Soviet T 111 and T 141 stories

Sergey Andreev from the Primorie region of Russia (Siberia) recalls that he saw a lot of TATRA-111S2 with wooden cabin and metal dumper. These vehicles were cerrying coal over a distance of 160 km (100 miles) across cross-country terrain, mountains. Originally they were operating with one trailer each. Later the number of trailers was increased to 2, then – 3, and finally – 4. That caused several engine failures, and the super-trains were cancelled. Czech engineer Frantishek Janoshenec described the working conditions of TATRA-111 in Siberia: The Magadan region is more than twice larger than France (1,250,000 square kilometers vs only 547,000) and touches the Ohotskoe Sea on the south. Averagel temperature in this kingdom of perpetual snow and ice is –22°С (-8°F). Locals conside COLD to be under –50°С (-60°F), and often the temperature goes as far down as –65°С (-85°C). In permafrost area the summer lasts for 50 days, and almost no vegitation can grow on the surface. Nevertheless, there were a number of cities, villages and industrial settlements in that area. The only way to reach that destination was by airplane from Moscow or by sea from Nachodka. During the coldest nights the engines would not be stopped for days, and the amount of cargo moved by vehicles was growing year-to-year. Interestingly enough, neither asphalt no cement can be used to build a road in such a climate. During 1950s, TATRA-111 did not have any competitors while delivering cargo across the Kolima Road that linked the industrial city of Magadan to Chukotka Peninsula.

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