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94-639: White, a wealthy American from Philadelphia (no connection to the White Motor Company ), wanted to take the land speed record from the British, then shared in a duel between Henry Segrave and Malcolm Campbell . No suitable engines were available to give a sufficient advantage over the British Napier Lion , so the simplest possible chassis was constructed and three war-surplus Liberty aero engines were squeezed into it. The vehicle

188-454: A Locomobile steam car and found its boiler unreliable. His son, Rollin , set out to improve its design. Rollin White developed a form of water tube steam generator which consisted of a series of stacked coils with two novel features: the first was the coils were all joined at the top of the unit, which allowed water to flow only when pumped, allowing control of the steam generation; the second

282-753: A bilateral agreement between the Canadian and United States governments, and by collaboration between the United States Department of Defense and the Bell System of communication companies. The DEW Line grew out of a detailed study made by a group of the nation's foremost scientists in 1952, the Summer Study Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . The subject of the study was the vulnerability of

376-504: A burst radiator hose, then by exhaust flames from the front engine. The simplicity of the design also led to a farcical situation with the official scrutineers. The regulations required "means for reversing", which the White Triplex did not have. Mechanics first jury-rigged an electric motor and roller drive onto a tire, but this was unable to rotate against the compression of the three large engines, which could not be uncoupled from

470-745: A few years earlier on the Mid-Canada Line. The stations were interconnected by White Alice , a series of radio communications systems that used tropospheric scatter technology. For stations at the western end of the line, buildings at the deactivated Pet-4 United States Navy camp at Point Barrow were converted into workshops where prefabricated panels, fully insulated, were assembled to form modular building units 28 ft (8.5 m) long, 16 ft (4.9 m) wide, and 10 ft (3.0 m) high. These modules were put on sleds and drawn to station sites hundreds of miles away by powerful tractors. Each main station had its own airstrip – as close to

564-673: A fuel line sprayed him at the same time a spark ignited. White companies' manufacturing facility expanded. The White steamer used unique technology, and it was vulnerable in a market that was accepting the internal combustion engine as the standard. White canvassed existing gas manufacturers and licensed the rights to the Delahaye design for the "gas car", showing a chassis at an English auto show in December 1908. Rollin became more interested in agricultural tractors, and developed designs for tractors derived from standard White truck parts. When

658-618: A hostile takeover. After acquiring IU International, Neoax sold the conglomerate's trucking and food distribution units, only keeping the waste management division. In 1989, Neoax changed its name to EnviroSource, and in 1998, to Envirosource. Volvo produced trucks as White and Autocar through the 1980s, while Western Star continued independently in Canada and the United States, although Volvo-White–produced high cab over engine models were purchased and rebadged Western Star for sale in

752-822: A more military role began with a transition of authority, shifting responsibility of Arctic defence in Canada from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to the Canadian Armed Forces. This "active defence" had three key elements: minimizing the extent of the American presence in the Canadian Arctic, Canadian government input into the management of the DEW Line, and full Canadian participation in Arctic defence. Funding problems for

846-517: A more sophisticated radar system was constructed, the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS). The DEW Line was a significant achievement among Cold War initiatives in the Arctic. A successful combination of scientific design and logistical planning of the late 1950s, the DEW Line consisted of a string of continental defence radar installations, ultimately stretching from Alaska to Greenland. In addition to

940-628: A private operator uses two of the White 706 buses originally built for Yellowstone for Gettysburg National Battlefield tours. One ex-Mount Rainier White 706 is on display at the Longmire Historic District . The bus driven by Egg Shen in the film Big Trouble in Little China into Chinatown, San Francisco is a White 706 which was later purchased by the Skagway Street Car Company. It was one of

1034-459: A station chief, a cook, and a mechanic; and larger stations that had a variable number of employees and may have had libraries, forms of entertainment, and other accommodations. The stations used a number of long-range L band – emitting systems known as the AN/FPS-19. The "gaps" between the stations were watched by the directional AN/FPS-23 doppler radar systems, similar to those pioneered only

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1128-404: A surface naval force of 12 radar picket destroyer escorts and 16 Guardian-class radar picket ships , and an air wing of Lockheed WV-2 Warning Star aircraft that patrolled the picket lines at an altitude of 1,000–2,000 m (3,300–6,600 ft) in 12- to 14-hour missions. Their objective was to extend early warning coverage against surprise Soviet bomber and missile attack as an extension of

