Snow Tractors and other

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Received the following in email... comments?

Hi My father has a restored M7 Snow Tractor and now has a M19 trailer. He needs specs. for the canopy so he can have one made to complete the trailer Would you let me know if you have something or if you know of anyone that may have it. Thank you XXXXXXXXX, Iowa Falls.Iowa USA

[gordon]

M19's came in about three slightly different flavours. There was a very early production unit, about 1944, then there was the production batch of 1944-45, and another batch of very slightly different ones made in 1950 - basically they fixed some of the weak points on the 1944 versions.

Most of the remaining usable trailers came from the 150 M19's sent to Norway around 1950 for use behind Weasels, and came back in the last fifteen years or so, and they have spread out through Europe and back to Canada and the US. About 75% of the survivors are from the 1950 batch and 25% from the 1944 batch, which pretty much mirrors what I have here - two 1950 units, one 1944 unit, and one 1950 unrestored with some 1944 parts on it. All the remaining original canvas covers I would guess are from the 1950 production. That shot above shows my two 1950 trailers with the original covers on and my 1944 trailer hitched at the rear with a made-up cover.

The covers themselves are works of art and would certainly cost more to make than the trailer. Don't believe me? Well take two canvas covers, one green canvas and one white canvas, and quilt them back to back with thermal insulation between. Then put a front flap, a back flap and four side windows in it - made the same way, plus inner and outer fasteners for lashings - then cover the roof with metal plates and flaps sewn in so that the various engine starters and heater unit exhausts and intakes don't scorch the cover and you are about there. Of course you'd have to do it accurately since the whole thing is reversible for the green or white outer and everything has to fit.

I think I have a factory reference shot for a '44 production unit here;



I'm certainly willing to help out with pictures and the odd dimension, but I'd think that actually taking one off and detailling it properly would be a very major undertaking indeed - a day or two's work I think.

.. and the asker was secret too? Iowa ?? Clell Ballard maybe ? Sean would know as he has the M7 owners list.

G

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Thanks, Gordon... I had a feeling yon Scots git might be useful for something! I've sent this person the url for the thread.