Snowcat
Object
2008.3.1
J5 Tractor
1954 Bombardier tractor (Snow Cat), serial # 1327332. Info found on data plate on PR side of motor: Model J5, Chassis A 21 M, Series Motor 22653, No. Commande (Order Number?) 12896, Date Manufactured: 2 12 54. 55 year old groomer, tracked vehicle used by Yukon Energy and the KSA in Yukon. Used on Whitehorse trails. Jim Corner, 667-7680, klonsnow@yknet.ca
Jim Connor visited YTM on July 4, 2008 to talk about the artifact. He brought in the original operator's manual, a couple photos, an email from Jim Grattan, Yukon Electrical Customer Service Manager, sanctioning the disposition of the Snow Cat to the Museum, a photocopy of the bill of sale, and contact information for Al Coates who used to operate and maintain the vehicle. Coates now lives in Penticton.
(Info from Al Coates - email text corrected for grammar and condensed.)
'I volunteered hundreds of hours keeping the snow cat alive for the KSA in past years. The machine is of early 1950s vintage and the serial number is extremely low (in the twenties. NB: Not sure what he means by this.) It was purchased by Yukon Electric and spent many years building power pole lines in the Yukon.
'The Snow Cat sat in storage at the MacIntyre Creek hydro plant for many years in a state of disuse ( white paint peeling, seat stuffing eaten and packed off by mice etc.) In about 1995 The KSA purchased the Snow Cat for $1.00 on the condition it be fixed up and used. It received its new yellow and black paint job thanks to A1 Autobody. A new upholstered seat really perked up the interior. This is when I came into the picture as operator and maintenance volunteer. A groomer to pull behind it was purchased new from Marcel Grooming in Ontario, delivered to the Yukon on a Skidoo shipment to Yukon Honda. The new groomer needed hydraulics to operate so I built a hydraulic system into Fluffy.
'Gerry Berube did the welding to attach the groomer to the back of Snow Cat. The first winter of operation I discovered the swamp tracks on Fluffy did not have the traction to climb hills on the trails and getting stuck was common. The second summer the outer tracks were modified to get more grip and this worked well.
‘The second winter the engine developed a bad knock and my garage became a engine rebuild site. The next three winters Fluffy was used mostly for grooming the Whitehorse Copper Haul road from Porter Creek, Trails North to Mount Sima, and up the Coal Lake road ascent to the top of the mountain overlooking Whitehorse.
‘When I retired to the Okanagan in 2003/2004 winter Fluffy was used only once more in 2004/5 winter by another operater and retired.
'Re: the 'real story' of the nickname "Fluffy the Cat." KSA president (the late) Peter Greenlaw was at a big Canada-wide snowmobile convention. With Ontario and Quebec having 100s of thousands of snowmobilers and huge trail making budgets, he felt overwhelmed with Yukon's few hundred members and small budget for trails.
'He came up with the comparison that for the Yukon to be represented we must be like a cat with fluffs up to present a larger image in the presence of the 'big dogs.' For some reason we always gave our club snowmobiles and Snow Cats( Brutus, Taz, Big Blue, Fluffy ) cat names afterwards.'
Further from Jim Connor: The Snow Cat was retired for several reasons. When Al Coates left the Yukon, there was no one around who really knew how to run the machine or fix it. It became a bit of a safety issue as the brakes had to be disabled in order to run the cat with the drag. It also became very costly for fuel as the price of gas started to rise, and the Snowmobile Association soon realized that it would be more cost effective to groom the trails using 2 snow machines.
KSA also felt that since Yukon Electrical had for all intents and purposes 'given' the snow cat to the Association (for $1), it was important to include them in the decision to give the machine to the Museum. This idea was met with approval by YE.
(Info from Al Coates - email text corrected for grammar and condensed.)
'I volunteered hundreds of hours keeping the snow cat alive for the KSA in past years. The machine is of early 1950s vintage and the serial number is extremely low (in the twenties. NB: Not sure what he means by this.) It was purchased by Yukon Electric and spent many years building power pole lines in the Yukon.
'The Snow Cat sat in storage at the MacIntyre Creek hydro plant for many years in a state of disuse ( white paint peeling, seat stuffing eaten and packed off by mice etc.) In about 1995 The KSA purchased the Snow Cat for $1.00 on the condition it be fixed up and used. It received its new yellow and black paint job thanks to A1 Autobody. A new upholstered seat really perked up the interior. This is when I came into the picture as operator and maintenance volunteer. A groomer to pull behind it was purchased new from Marcel Grooming in Ontario, delivered to the Yukon on a Skidoo shipment to Yukon Honda. The new groomer needed hydraulics to operate so I built a hydraulic system into Fluffy.
'Gerry Berube did the welding to attach the groomer to the back of Snow Cat. The first winter of operation I discovered the swamp tracks on Fluffy did not have the traction to climb hills on the trails and getting stuck was common. The second summer the outer tracks were modified to get more grip and this worked well.
‘The second winter the engine developed a bad knock and my garage became a engine rebuild site. The next three winters Fluffy was used mostly for grooming the Whitehorse Copper Haul road from Porter Creek, Trails North to Mount Sima, and up the Coal Lake road ascent to the top of the mountain overlooking Whitehorse.
‘When I retired to the Okanagan in 2003/2004 winter Fluffy was used only once more in 2004/5 winter by another operater and retired.
'Re: the 'real story' of the nickname "Fluffy the Cat." KSA president (the late) Peter Greenlaw was at a big Canada-wide snowmobile convention. With Ontario and Quebec having 100s of thousands of snowmobilers and huge trail making budgets, he felt overwhelmed with Yukon's few hundred members and small budget for trails.
'He came up with the comparison that for the Yukon to be represented we must be like a cat with fluffs up to present a larger image in the presence of the 'big dogs.' For some reason we always gave our club snowmobiles and Snow Cats( Brutus, Taz, Big Blue, Fluffy ) cat names afterwards.'
Further from Jim Connor: The Snow Cat was retired for several reasons. When Al Coates left the Yukon, there was no one around who really knew how to run the machine or fix it. It became a bit of a safety issue as the brakes had to be disabled in order to run the cat with the drag. It also became very costly for fuel as the price of gas started to rise, and the Snowmobile Association soon realized that it would be more cost effective to groom the trails using 2 snow machines.
KSA also felt that since Yukon Electrical had for all intents and purposes 'given' the snow cat to the Association (for $1), it was important to include them in the decision to give the machine to the Museum. This idea was met with approval by YE.