1222-501: A third line of radar stations (Distant Early Warning), this time running across the high Arctic. The line would run roughly along the 69th parallel north , about 320 km (200 mi) north of the Arctic Circle . Before this project was completed, men and women with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience were drawn from Bell Telephone companies in every state in the United States, and many Canadian provinces. Much of

1316-557: A very successful first season hauling freight to the DEW Line. Later, military and civilian airlifts, huge sealifts during the short summers, barges contributed to the distribution of vast cargoes along the length of the Line to build the permanent settlements needed at each site. Much of the job of carrying mountains of supplies to the northern sites fell to military and naval units. More than 3,000 United States Army Transportation Corps soldiers were given special training to prepare them for

1410-469: Is in the dome, flanked by two AN/FRC-45 lateral communications dishes (or AN/FRC-102, depending on the date). To the left are the much larger southbound AN/FRC-101 communications dishes. Not visible is the AN/FPS-23 "gap filler" doppler antenna. The DEW Line was upgraded with fifteen new AN/FPS-117 passive electronically scanned array radar systems between 1985 and 1994, and the line was then renamed

1504-532: The Aleutian Island chain) and back, non-stop. Its orbits overlapped the radar picket stations of the ships of Escort Squadron Seven (CORTRON SEVEN), from roughly Kodiak Island to the Midway Atoll and Escort Squadron Five (CORTRON FIVE), from Pearl Harbor to northern Pacific waters. Normally four or five WV-2s were required at any single time to provide coverage over the entire line. This coverage

1598-492: The Cold War to give early warning of a Soviet nuclear strike , to allow time for United States bombers to get off the ground and land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBMs) to be launched, to reduce the chances that a preemptive strike could destroy the United States' strategic nuclear forces. The original DEW line was designed to detect bombers and was unable to detect ICBMs. To give warning of this threat, in 1958

1692-649: The DEW Line or Early Warning Line , was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the north coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska (see Project Stretchout and Project Bluegrass ), in addition to the Faroe Islands , Greenland , and Iceland . It was set up to detect incoming bombers of the Soviet Union during the Cold War , and provide early warning of any sea-and-land invasion. The DEW Line

1786-677: The M3 Scout Car , the standard United States Army reconnaissance vehicle at the start of World War II. White also built the later M2 , M3 , M13 and M16 half-tracks . In 1967, White started the Western Star division to sell trucks on the west coast. The White Model 706 chassis emerged as the winner of a four-way competition with Ford , REO and GMC , held by the National Park Service in 1935 at Yosemite National Park . Starting in 1936, White produced 500 of

1880-682: The Secret Service to use the car behind his horse-drawn carriage. In 1909, president William Howard Taft converted the White House stables into a garage and purchased four automobiles: two Pierce-Arrows , a Baker Electric , and a 1911 White. This $ 4,000 car was one of the last steam cars produced and proved a favorite of the President who used bursts of steam against "pesky" press photographers . The 40 hp (30 kW) White Model M 7-seat tourer generated favorable press for

1974-764: The United States Federal Government authorized construction of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS), at a reported cost of $ 28 billion. In 1985, it was decided that the more capable of the DEW Line stations were to be upgraded with the GE AN/FPS-117 radar systems and merged with newly built stations into the North Warning System. Their automation was increased and a number of additional stations were closed. This upgrading

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2068-539: The White Sewing Machine Company , to allow the use of a corner in one of his buildings to build an automobile. White's brother, Windsor, who was a management talent , joined the business venture, followed by their brother, Walter, who became instrumental in the sales, promotion and distribution of the product. The first group of fifty cars were completed in October 1900, but none were offered to

2162-732: The caribou , as well as non-seasonal hunting. These aspects are claimed to have had a devastating impact on the local native subsistence economies and environment. The DEW line was supplemented by the Contiguous Radar Coverage System , which included two "barrier" forces in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans which were operated by the United States Navy from 1956 to 1965. These barrier forces consisted of surface picket stations, dubbed " Texas Towers ",

2256-497: The mutual assured destruction (MAD) philosophy. However, the scenario of a coordinated airborne invasion coupled with a limited nuclear strike was the real threat that this line protected against. It did so by providing Distant Early Warning of an inbound aerial invasion force, which would have to appear at the far north hours ahead of any warhead launches in order to be coordinated well enough to prevent MAD. A number of intermediate stations were decommissioned, since their effectiveness

