DB Cooper and the FBI Track Master

Back around 1993 the company I was employed by, Washington Crane & Hoist, sold this 20TON Bridge Crane to BPA. It had Radio controls and I had to go do the Start-up and program the drives at the BP facility at Hazel Dell Washington. It's BPA's (Bonneyville Power Administration) main service shop. For the uninformed BPA is the federal authority over all the big water power projects in the US, including the Grand Coulee Dam and a series of smaller dams along the columbia river. Their main service yard looked like a cross between frankstein's labratory and a huge power company yard. They had some bizare High voltage testing equipment. The Crane I was installing was for tipping over 20Ft tall oil filled insulators to pour the old oil out.

Anyway, they had these 3 Track Masters in their yard. Several years later, once again, Bill Guthrie called me up and said that there was "One of those Machines you collect" coming up at a GSA auction. I made the 2 hour trip down to Hazel Dell and got there in time to inspect the machine before the auction started. It had 50 hours, 107 miles on it and with the exception of some surface rust from having sat outside, was obviously very original and very complete. It still had BPA stickers on it, but the registration for the trailer was listed to the FBI. Only one guy bid against me and he dropped out pretty early in the bidding so I ended up getting it for a good price. But the St4 and the single axel trailer were sold on one bill of sale. This made it impossible to register either the trailer or the snow cat seperately.

I went to GSA's regional office in Auburn Washington and they seperated the 2 machines and got the papper work sorted out. During this endeavour I got to look at the Government paperwork. It appears that The FBI office in Portland Oregon borrowed the machine thru some interagency cooperative exchange and never returned it. According to someone at BPA they borrowed it to look for DB Cooper who jumped out of a plane with a bunch of money. The FBI office was in Oregon and they just 'forgot' to return the cat. GSA has hard and fast rules that surplus out equipment once it reaches a certain age.

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

Lucky Guy! Right place, right time.

Good story Lyndon!

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

The Agents didn't find Cooper, or the money, but the DID find a bunch of great Hunting and fishing spots in the Cascades. The spot where Cooper is alleged to have jumped is almost directly over Hazel Dell, which is right on the Columbia River. Years later the money did start showing up in the river bed and not far from where they had been looking. The all time Grand Masters of Snow Trac's, the Canadian Telephone folks said that there was usually a corelation between Hour and Miles. For a Track master or Snow Master it was around 2 to 1, and for a Snow Trac it was usually around 3 to one. Of course this only applies if both the Hours meter and the Odometer have been continuously hooked up. Having inspected many machines, close to a hundred, seems they were right. 3 MPH average for a Snow Trac and 2 for a Master.

The FBI Rig currently belongs to Bill Harnish and got a fairly detailed re-work and new paint and electrical. Last winter we took it to places in the Cascades where we probably should not have tried to go, at it preformed spectacularly! Trac Masters and Snow Masters have these "Herring Bone" or "Crow Feet" grousers that will prevent it from sliding off a hill side that seem to hold the snow better than any other machine. I've never seen similar grousers on any other make of machine.>

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

When I first learned to Ski, in Vermont and Mass, my ski partner was a guy from Vermont named David V. We were both 'pocket protector geeks'. some people called him "the Professor' which he hated. We were both into VW's and when the first ST4's started showing up on the slopes we were already intermediate skiiers. We saw the progression from 2 Belt, to 3 Belt to 4 belt and finally to 5 belt.We Skiied right in the tracks. Snow trac's were not usually use to goom. The Ski patrol used them and the ski area used them to take food and beverages up to the Top lodge as well as hauling sleds. There was always some Ski Patrol hanging out the back with the door open. 30 years later I found out why! Early VW's had whats called "Stale Air Heat" and it could gas you right out of the cab. After 61 in VW's, and after 63 or 64 in Snow Trac's they went to "Clean Air Heat". One day we chanced upon a broken down Snow Trac while skiing that had the hood proped up. BEHOLD there was a VW Motor in it! Both being VW enthusiasts we had to check this out. The name on the ID tag on the back was unpronouncable,. Westermaskiner with those funny little european accent marks. Little did I know how many busted nuckels later I would become aquainted with the little 'beast'. As time went by the Snow Trac's disappered. Some Ski Area's had as many as a dozen at the height of the production. Now ther are none.

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

Lyndon, We think Mtntopper and Big Al found the money and they just are not sharing it with the rest of us...........

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

Crap I wondered what mtntopper was up to these last few weeks?????????? Seriously Lyndon, keep the stories coming this stuff is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! ever thought of writing a book?????

