Another article from Revivaler. Interesting website for lots of various and unusual vehicles, mostly cars, but also has articles about outdoors, guns, gear, etc. I have to admit I've only dug through parts of the website but I also recommend looking on your own. Lots of interesting stuff.
There are too many images for me to post the entire article here. You can see all the images at the link:
The Monarch Sno-Motor started out being used to transport goods but was also re-purposed to transport people up to the ski slopes.
The Snow-Motor towed this passenger sled to convey skiers and snow boarders up to the ski slopes.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the dedication of Timberline Lodge (Picture courtesy U.S. Forest Service. Picture by George Henderson).
Mt. Hood and Timberline Lodge, here seen in 1943. (Picture courtesy U.S. Forest Service. Picture by George Henderson).
There are too many images for me to post the entire article here. You can see all the images at the link:
1938 Monarch Sno-Motor - Revivaler
Fast Facts The unique Monarch Sno-Motor was designed by the US Forest Service of Portland, Oregon. It was originally intended for carrying wood and was adapted to carry skiers up to the ski slopes of Timberline...
revivaler.com
1938 Monarch Sno-Motor
By Jon C. BranchAugust 25, 20223min read
Fast Facts
- The unique Monarch Sno-Motor was designed by the US Forest Service of Portland, Oregon.
- It was originally intended for carrying wood and was adapted to carry skiers up to the ski slopes of Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.
- The Sno-Motor was made by Monarch Forge & Machine Works – Portland, Oregon and powered by a Hercules flathead 6-cylinder engine.
The Monarch Sno-Motor
The Monarch Sno-Motor started out being used to transport goods but was also re-purposed to transport people up to the ski slopes.Sometimes machinery that was originally intended for utilitarian use has its fun potential seen by some creative person and finds a whole new lease on life giving enjoyment. Such was the case for the Sno-Motor built by Monarch Forge and Machine Works of Portland Oregon.
The Sno-Motor was originally conceived as a light truck for transporting cargo, mostly timber, across the snow to and around the construction site for the new Timberline Lodge.
But the Sno-Motor was also able to be used as passenger transport and when the Timberline Lodge opened it was re-purposed as a “fun machine” for carrying people up to the ski slopes. Some would ride in the passenger trailer while others would attach a line to the rear of the trailer and be towed on their skis up to the slopes.
The Snow-Motor towed this passenger sled to convey skiers and snow boarders up to the ski slopes.Mt. Hood Timberline Lodge
The Mt. Hood Timberline Lodge was created during the second half of the 1930’s as the world recovered from the effects of the Great Depression. It was a symbol of hope, hope that the exigencies of the Depression would all be in the past and that Americans could freely enjoy their lives in the pursuit of happiness – and there are few things more able to give a sense of excitement and happiness than skiing and snow sports.
The Timberline Lodge was constructed between 1936-1938 up at an elevation of 6,000 feet (1,829 metres) in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the dedication of Timberline Lodge (Picture courtesy U.S. Forest Service. Picture by George Henderson).This elevation served to ensure that the lodge experienced snow for the full twelve months of the year – and thus provided a yearlong environment for the enjoyment of snow sports: Mt. Hood having a height of 11,240 feet (3,426 metres).
The construction was done using materials naturally available at the construction site as much as possible. The skilled labour was provided under the Works Progress Administration, which was a program provided under the American New Deal which saw unemployed people gain employment on government projects. Of the total cost of building the Timberline Lodge around 80% went to pay for the labour of the workers doing the construction.
Mt. Hood and Timberline Lodge, here seen in 1943. (Picture courtesy U.S. Forest Service. Picture by George Henderson).A Unique Antique of American History
There is only one surviving Monarch Sno-Motor and it has been treated to a full and detailed restoration by the renowned Schaaf Tractor and Truck Museum.
If you would like to find out more about the Monarch Sno-Motor or the other items from the Schaaf Museum coming up for auction by Mecum Auctions you can visit the sale page here.
There is a detailed article by the Mecum Magazine about George Schaaf and his collection “From Power Hitter to Prairie Power available to read here.
Picture credits: (All pictures of the 1938 Monarch Sno-Motor courtesy Mecum Auctions).