2350-834: The 1960s, many buses were sold to private collectors and tour operators. The Skagway Street Car Company assembled a fleet of eight buses starting in 1987, naming each bus for the location from which they were acquired. Today, Glacier National Park operates 33 of its original 35 buses, where they are referred to as " Red Jammers ", and eight (of an original 98) have been restored for renewed service in Yellowstone National Park . Glacier's 33 buses were refurbished by Ford and TransGlobal in 2000–2002, while Yellowstone's eight buses were refurbished by TransGlobal in 2007. Glacier has kept one bus in original condition. Yellowstone has five White buses in original condition, two model 706s and three older units as well. In addition,

2444-568: The Autocar nameplate following its acquisition. Diamond T and REO Motor Car Company became the Diamond REO division, which was discontinued in the 1970s. A White Semi performed a role in the 1949 James Cagney film White Heat . This era was probably the peak of White Motor market penetration, with the substantial gasoline engined tractors moving a large part of the tractor trailer fleet. White designed and (with other companies) produced

2538-771: The Canadian assets, including the Kelowna , British Columbia, plant, and the Western Star nameplate and product range. In 1983, White emerged from bankruptcy reorganization under the name Northeast Ohio Axle Inc. (which would later be changed to Neoax in May 1986). In March 1987, Neoax bought the Fairfield Manufacturing Company (a maker of custom gears), and in March 1988, it acquired IU International Corporation (a Philadelphia-based conglomerate) through

2632-469: The Canadian market through the early 1990s. In 1988, Volvo and General Motors merged their heavy truck divisions in North America, creating Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation and a new brand of trucks, White-GMC. Western Star was sold to Australian entrepreneur Terry Peabody in 1990. In 1997, Volvo purchased the stake of General Motors in their joint venture and rebadged White-GMC vehicles under

2726-633: The DEW Line also played a role in perception of the project. American investment in building and operating the DEW Line system declined as the ICBM threat refocused priorities, but Canada did not fill the void with commensurate additional funding. In 1968 a Canadian Department of National Defence Paper (27 November 1968) stated no further funding for research on the DEW Line or air space would be allocated due in part to lack of commercial activity The Canadian Government also limited United States air activity, base activity, soldier numbers, and contractor numbers; and

2820-509: The DEW Line provided some economic development for the Arctic region. This provided momentum for further development through research, new communications, and new studies of the area. Although the construction of the DEW line itself was placed in American hands, much of the later development was under direct Canadian direction. Resource protection of historical DEW Line sites is currently under discussion in Canada and Alaska. The discussion stems from

2914-547: The DEW Line. The Atlantic Barrier (BarLant) consisted of two rotating squadrons, one based at Naval Station Argentia , Newfoundland , to fly orbits to the Lajes Field in the Azores and back; and the other at Naval Air Station Patuxent River , Maryland. BarLant began operations on 1 July 1956, and flew continuous coverage until early 1965, when the barrier was shifted to cover the approaches between Greenland, Iceland, and

White Triplex - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-707: The Model 706, specifically designed to carry passengers through seven of the major National Parks of the western US; bus tours were offered as most tourists arrived from trains before World War II. The distinctive vehicles, with roll-back canvas convertible tops, were the product of noted industrial designer Alexis de Sakhnoffsky and used bodies from the Bender Body Company of Cleveland. They originally operated in seven National Parks: Glacier , Grand Canyon , Mount Rainier , Rocky Mountain , Yellowstone , Yosemite , and Zion . After being retired from service in

3102-438: The North Warning System. Average power output 400 watts Modifications to each operating radar station occurred during the construction phase of the DEW Line system. This was due to the extreme winds, frigid temperatures, and the ground conditions due to permafrost and ice. There were two significant electronic modifications that were also crucial to the functioning of these radar stations in an Arctic environment. One reduced

3196-480: The Triplex ' s lack of stability. There is controversy about both of those deaths, as it is also unclear whether the photographer was in an area expected to be safe, or if he approached the running line too closely in order to get more dramatic footage. White Motor Company 41°31′58″N 81°38′06″W  /  41.5328°N 81.6350°W  / 41.5328; -81.6350 The White Motor Company

3290-543: The Triplex Special ' s previous best and well short of Golden Arrow ' s standing record. At the end of this second pass, the Triplex ran off the track and into the sand dunes, causing it to roll over and finally come to a stop 200 ft (60 m) further on. Bible was thrown from the car, killing him instantly. A Pathé newsreel cinema photographer and spectator, Charles Traub, was also killed. Some blame Bible's driving and excessively fast deceleration, others

