# Steve's Katrack



## Moose Guy

Steve Petraist just picked up another track rig to add to his growing list. It is a 1969 Katrack originally built in Oregon. These units were in contention for work on the Alyeska Pipeline but, as most of you know, Tucker won the contract. It is rumored that there are 4 units in Alaska which the company sold after not winning the Alyeska bid. This particular unit was owned by a friend of my father as a moose hunting rig for years. Recently, the unit was retrieved from Glenallen so the road back to Palmer is always an interesting experience.

Here it is sitting all alone in a yard for of old cars and trucks.

Here's the proud papa and his new bouncing baby snow cat! 

Here's the proud papa changing a tire on the trailer carrying his bouncing baby snow cat while 2 other ATA members wait to 'assist' him! 

Steve has plans on enclosing the cab to get rid of the open air feeling. Obviously from the looks of the interior, this snow cat is all business!

The unit articulates with most of the parts available from your local parts store. They can also take a lot of water. Proof being these cats used to cross the upper Copper River which is not for the faint at heart.


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## Melensdad

I hope we get to see all the progress documented here with photos!


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## edward from Maine

Hey Steve 
A far cry from your d 7 in Newport years ago!!!
EB


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## loggah

Seems like any time a snocat retrieval  happens,flat tires on trailers happen !! tomato plants in the back of that one !


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## 3512b

and I packed everything except a jack!

 and it couldn't have happen on a worse part of the glen highway!


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## redsqwrl

*Glad it is just not me.*
I just dug a hole on the side of the highway myself......

had a flat at speed. (front left)
Had a spare.
the spare had air in it!
had a lug wrench.

some Einstein left the high lift jack under the trailer two hours away, no point in pulling an empty trailer around, I'll just leave it here and make my run.

wife leans out of the truck and declares her tire is going flat..... I lean out my door and look at my tire and it is flat.... (79' IH SSII, doesnt have doors)

*Worst part*

I was on a busy highway, that had many of my offroad racing buddies hauling their race rigs home from the spring TORC series race at crandon use to get back home.
There I was Block of fire wood under the axle..... digging a hole to get the spare on....

Mike


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## 3512b

with the help of divine intervention and being in the right place at the right time my big toy arrived home, the neighbors just love the sound of that Detroit and just wish it didn't have a muffler so they could enjoy it more. I had to swear I would not start it before 10 am or be run out of the neighborhood.
Cant wait for it to freze so I can run it up and down the road....

wonder if I can run it threw the drive threw at McDonalds'

there was a bunch of snow cats on the street that day!


thank Craig and Gary!


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## sno-drifter

Sweet trailer Steve. And the tires all look to have air. So I see red, yellow, where is the orange?


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## 3512b

the orange in in the house, on a cool t shirt a nice lady gave me at MT Hood last April.......


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## 300 H and H

If this rig has a Detroit diesel, your going to need LOTS of sound deadener in and around the cab if you want to ride in it for very long. Especially if it is being worked by the load on it. 

I was just standing not long ago along side of a White/Oliver "mighty tow" construction tractor with a 4-71 and a "mega" open pipe on it while the owner punished it brutally for 20 minutes on a PTO dyno. Talk about noise, I couldn't get rid of the ringing in my ears for a while afterwards... 

Regards, Kirk


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## loggah

The noise factor was probably one of the reasons tucker won the contract. Maybe a perkipillar engine will end up in it!


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## Snowcat Operations

Oh yah its loud but man you sure know its one bad ass machine heading towards you!


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## Snowtrac Nome

3512b said:


> with the help of divine intervention and being in the right place at the right time my big toy arrived home, the neighbors just love the sound of that Detroit and just wish it didn't have a muffler so they could enjoy it more. I had to swear I would not start it before 10 am or be run out of the neighborhood.
> Cant wait for it to freze so I can run it up and down the road....
> 
> wonder if I can run it threw the drive threw at McDonalds'
> 
> there was a bunch of snow cats on the street that day!
> 
> 
> thank Craig and Gary!


yes i had to spread some gravel the other day in my parking area used my terex L-30 6V71 with a muffler, i think the guts are blown out. for me its nice and quiet as long as one wears good ear muffs. Detroit's sound good at start up but at wide open throttle they get old quick


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