Interesting Snow Machines

[MountainDon]

I spun this off from my self induced thread drift in my cabin topic
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2335.msg77579#msg77579

I simply love machines that move people.    I could have added these to the Hot Rod topic, but these aren't exactly hot rods. 

Here is one of my current favorites machines to covet for access to the mountains around and up to our cabin.



Bombardier RHS-500SW. 500 tons of snow per hour, Ford 300 6 for motive power, Onan 4 cyl driving the snow blower.



From:  http://www.militaryconvoy.com/1bombardierweb.htm

Bandvagn BV202, powered by a Volvo B18 engine. Built for Swedish Army, It's articulated with the trailer tracks being driven through a PTO off the engine /transmission in the front half. Made to traverse any kind of snow in Sweden.





From:  http://sw-em.com/Snow%20Weasel.htm

[MountainDon]

This would not be complete with the Tucker Sno Cats...

These are the Kittens... fifties - sixties





Tucker is still in business

http://www.sno-cat.com/

[MountainDon]

RT-01 by Right Track, in business today.



http://www.utvint.com/snowcats/snowcat.htm


A slightly smaller modern snow machine, by Kyosho



powered by a nitro/ethanol burning model engine, radio controlled model.


...and for the mobility impaired...

[MountainDon]

Old Cushman Tracksters






I've read that they are great on the more or less level, but not so great on uphills and powder. 

[MountainDon]

1963 Polaris restoration



Oldies...

[MountainDon]

[MountainDon]

 

[MountainDon]

$5K, not running, Lake Tahoe

[glenn kangiser]

Those are cool machines, Don.  I'm a machinery fan also

A snow machine I acquired - not yet running  - maybe not too bad.



Maybe not the best snow machine, eh? hmm

[Bill Houghton]

I remember after lengthy begging my father arranging for us kids to ride in a snowmachine that had the skis mounted to a steering mechanism that would bounce up at the handle bars every time the skis encountered a bump.  Nearly took our heads off!     It was like a tub with the motor in back.

Bill in the U.P.

[bayview]

   I bet this air driven rig would violate all sorts of regulations now-a-days.   

   The t-bucket is cool . . .

   I wonder how the drive works on the mini-bike?

[MaineRhino]

There is a snowmobile museum close to here with some very interesting prototypes and production machines. It's amazing what they got away with back then....


This is what I use in the winter.

[glenn kangiser]

That's cool Rhino.  I have the Bush Hog and a snow plow for it but their mount was really chintzy so I broke it in about 2 hours.  Their engineers called me for redesign ideas to consider after I complained.  I gave them an earful.  I don't know if they actually did anything for a fix or not. 

I should fix it for the rest of the season - maybe I'll drag it out and get it done soon so I can take a pix for this thread.

[MountainDon]

  MR.

How does it do in/on soft virgin snow?

[MaineRhino]

MD, it all depends on how deep it is. We took it up to our camp last winter and got it stuck 4 or 5 times. It rides on top very nicely (usually) but gets bogged down sometimes. All we did was shovel behind it so I could back up and get a running start. Once it got going again it was fine. It weighs about 1400 pounds with the tracks, plus 2 guys and supplies. So, close to a ton I would say.....
Where we got stuck it was steep and deep, probably around 4 feet, maybe more. My buddy jumped off when we got stuck and the snow was up to his armpits! Once the trail was broken, it had no problems at all!

The only problem with this setup is on the ice when the snow is deep and slushy. The tracks will drop to the ice, and the belly hits the snow pack, causing the tracks to spin, as there is no traction on ice! It's a scary thing to be a mile out on a frozen lake with slush and water puddles all around you, and no traction!

[MaineRhino]

A link to the museum....

http://unitedsportstrailers.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=browse&id=37112&pageid=48

[MountainDon]

It's a scary thing to be a mile out on a frozen lake with slush and water puddles all around you, and no traction!

Gulp!!!   


Wow! What a museum! 

[MaineRhino]

The museum is incredible! I wish they had more pictures on their site. There are some very nice machines in there, including the one with a propeller in the earlier post.

[MountainDon]

MaineRhino, are those Lightfoots? Or?
http://www.litefootatv.com/html/product_information.htm

Here's a Japanese Mini Truck with tracks...



The track set is about $5.5K from these guys
http://www.buckeyeminitrucks.com/Japanese%20Mini%20Truck%20Track%20Systems.htm

They also sell the used mini trucks. Not legal for road use here in the USA, but could be fun for on your own property...

http://www.buckeyeminitrucks.com/On%20Site.htm

[MaineRhino]

http://www.tjdusa.com/ is what I have.

[MaineRhino]

MSNBC just wrote an article about the museum near here...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29098675/

[NM_Shooter]

Speaking of snow machines..  how about home made snow?

http://www.snowathome.com/

[Pritch]

Here's one that might be fun, a concept vehicle from 1929 called the Fordson Snow Motor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBjlSJf4274

And here's a modern version, the ZIL Screw Drive:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uynmApjhWI&feature=player_embedded

Maybe Frank can actually get up to Chama this time of year in one of these!  (And Glenn could whip one together from parts laying around his compound!) 

[Redoverfarm]

 

[MountainDon]

I like the '27 Chevy tourinr car just past the 7 minute mark.