3384-1101: The U.S. aerospace defense ring, such as the Texas Towers . During the Vietnam Era , the company retained its position within the Top 100 Defense Contractors list (it ranked 87th in the Fiscal Year 1965, 77th in 1967, 73rd in 1968, 89th in 1969 ). Its production facilities, such as the Lansing Truck Plant in Lansing, Michigan , and the main plant in Cleveland were engaged in production, inspection, engineering services and maintenance of thousands of military/utility cargo trucks M39 , M44 , M600, and M602 series trucks, as well as spare parts , such as cylinder heads , diesel and gasoline engines with accessories . Around 1898, Thomas H. White purchased

3478-498: The United Kingdom ( GIUK barrier ). Aircraft from Argentia were staged through Naval Air Station Keflavik , Iceland, to extend coverage times. The Pacific Barrier (BarPac) began operations with one squadron operating from Naval Air Station Barbers Point , Hawaii, and a forward refuelling base at Naval Air Facility Midway Island , on 1 July 1958. Planes flew from Midway Island to Naval Air Facility Adak on Adak Island (in

3572-454: The United States and Canada over the cleanup of deactivated Canadian DEW Line sites. The cleanup is now underway, site by site. In assessing the cleanup, new research suggests that off-road vehicles damaged vegetation and organic matter, resulting in the melting of the permafrost, a key component to the hydrological systems of the areas. The DEW Line has also been linked to depleted fish stocks and carelessness in agitating local animals such as

3666-643: The United States and Canada to aerial bombing attacks, and its concluding recommendation was that a distant early warning line of search radar stations be built across the Arctic region of the North American continent as rapidly as possible. Improvements in Soviet technology rendered the Pinetree Line and Mid-Canada Line inadequate to provide enough early warning and on 15 February 1954, the Canadian and United States governments agreed to jointly build

3760-438: The United States and southern Canada worked on the project. Concrete was poured in the middle of Arctic winters, buildings were constructed, electrical service, heating, and fresh water were provided, huge steel antenna towers were erected, airstrips and hangars were built, putting it all together in darkness, blizzards, and subzero temperatures. After the buildings came the installation of radar and communications equipment, then

3854-540: The Volvo and Autocar nameplates. Subsequently, Western Star was resold by Peabody to DaimlerChrysler and merged with its Freightliner subsidiary. Volvo dropped any reference to White or General Motors and adopted the Volvo Trucks North America name. Autocar remained a part of Volvo until 2000, when the brand was withdrawn from the market, and was subsequently sold to Grand Vehicle Works together with

White Triplex - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-612: The White Company was not interested in producing tractors, Rollin set out to develop his own designs and, with brother Clarence, eventually founded Cleveland Motor Plow , which later became Cletrac tractor . Cletrac was later purchased by Oliver Tractor Co , which in of itself was bought by White in 1960. the early 1920s, Rollin briefly produced the Rollin car to diversify the tractor company, but found it could not compete in cost versus price against much larger manufacturers. White

4042-545: The Xpeditor low cab-over heavy duty product, which remains in production under the Autocar badge, the last vestige of what was once America's leading commercial vehicle producer. A former White subsidiary, White Farm Equipment , produced farm tractors until 2001. As of 2006, the only products made under the White name are a series of corn planters (made by AGCO ) and lawn tractors (made by MTD Products ). DEW Line The Distant Early Warning Line , also known as

4136-418: The area – first from the air and then on the ground – to locate by scientific means the best sites for the main, auxiliary, and intermediate stations. These crews lived and worked under primitive conditions. They covered vast distances by airplanes, snowmobiles , and dog sleds , working in blinding snowstorms with temperatures so low that ordinary thermometers could not measure them. They completed their part of

4230-495: The beginning of the development of the DEW Line idea, Canadian concerns over political perception grew enormously. Noted Canadian Arctic historian P. Whitney Lackenbauer argues that the Canadian Government saw little intrinsic value in the Arctic, but due to fear of Americanization and American penetration into the Canadian Arctic, brought significant changes and a more militaristic role to the north. This shift into

4324-681: The better known Stanley . In 2019 Mitch Gross and Chris Rolph drove a 1910 model MM 40 hp White steam car from Beijing to Paris, likely the only time such a feat has been done by a steam car. The journey of over 8000 miles crossed 12 countries, 7 time zones and included the first crossing of a major desert (the Gobi) by a steam car. The White steam car reentered popular culture in 2023 when comedian and classic car collector Jay Leno , while repairing his 1907 White steam car in his garage in Burbank , suffered third-degree burns on his face and hands when

