Swamp buggy type thing along EB line in La Crosse

On my recent train trip across country on the EB, I noticed what looked like some sort of swamp buggy i in La Crosse, WI. Wish I was able to snap a pic the train passed by too quickly.

There were at least two. They were silver in color. Two light weight but wide tracks. The body resembled a boat that sat on top of the two tracks. The "hull" appeared to be totally sealed even on top. On top of the "hull" was a bridge with glass all around. Kind of bridge you might see on a towboat The vehicles where fairly large and likely not for personal use.

It may have actually been the La Croose River.

I think it was in the parking lot here

https://www.google.com/maps/place/La...!4d-91.2395807

and it is a tractor dealer.

It looked pretty much like the vehicle in the pictured attached. Maybe a bit smaller.

Does anyone know what these things might be? And what they are used for?

I'd have to say its some kind of shallow. Watercraft. Nice pilothouse on it.

anumberone said:

I'd have to say its some kind of shallow. Watercraft. Nice pilothouse on it.

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I think that is obvious.

Meat Puppet said:

Ultra Heavy-lift Amphibious Connector Vehicle 1/2 scale experimental prototype used by US Marines. If built the real ones will be twice the size.

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No the one in La Crosse was not experimental nor military. It was in what looked to be a tractor sales lot,

spinnaker said:

Meat Puppet said:

Ultra Heavy-lift Amphibious Connector Vehicle 1/2 scale experimental prototype used by US Marines. If built the real ones will be twice the size.

Click to expand...

No the one in La Crosse was not experimental nor military. It was in what looked to be a tractor sales lot,

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How about this for an explanation? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MImmBQIL4HU Or this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Captive_Air_Amphibious_Transporter From the second link ". . . three prototypes have been constructed since (a one-fifth scale model, a one-quarter scale model, and the half-scale model)."

There is such a thing as Military Surplus where the DOD can dispose of experimental military stuff that may have some civilian application. The John Deere dealer in West Salem (just East of LaCrosse) may have purchased one at a DOD or GSA surplus auction.

spinnaker said:

anumberone said:

I'd have to say its some kind of shallow. Watercraft. Nice pilothouse on it.

Click to expand...

I think that is obvious.

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What's not obvious is whether it works for what it were intended for.

That looks like something the UP might want to have stored on the Roseville Sub to go after trains that get stuck in 20 feet of snow on Donner Pass

Waking up this old thread again because I just saw these things again near La Crosse and no one could tell me what they were.

Best I can figure is they were west of Lacrosse just after that last bridge (when heading from the west). They were right next to the north side of the tracks. There were in an industrial yard with lots of pipes about. The vehicles appeared to be in the most eastern end of the yard.

Funny I can see no such yard on the north side of the tracks anywhere west of La Crosse north of the tracks.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Min...15193722b0!2m2!1d-91.2519017!2d43.8137751!3e3

Guess maybe Google Earth has not been updated for some time or I am looking in the wrong place.


Again the train went by way too fast for me to get a pic. Well I was ready on the south side opf the train where I remember seeing them last time.

I wonder if the lot was west of the last bridge? That Gargill AG Horizons or Cottenseed yards look like what what I saw but I am not seeing the vehicles on Google Earth.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Min...15193722b0!2m2!1d-91.2519017!2d43.8137751!3e3