________
George is hooked on OD
5 window DT969
8 ton Fruehauf trailer
M2A1Halftrack ,CMP #11 F15A1 #13 F15A1
RAF Fordson Tractor, 42 WLC HD
No.2MK11 CT267514 center CB24713 bottom hull25701 ,No.2 MK2 parts
MK1 10128 ,(2) MK1 ,Parts Hull9305 .Hull 10407
Hull plate # 7250 all have walk plate on back steps
1917 Patent modle amphibious army tank
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-11-09, 11:52
Alex Blair (RIP) Alex Blair (RIP) is offline
"Mr. Manual", sadly no longer with us
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ottawa ,Canada
Posts: 2,916
Default War Stories

Quote:
Originally Posted by George McKenzie View Post
I live about 100 miles from the hiway and heard alot of stories when it was built .In the winter there was one person killed a day ,mostly from trucks going off the hiway and rolling over .The military tires were nogood for the snow and ice .My friend in Whitehorse worked most of his life on the hiway and told me a story about the army sending a truck and trailer from White horse to Dawson Creek to get a load of peanuts .This truck was sent with top priority over all other vehicles and the van was sealed and not to be inspected . Needless to say the truck made the trip in record time .and the boys in Whitehorse got there peanuts .George
George..
While I was in Edmonton,back in '75...one of my civilian heavy equipment contractors(I was construction engineering..Mechanical systems)was telling me a s a young man he got his start on the highway..with an old truck..a small dozer and a trailer he lived in..anyway he told me of the cold and the fuel dumps along the highway and this one group of army war time draftees that were there to guard the fuel dump..It was on the top of the hill and the trucks used to refuel there..anyway as it started to get cold the troops started a fire in the bottom of the valley..and keep it going by rolling a barrel of gas down the hill into the fire every time they needed heat..he said they kept that whole valley on fire all winter long..the Troops were from the southern US and the cold was too tough on them..but what an expenditure of gas..and war time to boot..
__________________
Alex Blair
:remember :support :drunk:
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 13-01-10, 22:21
Noel Burgess Noel Burgess is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Teesside, NE England
Posts: 211
Default Photos

Cant seem to access the link that Bruce posted back in October. Here's a link to a Flickr set on the Alcan Highway:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whenlos...7622798992526/
Hope some of you enjoy them, by the way I found the link at this site:
http://6ton6x6.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html
Wishing you all the best for the year ahead
Noel
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 14-01-10, 10:49
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,401
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noel Burgess View Post
Here's a link to a Flickr set on the Alcan Highway:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whenlos...7622798992526/
Hope some of you enjoy them,
Noel,

Thanks for the link, excellent pictures!

Hanno
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 27-08-10, 00:19
Dennis Gelean (RIP) Dennis Gelean (RIP) is offline
Dennis Gelean
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Smithers BC Canada
Posts: 90
Default 2012 alcan hwy tour

Good write up for the 2012 hwy trip in the last issue of MVPA magazine.
you pay all your own expenses, gas, oil, food, lodging etc but there is a $300.00 US registration fee for the trip. What is the $300.US for?
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 27-08-10, 03:05
maple_leaf_eh maple_leaf_eh is offline
Terry Warner
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Shouting at clouds
Posts: 3,081
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Gelean View Post
Good write up for the 2012 hwy trip in the last issue of MVPA magazine.
you pay all your own expenses, gas, oil, food, lodging etc but there is a $300.00 US registration fee for the trip. What is the $300.US for?
For the fuel caches.
__________________
Terry Warner

- 74-????? M151A2
- 70-08876 M38A1
- 53-71233 M100CDN trailer

Beware! The Green Disease walks among us!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 31-08-10, 20:55
gary_bath_jr's Avatar
gary_bath_jr gary_bath_jr is offline
Canadian Rangers
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 279
Default Crazy

