Trailer, Athey, Track Laying (G-123)
The Athey Track Laying trailers were used for general cargo on sand, soft soils, or mud, often with a tracked tractor as prime mover. The Athey Truss Wheel Company made three models for the U.S. military during World War II:
| BT898-1 | BT898-4 | ET1076-1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomenclature: | Trailer, Athey, Track Laying, 6-Ton, BT898-1 | Trailer, Athey, Track Laying, 6-Ton, BT898-4 | Trailer, Athey, Track Laying, 20-Ton |
| Body: | Platform, stake, with or w/o canopy | Steel platform and stakes | Stake with canopy |
| Weight, net: | 6,300 lbs | 8,540 lbs | 14,700 lbs |
| Weight, payload: | 12,000 lbs | 12,000 lbs | 40,000 lbs |
| Weight, gross: | 18,300 lbs | 20,540 lbs | 54,700 lbs |
| Loading height: | 47 in | 52 in | 53 in |
| Track width: | 14 1/2 in | 20 in | 20 in |
| Manuals:* | TM 9-790A, TM 9-1790A | TM 9-790A, TM 9-1790A | TM 9-790B, TM 9-1790A |
* Parts list for all models is SNL G-123.
The trailers had no brakes, intended for low speed travel.
Troops transported over the mud on an Athey Track Laying Trailer, BT898-4, Attu, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, during WW II.
Omaha Beach in mid-June of 1944, after the D-Day beachhead has been secured. Two Athey Track Laying Trailers can be seen, the nearer one appears to be a BT898-1 stake body. This photo is a detail from a larger view of Omaha Beach.
Athey Track Laying Trailer, BT898-1, on Omaha Beach, near D-Day, 6 June 1944. Two M-3A4 Hand Carts are on the sand in foreground.
Athey Track Laying Trailer, BT898-1, reference photo from TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles, Jan 1956.
Athey Track Laying Trailer, BT898-4, reference photo from TM 9-2800-1.
Athey Track Laying Trailer, ET1076-1, reference photo from TM 9-2800-1.
