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Snow Trac ST4 Ambulance

N

NorCal

New member
Hello gang, I just picked up a Snow Trac ST4 (serial# 1948) here in Northern California. The owner said that it was an Ambulance used on the Alaska Pipeline. I was wondering what the differences might be, I am new to this toy. It does have an extra opening rear door where a stretcher might slide in. Will get some pics up this weekend, it's raining right now. Thanks for any info.
Chris NorCal
 
let's see some pics if the rear tracks extend past the rear of the rig it was a snow master I believe most of the alyeska snow tracs were actual snow masters the data plate will asso denote it is an st-4b seems a lot of those had 5 band tracks cut down to 3 band configurations
 
I have seen a couple different Snow Trac ambulances, each had 2 rear doors for stretcher access. The right side seat was also slightly altered. Pictures could confirm the alterations. Honestly I have no clue if the factory made the units as ambulances or if they were altered after they were built.
 
This is my Snow-Trac #2213
 

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Villi, that is EXACTLY the door configuration that I have seen used as ambulances!

Can we see an INSIDE photo of the right side bench seat in your Snow Trac?
 
Thanks for the picture Villi, I thought I remembered yours had been an ambulance.
 
It was a Alyeska machine. After being auctioned of it belonged to 2 guys jointly. One was a Colonel at Ft. Wainwright and the other was a deliver guy. The delivery guy delivered Propane for many years, and then switched to driving for UPS. They lived across the street from each other on the edge of a WW2 runway used to train pilots. Each had a bush plane right at his house. They took the ambulance out for one hunt and beat it up badly enough that they never took it out again. They spent a good deal on fixing it up and used it to groom the runway so that they could land their bush planes with skiis. They dragged a phone pole behind it as a roller to get out the ruts created by 4 wheelers and snowmobiles. Since Chuck, the delivery guy had driven all over alaska making deliveries, he knew where every snow cat in a 200 mile radius was, and usually the owners name. I sat in his living room franticly writing down all the directions for many hours on match book covers, napkins, paper bags,....
Chuck and the Colonel were both retiring when I purchased the machine. I brought it to Washington and played with it for many years, it de-tracked once, which I have on video tape, up near White Pass, and Broke a leaf spring, which I replaced with a complete new spring set. Eventually I sold it to Chuck Wagner, in Northern California, who used it to access his cabin. We stayed in contact for some years. On one ocassion he said he was taking Clint Eastwood for a ride in it to look at some property that was being considered for a new ski area. The next owner did contact me, but I don't remember his name. So now you know a bit about the history of your machine. When I got it from the UPS/Propane guy & the Colonel I was an inspector for the Trans Alaska Pipeline,(Tapps), and they had sold off the entire fleet of Snow Trac's and Snow Masters. I went to all 12 (actually 11, no pump station where Pump 11 should be) pump stations maintenance departments and the Valdez Marine Terminal, and got the service manuals that had failed to make it with the Snow Trac's when they were auctioned off. Alyeska switched over to Tucker Sno-Cats in 83, and purchased between 40 and 44 machines, likely one of the biggest single custome sales in the history of the company.
The UPS/Propane Delivery guy & the Colonel took good care of it, and put alot of money into it.
I put alot of time, energy, and new parts into it, and always dilligently greesed it after every trip.
Chuck Wagner Loved it, and also put a lot of time in to maintenance.
Of all it's owners these 4 took pretty good care of it.
As for the matchbooks, bags and napkins, I eventually went to every location and tracked down and spoke with almost all of the owners.
 
There's More!
I have some fantastic video of Ron Hoffman, in his White '63 Snow Trac, Earl Lasher, in his Blue '60 Snow Trac, and myself in the Ambulance, blasting around in this little meadow up at about 5000' in the cascades. Red, White, and Blue! 3 feet of snow all throwing up 'rooster-tails'. We dug a big hole in the snow, sort of a throne shaped seat, so that one could sit with the top of your head just below the snow surface, then we set up ski poles as guides and Ron would sit in the hole filming, while we drove right over him! We did it several times, once with a wide angle lense, the rest with with a regular lense. It was when we were turning it around for another shot that it de-tracked so Ron ended up getting the whole thing on film. His brother played in a band and Ron edited the Video and added the bands music and gave out copies. I'm pretty sure I sent one to Bob S. the forums founder. It took us until late in the evening, well after dark, to get the track back on. Fortunately Ron's cabin is just a few miles away. The Meadow was a bit of a bowl and we zipped around like 3 motorcycles in one of those cage spheres crossing over each others tracks. Ron came up with this catchy title for the video, something like Fast Track Earl, Cool Track Ron, and One Track Lyndon. I was so embarrassed about de-tracking it that I used to edit out that part of the video, especially to potential buyers. The end off one of the leaf springs had broken, when we didn't even know so the track was running loose. After we detracked and discovered the problem, got the track back on, we ended up driving out, about 5 miles, with the broken spring, with no further complications. Shortly there after I started having my own New leaf spring sets made by a spring specialty company.
 