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

In 1990 I moved to Washington. I proceded to get my electricians licenses in Washington and Oregon.( Journeymens and Master's or Administrators). In most of the states one has to take refresher courses on a 3 year cycle to keep your license active. In Oregon it's given by the State and I opted to take (3) 8 hour courses in 3 different locations so as to use this as an excuse to 'check out' a bunch of areas in Oregon that I had never been to. Being a loyal dedicated VW Fan, and having previously owned over a dozen Bugs, a Karman ghia and half a dozen Porsches while taking this course in Bend Oregon, I happened upon a ST4 Snow Trac at a used car dealership outside Crater Lake. This was for me! It had a Hand crank! It had an original VW industrial 1192 CC Engine! WOW. To this day it remains the nicest, most pristine ST4 I have ever seen. It had previoulsy belonged to the Central Power Cooperative and still has an old meter seal from there as a key ring. I paid an arm and a leg for it and have never regretted it. It's been to: Crater Lake National Monument, Pulina Lake Lodge, McKenzie Pass, all in Oregon. In Washington it's been from one end of the state to the other, including up and around Mt Ranieer, Up Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Baker and on hundreds of miles of logging roads in the Cascades. It never DeTracked. It still has the original motor. It's driven all the way from West Yellowstone to Old faithfull and back. For all practicle purposes it's the energizer bunny's first cousin! It has also been in Several editions of VW Trends, HOt VW's and in several European VW Magazines. I thought of taking it across the Bearing Straight! Too dangerous, I might loose it!

The second year I had it I decided to put new tracks on it. I went to this Scrap & Surplus place called Floyds and bought some old used conveyor belting. I tried treating sample pieces of the belting with everything I could think of: WD 40, 3 kinds of Silicone waterproffing, varnish...... I put the strips in a freezer and let them freeze. Then I compared them for pliability. In the end Thompsons Water seal showed the best results. After streching a piece with the shops (Washington Crane's) 7.5 ton Bridge crane and measuring the permanent strech and how much it sprang back I cut and punched it. Then I threw it in the dryer and treated it with the Thompsons. It had been used for conveying dirt and was mud brown. But after the first time I ran it, it turned out pearly white. When I was showing it at Vintage VW meets people would approach me and say:"Just like the Matchbox Toy, it even has white tracks" But I'd never seen the Matchbox toy. Well that's another story. It's 3;45 and were getting a beautiful sunset here on the 'Slope', guess I better get back to work.

Re: DB Cooper and the FBI

Lyndon said:

There was always some Ski Patrol hanging out the back with the door open. 30 years later I found out why! Early VW's had whats called "Stale Air Heat" and it could gas you right out of the cab.

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not to mention the burning hemp that is found at many resorts. Lyndon, great stuff! I am fairly new to "forums" and cat ownership . . . I am enjoying the stories, can see how owning cats could become a habit. You appear to be the Jay Leno of snow cats (collector). I am sending you a private message- hope you get it. - Kelly

Lyndon, you've got a real knack for storytelling, and have lived a life full of great material. What else does one need to write books worth reading? I hope to see you write one someday. Until then, keep the stories comin' man!

Thanks - Paul.

Lyndon's FBI rig as it looks today and at its new home in Wyoming.

Bill, That looks very nice you have done a great job bring it with next time you are out. We could sure do some kind of a trade....... were you able to fit all of Coopers money in back at one time or did you have to make two trips?

Hey, don't be trying to buy my snocat from mtntopper, I get first dibbs when he sells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mbsieg said:

Hey, don't be trying to buy my snocat from mtntopper, I get first dibbs when he sells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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HOLD THE PHONE !!!! I already own 2 lugnuts on the rig and nobody is messing around or selling my nuts without my permission !

Hey BigAl what are your nuts worth these days??????

boggie said:

Bill, That looks very nice you have done a great job bring it with next time you are out. We could sure do some kind of a trade....... were you able to fit all of Coopers money in back at one time or did you have to make two trips?

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Actually, Lyndon did the great job. I have only had to mount the two strobes, interior 12 volt accessory plug, weatherstrip, battery disconnect and build a solid mount setup for the battery. I have spent considerable time polishing the TracMaster, all but two lug nuts which belong to BigAl.

I also have another keeper that I got from Lyndon. The 1960 Kitten will be going into the shop next fall for a complete "looksee" and new paint. That will be another rebuild thread for next fall/winter even though it needs very little work. I plan on just completely checking it out and adding new paint and a few improvements.

The little 1960 Tucker Kitten below may of been DB Coopers escape vehicle?? Only Lyndon may know for sure. I hope I find the money when I tear the seat cushions out next fall.

mbsieg said:

Hey BigAl what are your nuts worth these days??????

