In the seventies, the Soviet mining industry explored new remote deposits and laid numerous pipelines. The lack of a developed transport infrastructure led to well-known problems, which, in turn, stimulated the further development of automotive and special equipment. To ensure the work of specialists in hard-to-reach areas, various vehicles of high and ultra-high cross-country ability were developed. One of the most interesting examples of this kind was the articulated swamp vehicle BT361A-01 "Tyumen".
By the mid-seventies, the need of oil and gas workers in special equipment was partially satisfied by the existing serial machines, including in a special design, as well as with the help of some new models. Nevertheless, the delivery of large and heavy loads in the absence of at least unpaved roads remained a serious problem. To solve it, it was proposed to create a completely new model of ultra-high cross-country vehicles.
Swamp vehicle BT361A-01 "Tyumen" with a load on the platform
In 1978, the Ministry of Construction of Oil and Gas Industry Enterprises of the CCCP took the initiative to create a promising swamp-going vehicle with increased cross-country characteristics and increased carrying capacity. In terms of its driving performance, the new car should, at least, not be inferior to the existing technology or show significant advantages. In addition, it was required to ensure the ability to transport bulky goods weighing up to 35-36 tons.
The development of a promising swamp rover was entrusted to the Special Design Bureau "Gazstroymashina" (Tyumen). The chief designer of the project was O. K. Vasiliev. The new development received the factory designation BT361A-01. In addition, the project was given an additional name "Tyumen" - apparently in honor of the city where it was created.
Already in the early stages of determining the technical appearance of the future car, it was found that traditional architectures and layouts would not allow obtaining the desired characteristics and capabilities. A cargo area of the required dimensions, located on the hull of a standard design, could dramatically impair the mobility and maneuverability of the vehicle. In addition, problems with the weight and strength of the units were expected.
The way out of this situation was the use of new ideas and solutions. Specialists of SKB "Gazstroymashina" decided to build a promising swamp-going vehicle according to an articulated scheme. He was supposed to move with the help of two separate tracked vehicles, above which a cargo platform with a set of necessary components and assemblies should be suspended. It should be noted that this was the first case in Soviet practice of using an articulated circuit, brought, at least, to testing. A similar architecture was studied earlier, but then it did not go beyond preliminary calculations. Now, however, the non-standard scheme was proposed not only to be tested, but also to be brought to mass production with subsequent use in the national economy.
Overcoming an obstacle in the form of soggy soil
For a certain simplification of production, the designers headed by O. K. Vasiliev decided to use available serial components and assemblies. One of the main sources of spare parts was to be the K-701 wheeled tractor. He proposed to borrow a cab with an engine hood, a power plant and some transmission parts. However, the future manufacturing plant in any case would have to master the production of completely new parts developed specifically for Tyumen.
The BT361A-01 machine, built according to an unusual scheme, was distinguished by a characteristic layout. It was based on two medium-sized tracked vehicles. The cockpit and the engine compartment were fixed on the body of the front bogie. They were displaced forward, with the result that the engine compartment cover protruded significantly forward relative to the chassis. Behind the cab, near the center of the front bogie, there was a support with a hinge for installing a cargo platform. Its second support was placed in the center of the rear cart. The rear bogie was similar in design to the front bogie, but differed in the composition of the units. The carts were connected to each other using a simple articulation unit.
Under the hood, borrowed from the Kirovets tractor without any special modifications, they placed a YaMZ-240BM diesel engine with a capacity of 300 hp. A four-mode 16-speed gearbox was installed next to the engine. Gear shifting was carried out using a hydraulic system and without interrupting the power flow. With the help of a system of cardan shafts and gears, the torque was "lowered" from the high-mounted engine to the bogie units. Simultaneous drive of the driving wheels of both tracked movers was provided, which made it possible to obtain the desired characteristics of mobility and cross-country ability.
"Tyumen" is on the ford
The undercarriage of both Tyumen bogies was unified. Each cart was a body, on the sides of which four large-diameter road wheels were rigidly fixed. The rollers were equipped with rubber pneumatic tires that served as shock absorbers. The drive wheels were placed in the front of the cart, and the guides in the back. The project involved the use of rubber tracks. The tape was made from metal cables and rubber bands. Such a product had a thickness of 18 mm and a width of 1200 mm.
Four wide tracks made it possible to obtain the lowest possible load on the supporting surface. According to calculations, a swamp vehicle with a load of 27 tons, when the tracks were immersed in the ground by 140 mm, showed a specific pressure at the level of 0.33 kg / sq. cm. For comparison, the specific pressure on the ground of a person is in the range of 0.7 kg / sq. cm.
The articulation unit, installed between the bogies, provided power transmission to the rear drive wheels, and was also intended to control the machine along the course. It included a driveshaft and a pair of hydraulic power cylinders. By controlling the latter, the driver could change the relative position of the bogies. This, in turn, led to the entry into the required turn. There was no control of the movement of the carts in the vertical plane. At the same time, the nodes of their connection with the cargo platform were equipped with shock absorbers, which prevented unnecessarily sharp movements of the units.
