Some A's in the snow....

[2manycars]

Here is a photo of the smaller version.

 

[39portlander]

I sent the photos at the top to a local club member who is originally a New Englander and he sent this:

"Interesting that they have the wheels on the skis in some of the pictures. With the original Model T Snowmobile, made in Ossippee, NH, the front wheels came off at the king pins, and the ski's were put on and connected to the steering mechanism.

The skis were big and heavy, and they were hard to steer. Also, the Snowmobile works best on a flat hard surface.

I did have the makings of a Model T Snowmobile, the front skis, the tracks, the rear axle (Model TT rear axle), the idler axle that was mounted in the middle, and held the tracks from the front. I also had a Model T to put it on. They used the TT truck rear axle because the torque tube was longer, and with semi eliptic springs out the back, this increased the wheelbase so there were two wheels on each side at the rear, to hold the tracks.

They also found that they needed to use the two speed Ruxtell TT rear end, so they would have low enough gearing to make the tracks go. It took a lot of power to turn those tracks."

these are some of the model T pictures, the ones I first posted were A's. Enjoy!

 

[39portlander]

Here is a photo of the smaller version.

Dual Harley Davidsons, now that is a great era photo for sure.

 

[2manycars]

Here is a factory brochure for a snow machine.

 

[Bruce of MN]

More from my New Englander friend:

" Pictures #1, 2, and 3 from the left all look like Model T Snowmobiles. These are the type that were manufactured in West Ossippee, NH back in the 1920’s. The factory burned down in 1929, and they closed down.

The third picture from the left shows a close up of the front ski. The casting was massive, and very heavy. The skis were wood, with a steel plate on the bottom. The front wheels came off at the king pins, and the skis went on in their place.

The steering worked as normal, although the heavy skis only turned easily when the vehicle was in motion. They had a wide turning radius, which was not a problem when there were lots of farmers fields around.

The fourth picture from the left shows the TT rear axle from behind. It is too small a picture, so I can’t tell if it is the 2 speed Ruxtell or not. They used the TT worm drive rear end, because it was geared low, and was powerful.

One drawback to the TT worm drive rear end is that you can not jump start the car or truck by rolling it. The worm drives the ring gear, but not the other way around. If the engine won’t start, you are stuck.

I see one set of light weight front skis on a Model T. These may be aftermarket, or even Model A or Snow Bird skis. Snow Bird was a snowmobile manufacturer from Wisconsin. They competed with The Snowmobile company from NH.

Snow Bird survived into the 1930’s. A lot of rural mail carriers used then Snow Bird set up. The skimobile was doomed once they started plowing the roads in the winter, probably in the late 1930’s."