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Well.... According to my wife .... Not much....

This is a true story, The Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

A certain Inspector, working on an undisclosed pipeline in the Northern Hemisphere, and a certain Snow Cat that once belonged to a certain Federal Agency. One fine spring day this inspector happens to run into a "Head Hauntcho" of the unnamed pipeline, and quizzes him about the possibility of obtaining some Company Decals. This inspector restores and shows his restored Snow Cats at Vintage meets and thinks it would add a dressed up look to one of his machines. But the director of maintence informs him that these are serial numbered, assigned to specific equipment, and would be impossible to get. A few months later at an undisclosed location, a pumping facility along this pipeline, a certain maintence person forgets his personal car keys in his office and drives a hundred miles back to "Town". Un able to get into his car he calls the Pumping facility and manages to get ahold of the inspector. They search high and low and finally determine that his keys are locked up in his office at the pumping facility. No one there has a key to his office. So a mechanic and the inspector manage to break into his office and the inspector takes the keys to "Town", and returns them to the owner.

A few weeks later the Inspector "runs" into the "Head Hauntcho" who behind his back hands him on old empty toilet paper roll and says "you didn't get these from me". From that point on the inspector was careful not to "Show" a certain Ex-Federal Agency Snow Cat in THAT state, chosing to display it in other states. And now you know "The Rest of The Story".

Lyndon said:

One fine spring day this inspector happens to run into a "Head Hauntcho" of the unnamed pipeline, and quizzes him about the possibility of obtaining some Company Decals.

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Would these be the company decals? Alyeska pipeline

Have to "Plead the 5th".

(Story starts at post #17) Alyeska scrapes off the decals before they sell a piece of machinery so that no one can use it that is not authorized. There have been at least 2 attempts to sabotage the pipeline that actually resulted in damage: A guy who hated the pipeline placed a small 'Shape Charge' on it but all it did was blow a hole in the outer insulation. Another attempt with a 'Shape charge' did actually blow a dime size hole in the pipe resuling in a leak. Yet another party shot a hole in it. In 2 of these cases the offending party was tried, convicted and sent to jail.

The Alaska Pipeline is governed by a consortium of 4 or more oil companies as well as the JPO> The Joint Pipeline Office is made up of about 17 Federal and State agencies: The National Forest Service, National Wildlife Service, National Park Service, BLM(Bureau of Land Management), The Federal DOT, The State of Alaska DOT, The FBI(under a National Security Act), the CIA(under a National Assurities Act), Fish & Game, a Federal Labor Board, a state of Alaska Labor board, the EPA, The DEP, DEC and that's all I can remember. I used to be able to recite them all. In any event it is inspected from end to end DAILY, by security in trucks, Flown over Daily by planes and helicopters, and watched by sattellite. They have more elaborate security than the Military bases I just finished doing security upgrades for.

One day this Inspector rolls into one of the 12 Pump Stations, and after "Badging-in" goes to grab some coffee from the guard shack. While chatting with the guard the phone rings. It's some "guy's" that are a bit reluctant to actually say who they are, but they indicate that: 2 Hunters have a fire going UNDER the pipeline down along mile such and such, and that they are drinking "Treefrog Beer, and that they have an Irish Setter with them. These "Guy's" were actually millitary personell operating a "DEW Line Site". These are radar outposts all along the Alaska and Canadian coast line that are part of the Early Warning System, in case the Russians ever fired missles at us. The "in the know" nickname for this years ago was "WHITE ALICE".

Meanwhile back at the Alyeska Pipeline Trucks are rolling from the 2 pump stations North and South of where the Hunters have been spotted. Also the Helicopter was dispatched. It was a rainy, drizzly day and the 2 hunters were using the pipeline as a shelter as there are no trees that far north. They were instructed in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS to put out the fire and set up camp elsewhere!

At this particular location the Pipeline is about 15 Feet off the ground, and there wasn't even much soot on the pipe from their little fire. Still the Idea of building a fire under a pipeline that is operating at 1000PSI and delivers over a Million Barrels(44Gallons@) a day just isn't a good idea! Anyway later that evening the security guy's and the inspector were recounting the event and asked: "How did those GI's know that the hunters were drinking "Treefrog Beer", and that they had an Irish Setter with them?

Yeah, they were and they did! Needless to say the Sattellite Resolution is a bit better than they are willing to admit to.

Well I didnt find any hidden cash in my Thiokol.

Here are some shots taken last weekend of the FBI Rig at 4,500 feet in its home in Alaska.

Man that is such a nice snowcat!

That snowcat looks great in her new home !!!