Driving in shallow snow
The cockpit was borrowed without any major changes from the serial K-700 tractor. She was placed behind the engine compartment, with some excess over it. The panoramic glazing was retained, providing a good view in all directions. The cockpit was accessed through a pair of side doors. At the same time, as in the case of the Kirovts, the driver needed the help of several steps. The governing bodies remained the same, but the means of their communication with the executive mechanisms had to be seriously modified.
For the transportation of goods, it was proposed to use a large rectangular platform with a frame structure. The length of the platform reached 8 m, the width was about 3.5 m. It was proposed to carry cargo weighing up to 36 tons on it. In the front of the platform, a polygonal fence was provided, next to which a winch was placed. This device was equipped with a 70-m cable and developed a thrust force up to 196 kN. The cable protruded backwards, which could help with loading.
In the basic configuration, the BT361A-01 Tyumen swamp vehicle was a simple truck capable of transporting certain bulky cargo fixed on a platform. In addition, it could be used as a special chassis for other equipment. In the course of serial production and alteration by the operator, the platforms were used to accommodate tanks, containers with various equipment, etc.
The presence of a large loading platform led to the receipt of the corresponding dimensions of the machine itself. The length of the "Tyumen" was 15, 56 m, width - 3, 74 m, height - 3, 76 m. The ground clearance was 600 mm. The curb weight was determined at the level of 46 tons, which made it possible to take on board a 36-ton cargo of permissible dimensions. The total weight, respectively, was 82 tons.
Transportation of a living container-change house
The unusual layout of the undercarriage provided the car with high levels of mobility on all terrains, including difficult ones. On a good road, the tracked swamp vehicle could reach speeds of up to 15 km / h. The maximum speed on rough terrain, depending on its characteristics, was slightly lower. The machine could overcome any obstacle in which the carts remained within the permissible sector. Due to this, the working slopes in the transverse and longitudinal planes reached 16 °. "Bending" of the articulated structure made it possible to obtain a turning radius of only 17 m. Due to the high location of a number of units, "Tyumen" could overcome fords up to 1.5 m deep without preparation.
The project with the working designation BT361A-01 was developed in just six months, after which the necessary documentation was handed over to the manufacturer. In accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Oil and Gas Construction, the production of new equipment was to be mastered by the Kropotkin Experimental Machine-Building Plant. A number of enterprises in the automotive industry were involved in the work as suppliers of individual components.
At the very end of the seventies, the first prototype of the Tyumen swamp rover passed all the necessary tests, the site for which was some test sites and remote areas where new facilities were being built. The tests were found to be successful, due to which the car was recommended for mass production and operation.
Swamp vehicle in the role of a fuel truck
Serial production of BT361A-01 swamp rovers was deployed in Kropotkin and continued for several years. During this time, at least several hundred ultra-high cross-country vehicles were built in various configurations. All of them were distributed between structures and organizations involved in the construction of new facilities in the oil and gas industry in Siberia and the Arctic. By this time, they had at their disposal a variety of cars, as well as various all-terrain vehicles, but the appearance of the new "Tyumen", which favorably differed from its predecessors in basic characteristics, had a noticeable effect on the course of work.
The active operation of the multipurpose swamp-going vehicles BT361A-01 "Tyumen" started in the early eighties. During this period, Soviet industry was engaged in the construction of new fields and the improvement of old ones, laying pipelines, etc. A significant part of such work was carried out in remote areas without a developed transport infrastructure, and large swamp-going vehicles with high performance were constantly solving certain problems. They almost never had to be idle.
No later than the end of the eighties, serial production of BT361A-01 machines was discontinued due to the fulfillment of all major orders and known problems of that time. Nevertheless, the operation of the already supplied equipment continued, and Tyumen continued to deliver people and goods to the construction sites of new facilities.
A pair of "Tyumen" off-road
As you know, tracked vehicles differ from wheeled vehicles in greater complexity of operation and maintenance, as well as a smaller resource of the undercarriage. Having four tracks at once, the BT361A-01 swamp vehicle could fully face such problems. Gradual depletion of a resource, work in extremely difficult conditions or, in some cases, idleness over time seriously hit the fleet of Tyumen-type vehicles. To date, most of the serial equipment of this model has been written off due to the impossibility of further work.
Nevertheless, it is known that a small part of the serial swamp vehicles are still in service. These vehicles, as before, are engaged in the transportation of bulky and heavy cargoes in the interests of mining enterprises. With careful use and proper timely maintenance, they can continue to operate in the near future.
It should be noted that the carrying capacity of the Tyumen multipurpose vehicle did not always correspond to the emerging tasks. In certain situations, builders needed equipment with the ability to transport larger and heavier loads. This need of the industry was taken into account, and soon there was a new project for heavy vehicles of ultra-high cross-country ability. As an improved addition to the BT361A-01, capable of solving particularly complex tasks, the unique SVG-701 Yamal swamp vehicle was developed. This piece of special equipment should be considered separately.
