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A video of a 1991 Pacific P510 logging truck in New Zealand shows a rare twin-engine setup: one Caterpillar diesel powered the tractor and another powered the lead trailer. The reported combined output was about 900 horsepower. A firsthand commenter said the truck’s former driver, Lance Magee, has since received it and is restoring it, though the trailer’s whereabouts are uncertain.
A video of a 1991 Pacific P510 logging truck in New Zealand shows an unusual solution to hauling heavy loads: a second 14.6-liter Caterpillar diesel V8 mounted on the lead trailer. The two-engine rig was commissioned for work in Kaingaroa State Forest, with its combined output reported at about 900 horsepower.
The footage, posted by Trucks on Video – CP Productions on YouTube, follows the truck working on forest roads and at a mill. The Drive reported that the description accompanying the video appears to draw on an account from NZ Trucking magazine. The tractor was powered by a turbocharged Caterpillar 3406B; the lead trailer carried a turbocharged Caterpillar 3406A of the same 14.6-liter displacement.
Each engine had a separate Allison automatic transmission, according to the report. Both engines reportedly had their own throttle controls in the cab, and each was fitted with Caterpillar BrakeSaver equipment, described as an oil-based retarder that helps slow the engine and vehicle. The trailer engine’s air intakes were moved to the back of the cab after dust caused problems with the initial arrangement.
The Magee family commissioned the truck to operate for Marathon Trucking. A commenter who said they had worked alongside the family described the trailer’s spring-loaded bolsters and recalled that the original differentials could not handle the load. The commenter said Mercedes-Benz differentials with hub-reduction planetary gearing were fitted after the team could not obtain the Renault units it sought. These details come from the commenter’s firsthand account, not an independently documented mechanical inspection.
A Second Engine for Forest Hauls
The rig shows how a specific operating problem can prompt a less conventional truck design. New Zealand logging trucks may haul several trailers, according to The Drive’s report, creating substantial power demands. Rather than fitting another engine into the Pacific’s tractor, the builders placed one on the lead trailer, where it could contribute power to the combination.
That arrangement also brought added mechanical complexity. The truck needed separate engine and transmission systems, a working driveline on the trailer, and a way to keep the second engine’s air supply clear of forest dust. The account of early differential failures illustrates the practical challenges behind the striking configuration. The video offers a glimpse of a specialized working vehicle, not evidence that the design became common.
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Built for Kaingaroa Logging
The truck operated in Kaingaroa State Forest, a large plantation forest in New Zealand’s North Island. The Drive reports that the area was developed for forestry during the 1920s and 1930s and covers almost 1,100 square miles. Its scale helps explain why a purpose-built rig capable of hauling logs over remote roads had a practical role.
The basic idea of adding power to a trailer has appeared elsewhere. The Drive notes that Freightliner tested a 1960s Power Dolly with a Cummins V6 to help multi-trailer combinations climb steep grades, but the concept did not progress beyond prototype testing. Modern powered trailers have also drawn interest, mainly using electric drivetrains; those systems differ from the Pacific’s diesel engine and mechanical connection to the trailer axles.
The YouTube video is about 23 minutes long and is titled “Twin CAT Powered Pacific P510 – New Zealand 1991.” It documents the truck as it worked, while the accompanying description and a commenter provide further details about its construction and later history.
““The first engine was dusted and that’s when they relocated the air intake and air rams up over and above the subframe of the truck.””
— A YouTube commenter who said they worked alongside the Magee family
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The Trailer’s Current Whereabouts
The supplied reporting does not establish the truck’s present condition through an inspection, nor does it give a restoration schedule or completion date. The claim that Lance Magee received the truck and is restoring it comes from a commenter who said they knew the family. It has not been independently verified in the source material.
The lead trailer’s fate is also unresolved. The commenter said they had been told it might have been cut up for scrap, but did not confirm that it happened or identify its current location. The report gives approximate combined power rather than a cited test result, so about 900 horsepower should be treated as a reported figure.
turbocharged Caterpillar diesel engine
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Restoration and Trailer Search
The source material identifies no announced public restoration milestone, event, or date for the truck. The next substantive update would be confirmation from Magee or the restoration team about the vehicle’s condition and progress, along with documentation of whether the powered lead trailer survives.
Until then, the available record is the 1991 footage, the video description, The Drive’s reporting, and the firsthand account posted in the comments. Those sources describe a distinctive logging combination, but they do not resolve the trailer’s fate or establish how much of the original two-engine setup remains intact.
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Key Questions
What was unusual about the Pacific P510?
It had a second Caterpillar diesel engine on its lead trailer, in addition to the engine powering the tractor. The trailer engine was connected to its own Allison automatic transmission.
How much power did the two engines produce?
Their combined output was reported as about 900 horsepower. The source material does not provide a cited dynamometer test or a more precise verified figure.
Where did the truck work?
The Pacific P510 worked in Kaingaroa State Forest in New Zealand, hauling logs for Marathon Trucking, according to The Drive’s report.
Is the truck being restored?
A YouTube commenter who said they knew the Magee family reported that Lance Magee had received the truck and was restoring it. The source material does not independently confirm the restoration’s status or schedule.
Does the powered trailer still exist?
Its whereabouts are unclear. The commenter said they had been told it might have been scrapped, but did not confirm that claim.
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