Armoured Snowmobile manual

[David Dunlop]

Following on Bob's idea, it would make sense if Hanno could pool all Armoured Snowmobile and related Pengiun threads together considering the strong relationship between the two vehicles.

Based on your information, Bob, we can assume for the time being that of the original 11 Armoured Snowmobiles in the Canadian inventory, most or all were converted to Penguins in 1946 by Ottawa Car and Aircraft. Second, assuming none of these ever went back to a shop for a major change/rebuild, they could be unique and readily identifiable by data plates bearing the OC&A identification, and most if not all lower hull assemblies would show some sign of being cut down original armour plate.

If Canadian Arsenals then took on building more Penguins, two possibilities exist: more original Armoured Snowmobiles were reaquired and brought back to Canada for modification, and their lower hulls will also be cut down armour, but they will have CAL data plates, or CAL took original plans, modified the lower hull design and built essentially brand new vehicles from regular steel plate.

I wonder if any of the surviving Armoured Snowmobile manuals might indicate if hull numbers were ever stamped anywhere on the body of the vehicle itself, in a location that might have survived the conversion process? If so, Penguin owners could check their vehicles for surviving numbers and see if and how they might match up on the OC&A or CAL data plates.

David