Tech News Update

A list of unusual snow vehicles, from Sno Cats and bizarre Russian snow cars to the incredible antarctic snow cruiser which is powered by a aircraft which is literally bolted to its roof. 
Unlike regular snowmobiles, these vehicles shuttle groups of people around the barren wastelands of places like the antarctic.

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser

Construction Work on the Snow Cruiser was begun on August 8, 1939 at the Pullman shops in Chicago Illinois. The Foundation had just eleven weeks to build, test and deliver the completed Snow Cruiser to Boston, Massachusetts where it would be loaded aboard ship for transport to Antarctica.

Chicago to Boston  
On October 24, 1939 the nearly completed Snow Cruise started a 1021 mile trek to Boston. This trip would be the shakedown cruise as well as a race the reach Boston before the North Star sailed for the Antarctic. If the Cruiser did not arrive in time, she might be left behind. On November 12, the Snow Cruiser pulled alongside the North Star at Boston Army Wharf. To fit on the deck of the North Star, the Cruiser’s tail section had to be temporarily removed. At high tide Dr. Poulter drove the Cruiser onto the North Star.

Boston to Antarctica  
The North Star place out to sea on November 15, with the Snow Cruiser safely lashed to her deck. As she neared Antarctica, rough seas caused the Cruiser to shift during the night giving Dr. Poulter and the Snow Cruiser crew a bit of a scare. They tightened up the chains and the Cruiser was secure for the remainder of the trip. The North Star arrived in Antarctica on January 11 and started the search for a suitable place to unload the Cruiser

South to the Pole  
On January 12 the North Star anchored at the Bay of Whales. To unload the Snow Cruiser from the deck of the North Star, a large ramp was constructed of heavy timber. Unloading of the Snow Cruiser took place on January 15, with Dr. Poulter at the helm. Half way down the ramp the timbers started to break. Dr. Poulter quickly gave the Cruiser full throttle and she lurched from the ramp to the safety of the ice.

On the Ice  

The Snow Cruiser failed to perform up to expectations. The tires sank deeply into the snow and spun too easily. In an attempt to improve the cruiser’s performance, the crew attached the two spare wheels and tires to the front front wheels, increasing the surface area of the tires by 50 percent. To improve traction, they installed chains on the smooth rear tires.

Tucker Trans Antarctic Sno Cats

Bought by the DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) Antarctic Division, together with ‘C’ 

Retired in 1971, restored, and placed on show in the Canterbury Museum in New Zealand. One of Hillary’s Ferguson tractors from the Ross Sea party is just visible to the right rear.

Returned to Tucker in Medford, Oregon, where it is currently in storage for Tucker’s new museum. 

The aluminium structures at right are unrelated passenger-carrying bodies.

Bought with ‘ABLE’ but lost in a fatal crevass fall on the Ross ice shelf on November 19th 1959, killing the driver, Lt. T. Couzens.

Returned to the UK and place on external show at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. 

Subsequently returned to B.P. (the expedition sponsors and fuel suppliers, and thence to the storage facilty of the Museum of Science and Industry at Wroughton, near Swindon, in Wiltshire, England

Model T Snow Vehicle
The Model T snowmobiles were very useful for doctors making house calls and for rural postmen delivering mail.

Columbia Icefield Snow Coach
Early snow coach at Athabasca Glacier. With neither suspension, air condtioning, or openable windows this was known as “Shake and Bake”.

Bombardier 12 Person Snow Coach
A snow coach is a specialized passenger transport vehicle, designed to operate over snow or ice, similar to a large, multi-passenger snowcat that is equipped with bus style seating. 
An early example of a snow coach was the Snow Bus, built by Bombardier Canada. It was equipped with front skis and rear tracks and typically could seat 12 passengers. Alternatively, the front skis could be removed and replaced with front wheels. There are documented uses of the Bombardier Snow Bus being used as a school bus, for mail delivery and as emergency vehicles, but they were also used for tours and transportation in snowbound areas.

 Modern Examples

The Terra Bus Wheeled Vehicle is one of the few Snow Coach type vehicles produced. Terra Bus is produced by Foremost Industries LP in Canada, has six over sized low pressure (30 psi) tires and carries up to 56 passengers on and off road for tourist or job site transport in snow or soft ground conditions.

These following examples of Brewster coaches were seen at the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta, Canada:

Vintage Russian Snowmobile

Snowmobile concept for British Antarctic Survey

Super Snowmobile
For scientists, traveling through Antarctica’s environment of rock, snow and ice is a slow and perilous drive. Working with the British Antarctic Survey, designer James Moon made a concept vehicle called Ninety Degrees South that may one day ease the journey. This diesel-powered, two-person vehicle uses tracks and wheels to travel over any terrain. Up to 98 ft. ahead, a separate pathfinder probe travels on a GPS-controlled route, using ground-penetrating radar to detect cracks and crevices, assessing risk.

Tucker Kitten
Sever 2 Soviet snowmobile
The snowmobile Sever-2 (North 2) was developed in 1959 in Helicopter Design Office of N. I. Kamov. It was made from the legendary Soviet automobile Pobeda (Victory).

Firm skis and powerful aircraft engine AI-14 (260 horse-powers) made possible to go on snow or ice at a speed of 30-35 kilometers per hour. Sever-2 was able to function at extreme temperatures, about 40-50 degrees centigrade.

These snowmobiles delivered passengers and mail through the various areas of the Soviet Union, such as Siberia, the Far East and Kazakhstan. They also serviced settlements along the rivers Amur, Lena, Ob’ and Pechora.

1949 Tucker Sno Cat