The Polar Bear License Plate, that is my Avatar, originally was featured on the Ambulance. Good times in ST4# 1948!
 
Lyndon,is this the one you got with the ambulance gear you were telling me about?
 
No I accumulated the gear over several years. I even got some Swiss flags for it. The Swiss flag is the reverse of the "Red Cross", it's a white cross on a Red background. The Red Cross originated in Switzerland. I gave most of the medical stuff to the next owner. I had oxygen cylinders, a knee brace, back board, neck brace, a huge medical kit,....
Most of Alyeska's machines were equipped with the Ambulance doors. It was a feature that they requested. Only one or two were Snow Masters. The wood deck trailer that they used to haul one of the late model snow masters resided at Pump 11's control building for many years after they liquidated the fleet. It still had the distinctive "Crows-Foot" or "Herring-Bone" alternating grouser pattern marking up the wood, 10 years later, when I inspected there.
Snow Tracs, Snow Masters, and Trac Masters have doors hinged on the right. All the Ambulances I've seen had the door hinged on the left to accomodate the strecher on the right side of the ambulance. It's longer as there is no operator in the way.
 
WHAT THEY WERE USED FOR
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the owner/operating authority of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is actually a consortium of other oil companies overseen by 17 federal and state agency's. I used to be able to recite them all: National Park Service, National Forest Service, National Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, BLM, DEP, FBI, CIA,DOT (US), DOT(AK), DOL(FED),DOL(AK),... well I only got 12, but you get the Idea. It's pretty tightly regulated and kept "Spit Shine Perfect". It's 48 inch pipe, with a half in wall thickness, then it has insualation and an outer protective metal jacket where it is run above ground, and a bunch of layers of anti corrosion protection where it is buried. I have an actual segment in my porch at home in Washington that was a "test weld". The pipeline is 800 miles long, and has fairly close to 800 river and road crossings all requiring regular inspection. There are also, at regular intervals huge valves so that if there ever was a problem they can shut it down and limit the spilage. There are 125, 48" Gate, and Check Valves. Of these 63 are "Remote",.. and I mean REMOTE All these valves and bridges need servicing and inspection and it is much easier to look at the foundation of a bridge in the winter when every thing is frozen, than try to climb around on it in the summer when you might fall in the water and get wet. Also the river levels are lower in the winter so you get a better view of the foundation.
 
WOW!! So Lyndon I must have your old machine, It was used for remote cabin access here in NORCAL, what a small world. I would love see old pictures and video of her if you have any. Here are some pics, lousy ones, it was pouring rain all weekend.



 


Lyndon,Did it have a winch when you had it?
Thank you for all the info you gave, glad that it was maintained well. Got it running this weekend and moved it around the driveway a bit. Need to pull both tanks and clean them out and then put new wheel cylinders in so it has breaks (Does anyone know what VW wheel cylinders they are?). After lots of greasing I think I will take it out on it's first ride in about tens years.
 
By golly I would have to say that is it. When I have more time I need to read that whole thread.
Lyndon I can see that you have dedicated alot of time with Snow Tracs and others. #1948 is in good hands, I also have been collecting old VW's for 25 years or so, and also vintage snowmobiles so the Snow Trac seemed like a great way to combine both hobbys.
Jim thanks for posting that link. How neat is it to see the same one back in its former glory!!!:clap:
 
others are in that picture. I think someone here owns the j5. my st4 is in it.
the kristy owner may wish to remain anonymous.
 
like Big Al's it never ran ,a kid working for me looked at that pic and figured that Lyndon must have had a pretty good job. I told him no he just didn't have a wife and kids.
 
NorCal said:
By golly I would have to say that is it. When I have more time I need to read that whole thread.
Lyndon I can see that you have dedicated alot of time with Snow Tracs and others. #1948 is in good hands, I also have been collecting old VW's for 25 years or so, and also vintage snowmobiles so the Snow Trac seemed like a great way to combine both hobbys.
Jim thanks for posting that link. How neat is it to see the same one back in its former glory!!!:clap:
Click to expand...
Ever Play Mille Borne? it's the french car/board game, sort of like racing a car on a monopoly board.mille_bornes.jpg
By being the proud owner of an "Oval" you have essentially earned the equivalent of all the "Ace" cards in Mille Bourne. They were really more like Jokers, there was "Puncture_Proof", so that when you landed on a flat tire you were exempt, and there was "Driving Ace" that would exempt one from an Accident. You are the PERFECT OWNER for a Snow Trac! In one or more of the many articles I've written about Snow Trac's I point out to potential owners:" Either you need to BE and old time VW Hippie, or you need to know one!
 
Lyndon I spent the whole night reading over all your threads on the ST4, Thank you for taking the time to write down all the useful information, way better than a manual, It's written by a normal person that actually has gotten there hands dirty and knows the dos and donts. You are like the John Muir of Snow Tracs.......
I'm gonna pull out my 57 single cab out of the garage this weekend and put the ambulance in it's place so I can get it ready for the snow, if we ever get any, California is experiencing the worst drought in over 100 years :sad:

 
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