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Tuckers in Nashua, NH

DAVENET

Bronze Member
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While trying to find the street address for where the original east coast Tucker dealer was located (without luck), I came across this article from 1947 in the Nashua Telegraph. It's interesting how much the winters have shifted. You would have to have a very odd year to get that depth of snow on that mountain in December. Now it would be occurring late January - early February. :ermm: The last sentence is interesting as well . . .

"
DEC 31, 1947 Temperature, 36 Whether the weatherman was determined to leave a good impression, or what, this was a pretty decent day, especially in view of what had been forecast. It was moderate in the temperature line and, despite an uncertain morning; overcast, was due to be a fairly pleasant day -and night. High yesterday was 28 and this morning's low was 17, reports the Pennlchuck pumping j station. The forecast; Partly cloudy tonight , fair tomorrow. Little change in temperature.

DAVE GREGG TO DEMONSTRATE HIS SNO-CAT Tomorrow at the Nashua Country Club-

David A. Gregg, 2nd, is planning to give a demonstration at 2 in the afternoon of his Sno-Cat, which was the first 1 motor vehicle ever to climb Pack Monadnock last Sunday, when the owner, his daughter Carolyn and Austin W. Sanbom were its passengers in the climb to the summit. Mr. Gregg stated that during this pioneer attempt to scale Pack Monadnock through snow, he encountered from two to four feet of snow and the climb took 20 minutes. He said today he believed it requires 10 minutes for a car to climb the mountain in dry weather in the summer, These Sno-Cats, said Mr. Gregg, are designed to supplement ski tows where these are in operation, or to be used In areas where such tows are not practical, or where it is necessary to move equipment to meet changes in snow conditions, The Nashua man bought his vehicle in Oregon and it was delivered here last June. It was used it in the White Mountains prior to last Sunday's trip up Pack Monadnock. Mr. Gregg's Sno-Cat is not the first one to be demonstrated in New Hampshire, since last winter an attempt was made to climb Mt. Washington with one of them owned out of the state. It is expected that another attempt to climb Mt. Washington with a larger unit that will be made this winter, he said. A corporation is being formed for the assembly and distribution of those Sno-Cats in Plymouth, this state, said Mr. Gregg, with himself, Charles W Tobey, Jr, and Roy B, Doming as principals."
 

DAVENET

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Then another article from 'The Pycolog' shortly there after:

"
LINCOLN HOTEL NEWS​
Roy B. Deming of Plymouth, N. H.​
and his guests Mr. and Mrs. Charles​
Tobey, Jr. of Concord, N. H., Mr.​
Heath, David A. Gregg II of Nashua, N.​
H. and Mr. and Mrs. Tucker of the​
famous Tucker Sno-cats, of Medford,​
Oregon, were recent Lincoln Hotel visitors.​
Mr. Deming gave us a complete​
showing of the Sno-cat before proceeding​
to the Flume to show what it would​
do on real rough terrain. It was Mr. and​
Mrs. Tucker’s first visit east, and prior to​
leaving they expressed how much they​
enjoyed our New England hospitality.​
The Tuckers took some of our Marcal​
Hankies back west with them.

Sno-cat at famous Flume covered bridge




 

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Pontoon Princess

Cattitute
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mr davenet, wonderful post and info, the photo looks like a 524 and or 624 belonging to David A Gregg, he was the was the east coast dealer for years, and also the first dealer for Tucker, he purchased the first 524 and 624 that were built and sold by Tucker Sno-Cat in 1948. And the trailer is a 949, 25 passenger. thanks so much!!!
 

DAVENET

Bronze Member
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This ( http://www.leagle.com/decision/1963117922httcm1157_1952 ) is a typically long spiel of legaleze ramblings, but references one of the co- owners of the company Charles Tobey.

"
In about 1947, petitioner was advised by his physician that he was suffering from cancer of the lymph gland; and he was told that he had only about 2 years to live. At the time, petitioner was married and the father of two small children. His law practice was then small, and was not yielding him an income more than sufficient to care for his family. He became concerned that, if he became hospitalized for a prolonged period as the result of the cancerous condition, his family would have no means of support; and that if the cancer proved fatal, the family would be left destitute. Petitioner then resolved to explore every possibility of forming businesses of a commercial and non-legal nature, so that he might not only derive income currently from such businesses, but also so that if he were hospitalized the businesses might still pay him salaries, and if he should die that he would be able to pass his interests therein to his family.
Contrary to the prognosis of his physician, petitioner was cured of his cancer; and he was still alive and in good health at the time of the trial of this case.

In 1948, petitioner organized and became the owner of one-third of the capital stock of a corporation known as Sno-Cat Corporation of New Hampshire. Petitioner received his shares of stock in payment for his services in organizing the corporation; and he did not at any time invest any money in the Sno-Cat corporation. The business of the Sno-Cat corporation was the sale of the Tucker Sno-Cat, a heavy piece of tractor-like equipment, used principally for carrying people and equipment over snow-covered ground. It is also used widely by ski resorts in New Hampshire and other eastern localities for packing down the snow on ski trails. In the years immediately following the formation of the corporation, petitioner traveled extensively throughout New England in attempts to promote the use of the Sno-Cat, and in doing so incurred and paid, out of his own funds, the expenses of traveling in such promotion efforts. The only money which petitioner received for his services on behalf of the corporation was a legal fee of $1,000.
By 1957 the business of the Sno-Cat corporation had become highly profitable; and in 1958 (subsequent to the taxable year involved) petitioner formed a second corporation, Eastern Distributors, Inc., to purchase the Sno-Cat corporation. Petitioner was the sole stockholder of Eastern Distributors until 1961, when he sold a small portion of his stock herein to another party. Petitioner receives a salary of $30,000 per year as manager of Eastern Distributors."
 

