# Now....if I just had some snow in winter...



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Since I model in the 1920s/30s period, I'm always looking for logging equipment that fits the period. Found this today...

http://www.flixxy.com/snow-vehicle-concept.htm


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Great one, Mike. Here's the ocean-going version. The Russians did a lot of development on these as well, but the aerosan proved easier to build/adapt/bash; 
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/12/unique-soviet-snowmobiles.html 
But if you want something that would look good as a flatcar load and is something a logging operation might have, try the 1919 model T snowmobile;
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/02/03/tossin-snow/ 

I love all this odd stuff! 
Chris


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Mike and Chris for your post. This thing has been sitting in a display case for many years and it never occurred to me to use it as a flatcar load. As soon as I find the headlights and an empty flat it'll be ready to go to the Southwest Garden Railroad Show in October.


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Oh, Mike, there's this.......................Be careful what you wish for.......................we don't need snow here! We get quite enough in the mountains about an hour and a half drive away.


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

there was a Russian tundra crawler that worked just like that. I saw some web video of it recently, but I can't find it now.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh! That is too cool! I love it!


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## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

That would be fun, wish I had one to run in the U.P. of Michigan, but snowmobiling is more fun









tom h


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

That is so cool, Mike, from both an engineering perspective and an entertainment one. I love the "town" sequence where it is being driven down the street and all the guys who were walking pile into it when it stops near them. Gotta love those "safety" features of the 1920s (exposed chain drives, meat-grinder drive rollers). Cool concept, though.
-Jim


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Pretty cool, and looks like fun. 

My favorite snow vehicles are the steam-powered Lombard log haulers: 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...hauler.jpg 


And here's a Phoenix log hauler, looks kind of like a cross between a Shay and a Lombard. This one is preserved in Finland: 










More pics of the Phoenix here: http://vaunut.org/kuvasivu/14849


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## Grantham (Sep 8, 2009)

That log hauler looks a bit scary... I think I'll stick to rails, thanks!

Mick


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

_Sounds a bit Shayesque also......_


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

a. Holy crap!
b. Can ya imagine the "ride" in that thing when on a logging road?...ruts are the name of the game in logging camps and mills. Don't see no suspension on it up front.

c. Can ya say "top heavy"???? Not a good machine to get on any slope.
d. Now put ski's under the front...and throw in a 1% slope...sitting in front might not be a good idea...then again, being trapped in the cab with a scalding water would be worse after it turns over.

e. Sidewards sliding...hard to see how it wouldn't on snow...till it rolls over. 


Now we know why OSHA was invented....


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow! That thing is just plain weird!!!! Any further info on it? 
Chris


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

The Gazette had plans and some great articles on the Lombards sometime last year, they were intended for snow ops, that operating one had the front skids replaced with wheels . Somewhere there was one that had one that had been converted to rail use. I think FInescale Model Rairoader had some stuff also .

I love that snow-tractor, I guess the only advantage a traditional snow-cat would have would be being able to run easier over exposed ground or pavement.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Awesome video, thanks for posting that!

As I recall, the Lombard was patented in 1901, and was the first practical "continuous track" vehicle. They were very successful. Something like 80 or 90 were built using steam, and many more with diesel. Apparently the Phoenix haulers licensed the track design. About 200 of the Phoenix steam haulers were built. 


Later, the patent was licensed to Holt and used for the manufacture of farm tractors. Eventually Holt became the Caterpillar Tractor Company.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

One cool video Mike. I had sen this about 2 months ago as someone e-mailed it to me. Would have been fun back when I lived in the snow country. Later RJD


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ray Dunakin on 18 Sep 2009 05:41 PM 
Awesome video, thanks for posting that!

As I recall, the Lombard was patented in 1901, and was the first practical "continuous track" vehicle. They were very successful. Something like 80 or 90 were built using steam, and many more with diesel. Apparently the Phoenix haulers licensed the track design. About 200 of the Phoenix steam haulers were built. 


Later, the patent was licensed to Holt and used for the manufacture of farm tractors. Eventually Holt became the Caterpillar Tractor Company. 




My memory is (from a military modelling friend) that yes, he may have had the first patent, the first use was by the Poles and Russians in the 1800s.

Google turned up this: http://www.teknoxgroup.com/news/1743 which somehow is word for word the same as the Wikipedia page....


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Can't get that screw drive system out of my head now. Here's a page on the original patent for the Peavy snow drive. It's an articulated , steam driven version! Now that would be cool, wouldn't it, you live steam guys? 
http://patentpending.blogs.com/patent_pending_blog/2008/03/1907-screw-driv.html 

It also mentions being beaten out by the Lombards and why. 
Chris


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's some footage of what looks like a Russian postwar military version of the screw drive; 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UF61VPazB4 
And some Russian screwmobiles;
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...US:official&sa=N&um=1&ei=1PS0SoulDJSINKGardwO 
Chris


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, even more, sorry. This modeler does some great stuff and it's worth perusing his site thoroughly, but down a bit on this page is a fantasy screw drive steam loco; 
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...a:en-US:official&um=1&ei=LPi0SvzOMabUNMa_oMEK


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