4418-422: The buildings as safety regulations and the terrain permitted. Service buildings, garages, connecting roads, storage tanks, and perhaps an aircraft hangar completed the community. Drifting snow was a constant menace. Siting engineers and advance parties learned this the hard way when their tents disappeared beneath the snow in a few hours. The permanent H-shaped buildings at the main stations were always pointed into

4512-400: The bulk of this work under the direction of Western Electric engineers. Huge quantities of gravel were produced and moved. The construction work needed to build housing, airstrips, aircraft hangars , outdoor and covered antennas , and antenna towers was done by subcontractors. In all, over 7,000 bulldozer operators, carpenters, masons, plumbers, welders, electricians, and other tradesmen from

4606-480: The business and to physically separate them, as a fire in one could ruin both operations. On 4 July 1905, a racing steam car named "Whistling Billy" and driven by Webb Jay set a record of 73.75 mph (118.69 km/h) on the Morris Park Racecourse . A 1907 White Steamer was one of the early vehicles in the White House when Theodore Roosevelt , the 26th President of the United States, allowed

4700-478: The company becoming known as the "Big Four" through to the mid-1970s. The Sterling nameplate, unused by White as long as the company owned it, went to Freightliner after the companies' split. It was then used by Daimler Trucks, who manufactured the former Ford heavy truck line under the Sterling name, from 1997 to 2008. Sales dropped during the 1960s, and White tried merging with White Consolidated Industries ,

4794-417: The construction was carried out in a massive logistical operation that took place mostly during the summer months when the sites could be reached by ships. The 63-base line reached operational status in 1957. The MCL was shut down in the early 1960s, and much of the Pinetree Line was given over to civilian use. In 1985, as part of the " Shamrock Summit ", the United States and Canada agreed to transition DEW to

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4888-436: The deactivation aspect of the sites and arguments over what to do with leftover equipment and leftover intact sites. Many Canadian historians encourage the preservation of DEW Line sites through heritage designations. The DEW Line is a setting for the 1957 film The Deadly Mantis . The film begins with a short documentary on the three RADAR lines, focusing on the DEW Line's construction. A controversy also developed between

4982-435: The drive wheels. An even more complicated contrivance was tried, an entire separate rear axle was fitted, held above ground until dropped by a release lever and then driven by a separate driveshaft. The device is not believed to have been fitted during the record attempt itself, but it satisfied the scrutineers. On April 22, 1928, Keech set a new land speed record of 207.55 mph (334.02 km/h) at Daytona . This record

5076-433: The effects of vibration in correlation to temperature change, the other increased the pulse duration from two to six microseconds. It also began using a crystal oscillator for more stable readings and accurate accounts of movement within the air. There were three types of stations: small unstaffed "gap filler stations" that were checked by ground crews only every few months during the summer; intermediate stations with only

5170-661: The eight sold to Xanterra in 2001; they were subsequently restored by TransGlobal for tours in Yellowstone. The character "Ol Jammer" from the Disney animated film Planes: Fire and Rescue is based on the White 706. In addition to the National Parks touring buses, White built similar buses with fixed roofs for intercity service. White entered the transit bus market in 1937 with the 700 series, available in 30-and-35-foot (9.1 and 10.7 m) lengths. The longer model

5264-615: The final improved designs of all facilities and final plans for manpower, transportation, and supply. With the experimental phase completed successfully, the Air Forces asked the Western Electric Company to proceed as rapidly as possible with the construction of the entire DEW Line. That was in December 1954, before the route to be followed in the eastern section had even been determined. The locations were surveyed out by John Anderson-Thompson . Siting crews covered

5358-479: The information on to the DEW Line. If an unknown flight was detected, the DEW Line station would contact AMIS to see if a flight plan might have been missed; if not, NORAD was notified. Military flights, including B-52 bombers, frequently operated in the polar regions and used identification friend or foe (IFF) systems to authenticate the flight. The early warning provided was useless against ICBMs and submarine -launched attacks. These were countered and tempered by

5452-525: The job of unloading ships in the Arctic . They went with the convoys of United States Navy ships and they raced time during the few weeks the ice was open to land supplies at dozens of spots on the shores of the Arctic Ocean during the summers of 1955, 1956, and 1957. Scores of military and commercial pilots, flying everything from small bush planes to four-engined turboprops , were the backbone of

