1926 Snow Tractor and Snow Car

[Smart-Resins]

This is something I found to be very interesting. Not sure why it never lasted? I could envision with slight mods, that it could go from ground to water! Jody

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=568_1233111054

[Bernard Kron]

Very cool. How did you find this?

[CB]

Hey Jody, Bernard,

Some time ago I was thinking of building some sort of tracked vehicle,

or big old steam driven tractor and I went lookin'........

Found these pics. Seems Hitler was working on developing something quite similar:

Would be a cool model on the shelf, eh?

.......and then I saw this

I believe it is a resin kit--a Russian propeller driven assault vehickle. Oh yeah!

Seem to remember this pic being a thumbnail in some online modelling catalog,

but can't remember anything more than that.

Love to scratch this here thing, too..................maybe one of these days

[Smart-Resins]

Someone just sent me this yutube link of a Russion, tank maybe(?) with the same concept. Jody

[CB]

Someone just sent me this yutube link of a Russion, tank maybe(?) with the same concept. Jody

Wow, Jody. That's one wild ride! Looks like you better know what yer doing or you'll wind up sliding sideways down hills

It'd make a cool model, but better RC ride!

[Jairus]

Cool idea! Very vintage... but packaging and high center of gravity might have been the reasons it didn't succeed. The modern snowmobile is a much better package with it's low mounted track and twin skis. Those huge screws take up a lot of space and making them smaller diameter reduces the footprint considerably. The huge footprint is what makes this idea so effective.

Love it and would have liked to see it in action first person!

Thanks for posting.

[Smart-Resins]

Thanks. Yes, Igues the Snow Cat is better. But sure would make one cool model! Jody

[Art Anderson]

Cool idea! Very vintage... but packaging and high center of gravity might have been the reasons it didn't succeed. The modern snowmobile is a much better package with it's low mounted track and twin skis. Those huge screws take up a lot of space and making them smaller diameter reduces the footprint considerably. The huge footprint is what makes this idea so effective.

Love it and would have liked to see it in action first person!

Thanks for posting.

I'm guessing that it was the chain drive system that was the weak point in the Snow Motor, frankly. Also, the 20's weren't years of the adoption of most of the mechanical masterpieces that were tried out.

However, with all that, do a Google for Snow Motor, and you will find pics of the same basic screw-threaded pontoon snow vehicles, built in the 60's and 70's by none other than Bombardier, you know, those good people who build Ski-Doo's.

Art

[James W]

When I first saw this tractor I thought of this.

[Smart-Resins]

Davezinn, There was a kit available to add tracks to the rear wheels and skis to the front of old model a's. My friend Monty Lowens had done this conversion on a model himself as well.

Now for the omni wheels. Interesting there. Time to do more googling. LOL. Thanks. Jody

[Chuck Most]

Davezinn, There was a kit available to add tracks to the rear wheels and skis to the front of old model a's.

My grandfather has a mid 1920's model T with tandem rear axles and detachable skis that used to be a rural mail truck. One would remove the front tires and attach the skis, then loop the tracks over the tandem axles. I've long considered building a model of it using an AMT '25 T, and, since it seems I'm not the only modeler who's considered tackling such a project, I could probably get over there some time and post some photos of it.

[Guest Davkin]

I'd be interested in seeing those photos. A Model T snow machine could be a future projet for me as well.

Speaking of snow machines check this thing out;

It was custom built in the 40's. It's powered by a Chevy inline 6.

More photos in my Fotki;

http://www.dsao.fotki.com/referance/antiqu...hines/snow-cat/

David

Edited March 3, 2009 by Davkin