$300.00 WOW, that is crazy, When I was talking about this trip originally I was trying to get everything donated which I know I could have gotten a lot for the trip for everybody. I can't see paying 300 for fuel I will never use.
__________________
C-15A
C-60S
Universal Carrier MK II x4
M152 CDN
VW Iltis and M101 Trailer

Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-09-10, 02:46
Dennis Gelean (RIP) Dennis Gelean (RIP) is offline
Dennis Gelean
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Smithers BC Canada
Posts: 90
Default Fuel

Maybe their could be a official word on fuel cache, explanation
The Alcan trip is the second of a proposed 10-year convoy program.
The MVPA board io Directors approved the Alcan convoy with the stipulation that it be self-supporting-that is, the costs be borne entirely by the participants", rather than MVPA funds underwriting the operation.

On another note, Passports are required at the Yukon/Alaska border.
ww2 is over.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-09-10, 06:01
Harry Moon Harry Moon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Burnaby B.C. Canada
Posts: 1,091
Default Reasonable

If you have never organized anything like this you might not appreciate the costs and manpower involved in setting it up. $300 is pretty reasonable for such a large exercise. The logistics of this international convoy are complex and require a lot of planning and coordination. The MVPA like everything these days is hard pressed financially and has made a reasonable decision that it be self supporting. Western Command is planning on having a convoy, too the start in dawson Creek. Vancouver Island and lower mainland to Dawson Creek about 1300 km's each way. We will pattern it after our Freedom Route Tours and stop at every Legion and military or veterans facility on the way. Once in the creek those that want to take the alaska route will and the others will Backtrack home. It's just a matter of logistics for us as it will be at least twice as long as any of our previous convoys even without the Alaska portion. It's the amount of time off most of us would have to take to participate. It would be herculean to figure we could get away with that trip in only a eek so that means 2 weeks. Then the alaska portion itself which could be 2 to 3 weeks itself.
Lots to do, lots of planning. Myself I might need a fresh motor for that trip even if i just haul it in the back.
Looking forward to it actually
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-09-10, 06:06
sapper740's Avatar
sapper740 sapper740 is offline
Derek Heuring
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Corinth, Texas
Posts: 2,018
Default T'is but a pittance

For starters, consider the distance travelled for those of us coming from Texas, and elsewhere in the U.S. which is an 11,000 to 12,000 mile round trip. Even at a conservative 10MPG we're looking at 1,100 to 1,200 gallons of fuel which works out to what?...$3,000.00 to $4,000.00? And that's just for fuel, so a $300.00 registration fee is but a pittance. As for fuel caches, which I haven't heard a thing about to date, $300.00 ain't gonna cover much.
My best guess is that the registration fee is to cover all the radios, batteries, fuel for the truck towing the maintenance trailer, liability insurance, tools, welder and welding supplies, logos, paper, printer ink cartridges, international phone calls, MVPA staff overtime, T-shirt and coffee mug for all participants, possible pre-trip recon of route, etc. etc.
As I said, t'is but a pittance.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TEA PARTY!

Derek.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gary_bath_jr View Post
$300.00 WOW, that is crazy, When I was talking about this trip originally I was trying to get everything donated which I know I could have gotten a lot for the trip for everybody. I can't see paying 300 for fuel I will never use.
__________________
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-09-10, 20:28
Harry Moon Harry Moon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Burnaby B.C. Canada
Posts: 1,091
Default History lesson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfWdLs3PPm8
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 09-09-10, 01:21
gary_bath_jr's Avatar
gary_bath_jr gary_bath_jr is offline
Canadian Rangers
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 279
Default Entrance Fee

Well Sapper when you put it that way I guess 300 is a mere drop in the ocean, since I have never been to an event such as this it sounded like a lot for my poor moth eaten wallet.
__________________
C-15A
C-60S
Universal Carrier MK II x4
M152 CDN
VW Iltis and M101 Trailer

Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 17:05.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Maple Leaf Up, 2003-2016