DAVENET

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
You're quite welcome.

One of these rigs (1959 443) is actually just up the road from me. Owner wants to try to get it running again (on snow), but it's been stripped of it's tracks & pontoons. So, he has an almost impossible task.

It was originally run by Saratoga County (NY) Civil Defense. Luckily, someone thought it important to keep the dealer info on the unit during the repaints (2?).
 

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DAVENET

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Associated Press/file
WATERVILLE 1952 Three hardy residents of Waterville, N.H., arrived via “Snow Cat” to cast votes. All seven voters in the town marked their “X” for Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Waterville Inn, where they voted, is at right. In the background is Mount Kancamagus.
 

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DAVENET

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The Inn burned to the ground in 1968 after a kitchen fire.
 

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Pontoon Princess

Cattitute
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MR DAVENET, great photo and post card, wonderful find and thanks for posting these, tuckerville, tucker does have a great history in the northeast
 

sno-drifter

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"Next Larger Edition" 524?

The same problem occurs with 524's and 424's as with 443's and 743's; Tucker proportioned them so well that they are hard to tell apart unless the two machines are side by side. The 524 machine has more track rollers(33) than the 424(31) and 2" wider tracks. The width of a 524 Sno-Cat is the same as a 743. If you see a front angle shot, the flip down front wheel assy. on a 424 is one piece. On a 524 each front wheel flips separately, no axle between front wheels. The Cascade Cat we got from Norcal has stainless steel pontoons, top, bottom, and sides.
 

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Track Addict

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Great info. Too bad most of the old hotels like that in NH have burned the same way. Think just the Mountain View grand, the Mt Washington, and Balsams(which is closed due to contamination nobody can afford to clean up).

Good find!
 

loggah

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
Well today i bought the Waterville valley tucker mentioned in the above article. I got it of a family member of the second owner in Holderness N.H.
This machine has always been used in the Waterville valley area It was bought new in 1949 by the Waterville inn and used in waterville until the mid 60,s then it was bought by the Glidden family in Ashland about 30 miles from Waterville, and used on their rope tow ski slope.Today i bought it from a member of the Glidden family it has been parked for 20 years. Its a 1949 model 422 s/n 149059 heres a few pictures taken this fall.The tractor dont have those wrinkles that was because the flyer was folded!!:biggrin::biggrin: Don

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Track Addict

Bronze Member
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Nice find. Beautiful tucker on the east coast. Can't wait to see and here more. On our way to having our first mini rally. Think that makes 4 of us!

White mountain Tucker has a nice 442
Near you .
 

loggah

Active member
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Pixie, I will get it running again!!:smile: i probably will just get it mobile without a complete restoration.Theres about 5 tuckers in a 25 mile radius. When i was in high school i worked part time in the Waterville inn,but this Tucker was gone by then.We had the 4 pontoon units then. anyone got pictures how the steering cables go under the hood ,this cable is broke and i dont have a schematic of it,thanks. Don
 

loggah

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I'll let you guys try it out next year!!:biggrin: Its frozen in now until spring,but i dont think it will take a lot to get it running . I wish the trailer was still around,i remember it sitting in the "boneyard" years ago !!!
 

sno-drifter

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GOLD Site Supporter
Pixie, I will get it running again!!:smile: i probably will just get it mobile without a complete restoration.Theres about 5 tuckers in a 25 mile radius. When i was in high school i worked part time in the Waterville inn,but this Tucker was gone by then.We had the 4 pontoon units then. anyone got pictures how the steering cables go under the hood ,this cable is broke and i dont have a schematic of it,thanks. Don

Nice find Don. I will take a photo and send it to you as to how the steering cable is threaded. I have never seen a stamping on a pontoon like the right side of your new machine, Although, the Sno-Cat shown in post #11 as posted by DAVENET, has this same design.
 

redsqwrl

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Way to go Loggah, not sure if the snow cat bug bit you yesterday or yesteryear....

I am starting to gain a fondness for the old iron aspect of the original snowcat.

I had a blast teasing my father with those model A/T car mobiles......

Mike
 

sno-drifter

Bronze Member
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Here you go Don,

This is looking down on the driver's side. Two parallel cables go aft to a bicycle chain to the steering shaft with teeth on it. The left cable running forward goes out to the left side of the front hoop. The right cable goes around the pulley, behind the radiator to another pulley( not shown in the photo) on the right side of the frame, and then to the right side of the hoop.
 

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3512b

Junior Member
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So Don what was that about " I got too many projects now with out any more" I see that went right out the window...
Alaska Air flies to Boston now......now I am going to have to come back to visit!
 

loggah

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
Thanks for the photo sno-drifter,one of my pulleys is missing thats the problem.I figured with only 2 pontoons i will have half the problems!:smile: Steve, I probably wouldn't have bought it without the history,being used in waterville. I spent a bunch of time in them back in the 60's just didnt think i would ever own one!!:biggrin::biggrin: Don
 

loggah

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
Thanks for the offer,I an pretty sure it will stay where its frozen down this winter !!!:biggrin: when i get it home it will give me an reason to build my pole barn i been planing on doing. I got to finish up sawing out lumber at my sawmill !!!!:smile::smile: Sno-drifter this is the same machine as Davenet posted in #11 picture,so its the same pontoon.It seems a odd style stamping,the other side is different.One has been replaced at some time.Don
 
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