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A very old Snow cat from Wise river MT.

berg

berg

Member
Saw this a few years ago in Montana( Wise river or Wisdom MT. as I recall)... can't remember much about it now...
maybe someone can chime in and tell us what it is and about how old.
 

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Rats. I rolled through there last year and didn't see it. Some of my crew will be rolling through there in the next few months, so I'll put them on alert. :thumb:
 
No clue. But I do recall the old Allis Chalmers tractor company made some tracked snow vehicles. I can't see the grill on that thing but I wonder if maybe it might be an AC?
 
Here is the complete history of the M7 Snow Tractor: http://www.geocities.com/grnegnham2001/Allis_Chalmers_M7_Snow_Tractor.html

There is much more on the page linked above, but here is the introduction:
ALLIS CHALMERS T26E4 WITH M19 TRAILER

The M7 is a half-tracked vehicle with interchangeable wheels and skis for the front steering axle. The power is from a Willys L-head four cylinder engine. The power is transmitted to the track through a standard Willys gear box, transfer case and a narrowed Willys driving axle. The track is driven off the rear axle indirectly by a chain driving the front drive sprocket on the track carrier.

Only 291 M7's were ever built and all of them were manufactured in 1944. It appears that the first 100 or so were manufactured with a cast rear axle housing when production switched to brass rear axle housings. Like most vehicles manufactured during the war there are probably minor changes that took place from the start of production to the conclusion of the contract. This being said, there was likely little variation due to the short production run

According to the TM 9-774 the track exerts only 3/4 of a pound of pressure per square inch , making it light footed indeed.The track is of the same type as found on the Studebaker Weasel. It has track shoes rivetted on to a rubber vulcanised steel cable carrier which is endless. This means that shoes cannot be removed to shorten the track and when it reaches its maximum length it must be replaced by a new one. The track also has a layer of rubber bonded on to it to prevent ice and slush from freezing to it . The M7's seating is for two people in a tandem arrangement and there is a rudimentary system for heating the passenger compartment. The exhaust manifold is boxed in and has openings at the front so the engine fan can force air over the hot manifold and through the rear and in to the passenger compartment. One report from a private owner says it is more than adequate. With the addition of an engine blanket , the engine compartment would be almost sealed and the bulk of excess heat would be forced in to the occupants compartment. This, of course, would necessitate that there were no exhaust leaks or it too would find its way to the riders. The The driver sits above the fuel tank and has all the controls and gauges in front of him. He is able to steer using a standard steering wheel but can assist that by braking either track independantly like a tractor.There is a foot pedal throttle and also a steering column throttle, again like a tractor.

For cold weather starting the M7 has several devices. The most simple being a hand choke , primer pump and throttle lever. Under the hood there is a Superfex gasoline engine pre-heater that can be fired to warm up the coolant before starting. The exhaust stack extending out of the hood is, in fact, a flue for the furnace not an exhaust for the engine. The engine exhaust exits through the bottom of the engine compartment.​
Click to expand...
 
berg said:
you are right... I just googled M7 snow cat and got this
Click to expand...

I knew some folks who had one of these when I was a kid. We used to take it to Emerald Bay (Lake Tahoe) before they plowed the road on that side of the lake. It was basically all Jeep running gear.
 
The M7 has been a town landmark for 20 some years at least. A local drove it to the bar and parked it and it sat there for 15 plus years. The bar changed hands a couple times and the out-of-state owner's would argue about who actually owned the M7 out front. A previous bar owner hauled it home for several years and it caused quite a stir. He was willing to sell it one day and wouldn't think of it the next. (depending on his blood-alcohol level) Finally he sold it to a local who parked it back in front of the bar on the principle it was being returned to it's rightful home. He still owns it and has no intention of parting with it. They had to move it next door to the location in the photo when the state paved and widened the highway out front and that encompased the street right up to the bar. What was interesting (and sad) is one day I was in the bar talking to the current owner of the M7 who happened to be in there and by coincidence the son of the rancher who had originally brought the machine to the area some 30 or 40 years before. He told me they had had a pair of brand new spare tracks for the M7 laying around the ranch all these years and had finally taken them to the dump about a year prior. I almost fell off the stool. I had heard the tracks are the rarest part of an M7 as the rest is Jeep running gear. I inquired if they might still be somewhere at the dump or if it was a transfer station or what. No chance. Gone. Forever.
 
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