5546-593: The job on schedule and set the stage for the crews and machines that followed. The line consisted of 63 stations stretching from Alaska to Baffin Island , covering nearly 10,000 km (6,200 mi). The United States agreed to pay for and construct the line, and to employ Canadian labour as much as possible. A target date for completing the DEW Line and having it in operation was set for 31 July 1957. This provided only two short Arctic summers adding up to about six months in which to work under passable conditions. Much of

5640-738: The military with much of its equipment. White ranked 54th among US corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. When husbands went to serve, wives took their jobs, and the work force totaled over 4000. Black provided the services the company had at one time, and helped employees get to work with carpools . Black retired in 1956, still beloved by employees. In 1953, White purchased Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -based Autocar Company . From 1951 until 1977, White Motors also distributed Freightliner Trucks . This took place under an agreement with Freightliner's parent, Consolidated Freightways . White manufactured trucks under its own brands—White, Autocar, and Western Star—as well, leading to

5734-644: The most hostile and isolated environments in North America. The construction project employed about 25,000 people. Western Electric and Alaska Freightlines, with the help of the United States Army Transportation Research and Development Command (TRADCOM), contracted to have a pair of off-road overland trains , the TC-264 Sno-Buggy, designed specifically for Arctic conditions, to be built by LeTourneau Technologies , owned by R. G. LeTourneau . The TC-264 Sno-Buggy

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5828-469: The new North Warning System (NWS). Beginning in 1988, most of the original DEW stations were deactivated, while a small number were upgraded with all-new equipment. The official handover from DEW to NWS took place on 15 July 1993. The shortest, or great circle , route for a Soviet air attack on North America was through the Arctic, across the area around the North Pole . The DEW Line was built during

5922-409: The newly formed White Motor Company. Taft's White Model M is currently housed in the collection at the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. The last steam car was built in January 1911 as the company made a transition to gasoline-powered vehicles. The company continued to show them in their catalogues as late as 1912. About 10,000 White steam-powered cars were built, more than

6016-409: The north where they would offer hours of advance warning. This would not only provide ample time for the defences to prepare, but also allow the Strategic Air Command to get its active aircraft airborne long before Soviet bombers could reach their targets. The need was considered critical and the construction was given the highest national priorities. Advance site preparation began in December 1954, and

6110-412: The only means of access to many of the stations during the wintertime. In all, 460,000 short tons (420,000 t; 410,000 long tons) of materials were moved from the United States and southern Canada to the Arctic by air, land, and sea. As the stacks of materials at the station sites mounted, construction went ahead rapidly. Subcontractors with a flair for tackling difficult construction projects handled

6204-410: The operation. The Lockheed LC-130 , a ski-equipped version of the C-130 Hercules , owned by the United States Air Force and operated by the 139th Airlift Squadron , provided a significant amount of airlift to sites that were out on ice caps such as Dye 3 in Greenland. Transport planes such as the C-124 Globemaster and the C-119 Flying Boxcar also supported the project. Together, these provided

6298-423: The operations were automated as much as was possible at the time. All of the installations flew both the Canadian and United States flags until they were deactivated as DEW sites and sole jurisdiction was given to the Government of Canada as part of the North Warning System in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Point Lay, Alaska DEW line station has a typical suite of systems. The main AN/FPS-19 search radar

6392-516: The original company that once made sewing machines, however the federal government blocked this deal. The company opened plants in Virginia and Utah , since they did not have unions, but this did not help. Semon Knudsen , former president of Ford , made the company successful for a time, but the decline continued. Later, the federal government approved a merger with White Consolidated, which feared being hurt by White Motor's troubles. Mergers with Daimler and Renault were also considered. Production

6486-406: The overall operation would be considered and called in all formalities a "joint operation". The cultural impact of the DEW Line System is immense and significant to the heritage of Canada and Alaska. In Canada, the DEW line increased connections between the populous south and the remote High Arctic, helping to bring Inuit more thoroughly into the Canadian polity. The construction and operating of

6580-555: The prevailing winds and their bridges built high off the ground. The Arctic region was frequently transited by commercial aircraft on polar routes , either flying between Europe and western North America, or between Europe and Asia using Alaska as a stopover. These flights would penetrate the DEW Line. To differentiate these commercial flights from Soviet bombers, the flight crews had to transmit their flight plan to an Air Movement Identification System (AMIS) centre at either Goose Bay , Edmonton , or Anchorage . These stations then passed

