Snow-Trac "F" numbers ?

[jask]

I am in the process of stripping the paint on ST193 and under the many layers of later paint I found the "F 44" had been painted under the drivers window on the original paint. I do recall having seen vintage pictures of Snow-tracs with these "F" numbers in the same location but have not been able to find any to post as an example.
Has anyone else seen this, and does anyone know the significance of the marking? I assume it was a fleet service or tracking number from one of the large teleco or commercial users but am now wondering if it was a manufacturers nmumber that was later covered before shipping?

 

[Melensdad]

If it was painted on top of the original paint then I would guess the original buyer used it as a designation number and added it after purchase, just like trucks and taxi cabs carry a number so the fleet manager can track them in their systems.

 

[nikos]

I am in the process of stripping the paint on ST193 and under the many layers of later paint I found the "F 44" had been painted under the drivers window on the original paint. I do recall having seen vintage pictures of Snow-tracs with these "F" numbers in the same location but have not been able to find any to post as an example.
Has anyone else seen this, and does anyone know the significance of the marking? I assume it was a fleet service or tracking number from one of the large teleco or commercial users but am now wondering if it was a manufacturers nmumber that was later covered before shipping?

Jack
We need fotos of this paint with the "F" under the drivers window.

Nikos

 

[Lyndon]

If it was painted on top of the original paint then I would guess the original buyer used it as a designation number and added it after purchase, just like trucks and taxi cabs carry a number so the fleet manager can track them in their systems.

This is a good guess.
Where do you live? Kamloops? B.C. Tell and N.W. Tell were previously both subsidiaries of CN, Canadian National Railways. Their second biggest collection of Snow Trac's and Snow Masters was in Kamloops. When scouting for Snow Trac's in the 90's I used to find machines around Kamloops that were all Ex- Telephone company. The head engineer for BC Tell out of St. George tipped me off on that. Many of them bore "Fleet-Numbers". Hands down the Canadian Railways and Telephone companies were the single largest customer of Westermaskiner. They purchased almost one fifth of the total production. I spoke with the purchasing agent for CNR who was pissed-off that he had over paid for Number 2315,... Last serial number on the serial number chart, last machine they ever purchased, and presumably the last machine built by Active. So "Melensdad" guess is "Right-on-point".

 

[jask]

not a very good picture as the numbers are worn, but the font is distinctive: