Claw-trac

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Claw-trac
Claw-trac

When the planet of Glasdir was first discovered, spacemen thought that it was a ball of blue water. Once they had landed, the explorers discovered that the planet was a giant crystal of copper sulphate. Glasdir was the biggest copper deposit in the galaxy and mining companies were quick to move in. The mining machines were powered by nuclear reactors, enabling them to work non-stop. The waste from these machines was deposited around the planet as Plutonium Output Objects or POO.

At first the machines were small, leaving behind little POOs, which could be disposed of by hand. Eventually the mines began to use larger machines, which left bigger POOs and a mechanical means of collecting the POOs was needed. Llwyngwril Space Systems were asked to design a vehicle for the job and came up with the Claw-Trac.

The Claw-Trac was a successful design, with none of the flaws that plagued its predecessors during the Classic Space era. Its cockpit was afforded unparalleled visibility, thanks to its “bauble” style housing. No access ladder was needed, as the designers had failed to include any doors and so drivers had no need to get in or out. Annoyingly the canopy was spattered with guano, just before these photos were taken.

The engine in the Claw-Trac was a V-2 Rolls-Royce Soprendo. This made a distinctive “piff, paff, poof” noise, which could be heard for miles around. The engine was mounted on a symmetrical chassis, allowing the vehicle to enter confined spaces and then drive out forwards by rotating the cab.

The ride-quality of the Claw-Trac was excellent, thanks to independent suspension on the four road wheels. The cab also had a certain amount of self-levelling capability. The Claw-Trac was eventually withdrawn from service after the glass bubble of the cab acted as a lens, focusing the sun’s rays onto some flammable materials and starting several fires.

You can see more photos of the Claw-Trac on its MOCpages listing.

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Taken on: October 10, 2013
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