6674-403: The public until April 1901 so the design could be thoroughly tested. Since the cars were being offered by the automobile department of the sewing machine company, White could not afford to diminish the reputation of the parent company by the introduction of an untested product. In 1905, it became necessary to separate the automobile department from its parent company to accommodate the growth of

6768-590: The responsibility was delegated under close supervision to a vast number of subcontractors, suppliers, and United States military units. The initial contract with the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force provided for the design and construction of a small experimental system to determine at the beginning whether the idea was practicable. The designs of communication and radar detection equipment available at

6862-576: The secondary Mid-Canada Line and the tertiary Pinetree Line , the DEW Line marked the edge of an electronic grid controlled by the new Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) computer system and was ultimately centred at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex , Colorado , command hub of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The construction of the DEW Line was made possible by

6956-513: The surplus included sixty equipped wannigans - enough to permit setup of field camps at all construction sites. (A "wannigan" is a building on sleds, about 12 x 20 feet in size. These were completely equipped for camp operations and were of various types - Cook, Mess, Bunk, Power Plant, Water, Shop, Storage, Utility, Steam Point, etc. ) Prototypes of several stations were designed and built in Alaska in 1953. A prototype built for training purposes

7050-678: The system coverage was expanded even further: see Project Stretchout and Project Bluegrass . The majority of Canadian DEW Line stations were the joint responsibility of the Royal Canadian Air Force (the Canadian Armed Forces ) and the United States Air Force. The USAF component was the 64th Air Division , Air Defense Command . The 4601st Support Squadron, based in Paramus, New Jersey ,

7144-562: The thorough and time-consuming testing of each unit individually and of the system as an integrated whole. Finally all was ready, and on 15 April 1957 – just two years and eight months after the decision to build the Distant Early Warning Line was made – Western Electric turned over to the Air Force on schedule a complete, operating radar system across the top of North America, with its own communications network. Later,

7238-652: The time were known to be unsuited to the weather and atmospheric conditions to be encountered in the Arctic. Early efforts were aided when, by happenstance, the US Navy terminated its oil exploration activities in Alaska. The associated infrastructure that had been established in the arctic was quickly repurposed to serve early development of the DEW line. Material converted from Navy use included 1,200 tons of supplies, with many Caterpillar D8 tractors, heavy duty cranes, diesel generators, and radio equipment. Most fortunately,

7332-420: The work would have to be completed in the long, dark, cold, Arctic winters, including over a month of polar night . From a standing start in December 1954, many thousands of skilled workers were recruited, transported to the polar regions, housed, fed, and supplied with tools, machines, and materials to construct physical facilities – buildings, roads, tanks, towers, antennas, airfields, and hangars – in some of

7426-415: The workers who were striking, and he even got baseball equipment for them and let them play while on strike, so they would have something to do. Black learned people's names, visited the plant frequently, and asked customers if they were happy with what they purchased. Anyone could visit his office. Black brought the company back to where it had once been by World War II , during which the company supplied

7520-510: Was activated by ADC to provide logistical and contractual support for DEW Line operations. In 1958, the line became a cornerstone of the new North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) organization of joint continental air defence . USAF personnel were limited to the main stations for each sector and they performed annual inspections of auxiliary and intermediate stations as part of the contract administration. Most operations were performed by Canadian and United States civilian personnel, and

7614-770: Was an American automobile , truck, bus and agricultural tractor manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates , automatic lathes , and sewing machines . Before World War II , the company was based in Cleveland, Ohio . White Diesel Engine Division in Springfield, Ohio , manufactured diesel engine generators , which powered U.S. military equipment and infrastructure, namely Army Nike and Air Force Bomarc launch complexes , and other guided missile installations and proving grounds, sections of SAGE and DEW Line stations, radars, Combat Direction Centers and other ground facilities of

7708-464: Was chosen to be located in Streator, Illinois in 1952. The Streator DEW-Line Training Center became operational in 1956 and closed when operations were moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1975. While few of the original designs for either buildings or equipment were retained, the trial installations did prove that the DEW Line was feasible, and they furnished a background of information that led to

7802-648: Was completed in 1990, and with the end of the Cold War and dissolution of the Soviet Union , the United States withdrew all of its personnel and relinquished full operation of the Canadian stations to Canada. Costs for the Canadian sector were still subsidized by the United States. However, the American flags were lowered at the Canadian stations and only the Canadian flag remained. The United States retained responsibility and all operational costs for North Warning System stations located in Alaska and Greenland. From

