Midnight fryer

Catering business goes ‘whole hog' wild

Feb. 23, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH

Frontiersman

WASILLA - To say Glen Hamilton is good with his hands is like saying Michelangelo could paint a little.

Hamilton, a retired operating engineer from Wasilla, has spent most of his life twisting, turning and bending metal into fantastic creations that defy imagination. He's built his own boats, the world's largest slingshot and even a helicopter.

Now Hamilton has turned his prodigious talents to his most ambitious project yet - and this time, he's really cooking.

With the help of a couple friends and family members, Hamilton has created the world's largest self-propelled whole hog rotisserie, a monstrous, 56-foot-long, street-legal train that doubles as a fully-enclosed kitchen and grill.

&#8220I call it the Midnight Fryer,” Hamilton said during a recent tour of his latest masterpiece.

From the outside, the vehicle looks exactly like a steam locomotive pulling a boxcar - mounted on the frame of a 1-ton Chevy. And instead of a steam engine, it's got a giant rotisserie capable of barbecuing a whole hog while the entire contraption rolls down the highway at 55 miles an hour.

Inside the locomotive's cab, there's a flat iron grill, and the boxcar holds a refrigerator, freezer, generator and industrial sinks. The entire vehicle is, in effect, a full-scale restaurant on wheels.

Hamilton built the Midnight Fryer over the course of 10 months and estimates the whole project cost him about $50,000. He did all the fabrication

himself, and used the help of a few friends and family members to put the whole thing together.

&#8220It's 100 percent hand made,” he said, proudly eyeing the creation while stroking his long, white beard.

The train finally came together early this winter, just in time for its maiden voyage: a trip to the Iron Dog snowmachine race start at Big Lake.

Hamilton's grandson, Colony High freshman Lakota Kreuger, helped out with the project and was on hand to help out at the Iron Dog. Kreuger said the process of building the Midnight Fryer alongside his grandfather was quite an experience.

&#8220It was awesome,” Kreuger said. &#8220We had lots of coffee, did lots of talking and lots of thinking.”

Also hanging around for the train's first cookout were a couple of Hamilton's longtime friends, Bob Bowers and Bob &#8220Bear” Kelsey. While Bear took orders and dished out burgers and chicken, Bowers stood inside the hot cab and did the cooking.

Instead of burning coal, the Midnight Fryer's locomotive cab is filled with the smell of barbecue. Standing over the grill, Bowers said his job wasn't to help build the train, but to keep the train cooking.

&#8220He's a master when it comes to doing things like this, and I can't do anything. I can't change a tire, I can't put in a light bulb,” Bowers said while watching the handmade flat grill. &#8220But I can cook.”

Bowers said he can cook anything that can be cooked in a restaurant in the train's cab/kitchen.

&#8220Baked chicken, turkey legs, barbecue pork, bratwurst, hot dogs, hamburgers, pancakes, bacon and eggs…” he said.

Bowers wore an Alaska version of a train conductor's outfit - engineer's hat, coveralls and bunny boots - for the Iron Dog event, looking both the part of chef and train conductor.

&#8220If you're gonna do this, you might as well look the part,” he said.

Another of Hamilton's crew on hand for the inaugural cookout was &#8220Bear” Kelsey, who grew up with Hamilton in Whitefish, Mont., and, like Hamilton, moved to Alaska in search of work in the 1980s.

Kelsey has been alongside Hamilton - who he calls &#8220Hambone” - for most of his building adventures, including the time the duo built a helicopter while still in their teens.

&#8220I don't know if we came closer to killing ourselves or flying it,” Kelsey said with a laugh.

Kelsey said he'll help &#8220Hambone” with his plans to dedicate some time to a new catering business, called &#8220Whole Hog or None Catering,” centered around the train. The group plans to take the Midnight Fryer on a tour of the state, stopping at events like the Fur Rendezvous, Mount Marathon race and the Alaska State Fair, among others.

Just because he's created his most ambitious project yet doesn't mean Hamilton is ready to ride off into the sunset. In fact, he said he's already looking around the bend for his next big project.

&#8220I always like to keep the neighbors guessing into what I'm going to do next,” Hamilton said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com.