The Snow Master & Track Master top out at 13.5 MPH with the standard factory engine and gearing.
The Snow Trac will usually top out at 25 MPH, with a healthy 1600 and standard gearing. Some different gearing was optional.
Most Groomers are made to operate at around 10 MPH.
Old Steel Track Tucker Sno Cat's top out at about 11 MPH and boy is it noisy! ( the little 3 1/2 inch rollers are turning at 3000 RPM's)The next generation of belted track tuckers will run comfortably at twice this speed. The latests generation of Tucker, with it's moulded one piece tracks can go substaintially faster, posibly 35 to 50 MPH. One of the Dealers of Tuckers told me that the new one rode nicer than his new pick up.
An old Bombardier "B12 Snow Coach" which had Ski's in front and tracks under 2/3 the length of the body, and easily carried a dozen people, could cruse up to 45 MPH, making it hands down the fastest snow cat. Produced from around 1937 to 1973 they were used as tour vehicles in parks and some are still in service at Yellowstone. They were also used for Glaicier Touring in Canada and an even larger version, the B18, was used as School Buses in Canada. In deep snow they are a little sluggish when turning, like a Boat.
The latest "Speed Champ" is probably the Hagland Susv. There are a couple hundred at Ft. Wainright in Fairbanks and more down the road at Eielson AFB. The Arctic Training facility, just south of Delta Junction AK also has a Fleet. They will cruise along at 40 maybe faster and are amphibious. I've seen one being towed at 50 MPH along the richardson Highway, between Eielson and Wainright by a "Duce and a half", I half expected to see the tracks catch on fire. Later the same year I clocked one driving under it's own power at 47 MPH.
Nodwell's and Bombardier's bigger track rigs only run about 10 MPH Max. But there smaller J5 will crank out 35 to 40 MPH.
Kristi's were offered with a variety of engines, VW, Porsche, Corvair and what ever else, so your guess is good as mine as to their top speed. I guess you'll just have to clock one.
Thiokol built a snow cat called a RANGE MASTER, I have been led to believe that only 800 to 900 were built, and that all of them went to the military. These had real tall road gears and could really go. They are especially popular with hunters.
BP/Arco built a couple of really different monster snow machines. They were the size of a tug boat, had an actual pilot house and drove around on 2 huge counter rotating 'screws'. Each screw was about a 10 or 12 foot diameter cylendrical tank with an angled rib welded on in a spirial. To turn one speeded up one of the screws. It was like riding on 2 augers. It floated, and wouldn't run very fast or turn very sharp. One of the 2 machines lives at the ColdFoot Camp, along the haul road for the Trans Alaska Pipeline. top speed was estimated to be 3 or 4 MPH. Be warned: there are no services on the "Haul Road", it's dirt and Clodfoot is 250 miles from Fairbanks, the last vestage of civilization. It's not a good "Day Trip"! Carring 2 spare tires is recomended if you decide you want to see this one.
Those little bombardier sidewalk snow plows, SWD or SW48 will do 30 to 40 MPH, but only on hard, level ground. One little bump and you end up laying on your side. And they are a pain get tipped back up! In the course of their regular duties, plowing sidewalks, they are pretty good at: cutting bicycles and Trikes in two, trimming fenders off cars buried in snow banks and pretty much destroying anything left out on the side walk.
The Snow Trac will usually top out at 25 MPH, with a healthy 1600 and standard gearing. Some different gearing was optional.
Most Groomers are made to operate at around 10 MPH.
Old Steel Track Tucker Sno Cat's top out at about 11 MPH and boy is it noisy! ( the little 3 1/2 inch rollers are turning at 3000 RPM's)The next generation of belted track tuckers will run comfortably at twice this speed. The latests generation of Tucker, with it's moulded one piece tracks can go substaintially faster, posibly 35 to 50 MPH. One of the Dealers of Tuckers told me that the new one rode nicer than his new pick up.
An old Bombardier "B12 Snow Coach" which had Ski's in front and tracks under 2/3 the length of the body, and easily carried a dozen people, could cruse up to 45 MPH, making it hands down the fastest snow cat. Produced from around 1937 to 1973 they were used as tour vehicles in parks and some are still in service at Yellowstone. They were also used for Glaicier Touring in Canada and an even larger version, the B18, was used as School Buses in Canada. In deep snow they are a little sluggish when turning, like a Boat.
The latest "Speed Champ" is probably the Hagland Susv. There are a couple hundred at Ft. Wainright in Fairbanks and more down the road at Eielson AFB. The Arctic Training facility, just south of Delta Junction AK also has a Fleet. They will cruise along at 40 maybe faster and are amphibious. I've seen one being towed at 50 MPH along the richardson Highway, between Eielson and Wainright by a "Duce and a half", I half expected to see the tracks catch on fire. Later the same year I clocked one driving under it's own power at 47 MPH.
Nodwell's and Bombardier's bigger track rigs only run about 10 MPH Max. But there smaller J5 will crank out 35 to 40 MPH.
Kristi's were offered with a variety of engines, VW, Porsche, Corvair and what ever else, so your guess is good as mine as to their top speed. I guess you'll just have to clock one.
Thiokol built a snow cat called a RANGE MASTER, I have been led to believe that only 800 to 900 were built, and that all of them went to the military. These had real tall road gears and could really go. They are especially popular with hunters.
BP/Arco built a couple of really different monster snow machines. They were the size of a tug boat, had an actual pilot house and drove around on 2 huge counter rotating 'screws'. Each screw was about a 10 or 12 foot diameter cylendrical tank with an angled rib welded on in a spirial. To turn one speeded up one of the screws. It was like riding on 2 augers. It floated, and wouldn't run very fast or turn very sharp. One of the 2 machines lives at the ColdFoot Camp, along the haul road for the Trans Alaska Pipeline. top speed was estimated to be 3 or 4 MPH. Be warned: there are no services on the "Haul Road", it's dirt and Clodfoot is 250 miles from Fairbanks, the last vestage of civilization. It's not a good "Day Trip"! Carring 2 spare tires is recomended if you decide you want to see this one.
Those little bombardier sidewalk snow plows, SWD or SW48 will do 30 to 40 MPH, but only on hard, level ground. One little bump and you end up laying on your side. And they are a pain get tipped back up! In the course of their regular duties, plowing sidewalks, they are pretty good at: cutting bicycles and Trikes in two, trimming fenders off cars buried in snow banks and pretty much destroying anything left out on the side walk.