7896-422: Was fatally injured in a traffic accident, management changed and so did the firm's culture. Employees started one of the country's first automobile unions . The Great Depression caused a drop in sales, forcing White to merge with Studebaker . However, White soon became independent again. In 1935, Robert Fager Black became president, but workers were still unhappy, and they went on strike . Black negotiated with

7990-403: Was judged to be less than desired and required. The staffed stations were retained to monitor potential Soviet air activities and to allow Canada to assert sovereignty in the Arctic. International law requires a country that claims territory to actively occupy and defend such territory . Because the advent of ICBMs created another attack scenario that the DEW Line could not defend against, in 1958

8084-454: Was produced through 1953, with an update in 1948 as the 1100 series. During the time brothers Walter and Windsor White ran the company, it offered a library branch, a store which sold necessities at low cost, sports teams, and concerts by orchestras and jazz bands, as well as musical performances by the workers, many of whom were immigrants from Slovenia and Poland . The company also had picnics at Euclid Beach Park . After Walter White

8178-538: Was proposed as an inexpensive solution using bistatic radar . This provided a "trip wire" warning located roughly at the 55th parallel , giving commanders ample warning time, but little information on the targets or their exact location. The MCL proved largely useless in practice, as the radar return of flocks of birds overwhelmed signals from aircraft. The DEW Line was proposed as a solution to both of these problems, using conventional radar systems that could both detect and characterise an attack, while being located far to

8272-464: Was pulling steam from the lowest coil, closest to the fire, which allowed control of steam temperature. This second point was critical because the White steamer operated with superheated steam to take advantage of steam's properties at higher temperatures. Rollin White patented his steam generator, US patent 659,837 of 1900. Rollin H. White patented his new design and offered it to, among others, Locomobile. Finally, he persuaded his father, founder of

8366-555: Was raised to over 230 mph by Henry Segrave in Golden Arrow on March 11, 1929. Keech was asked by White to drive again, this time at Ormond Beach , and to re-break the record in the Triplex. Keech declined, considering the car to be too dangerous. White then hired their team mechanic Lee Bible , a garage owner with no experience driving at these speeds. On his first two runs, Bible was timed at first 186 mph (299 km/h) and then 202 mph (325 km/h), both below

8460-487: Was simple, with no clutch or gearbox and only a single fixed ratio. Once running by a push start, it had to keep rolling. Driver comforts were minimal: the forward engine was sheathed in a crude attempt at streamlining, the two side-by-side behind it were bare, with the driver perched between them and the one in front. An established motor-racing driver, Ray Keech , was engaged to drive. Initial trial runs were hazardous, with Keech being injured by burns during both: first from

8554-686: Was somewhat limited as White did not have a lighter range (13,330 units built in 1978), leading to several attempts at linking up with various European manufacturers. By 1980, White was insolvent, filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy case 80-13361 in the Northern District of Ohio on September 4 of that year. Volvo acquired most of the US assets of the company in 1981, while two energy-related companies based in Calgary , Alberta, Bow Valley Resource Services , and NovaCorp , an Alberta corporation, purchased

8648-736: Was successful with their heavy machines, which saw service around the world during World War I . White remained in the truck industry for decades. White Motor Company ended car production after World War I to focus exclusively on trucks. The company soon sold 10 percent of all trucks made in the US. Although White produced all sizes of trucks from light delivery to semi , the decision was made after WWII to produce only large trucks. White acquired several truck manufacturing companies during this time: Sterling (in 1951), Autocar (in 1953), REO (in 1957) and Diamond T (in 1958). White also agreed to sell Consolidated Freightways , Freightliner Trucks through its own dealers. White produced trucks under

8742-446: Was the longest off-road vehicle ever built at the time, with its six cars (including the locomotive) measuring a total of 274 ft (84 m). Each car was driven by four 7.3 ft (2.2 m) tall wheels and tires. The 24-wheel-drive was powered by two 400 horsepower Cummins diesel engines connected to a hub motor. It had a payload capacity of 150 short tons (140 t; 130 long tons), and could traverse nearly any terrain. It had

8836-482: Was the northernmost and most capable of three radar lines in Canada and Alaska. The first of these was the joint Canadian-United States Pinetree Line , which ran from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island just north of the Canada–United States border , but even while it was being built there were concerns that it would not provide enough warning time to launch an effective counterattack. The Mid-Canada Line (MCL)

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