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Can anyone identify this Army Snowcat?

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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I was looking at old photographs and found this photo. I have absolutely ZERO information about it. I don't know when or where it was taken, only that the photo is obviously a US Army snowcat.

Any thoughts?
 

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BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Re: Cany anyone identify this Army Snowcat?

Bob , That looks like a fully enclosed D-7 cat from the back end . The front ,that I can see ,looks like it might have a snow blower on it . It has the wide floatation tracks .That could be a winch in the middle under the fuel tank .
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Re: Cany anyone identify this Army Snowcat?

nope ! That ain't a front mounted blower . Not wide enough . Tracks stick out past it . I bet it is a wind break . The engine hood is covered with a blanket too .

Also see the draw bar on the back . They probably towed a sled around with it .

Exhaust stack looks a little small for a D-7 unless that is a pony motor exhaust to start the main deisel engine .Whatever it is , it's running . The flap is up .
 

Lyndon

Bronze Member
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Re: Not US

That may not be US. The guy is wearing Russian Army outfit.
 

Ice Queen

Bronze Member
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Note the star on the snowcat, as well as the Russian uniform, I agree with Snowcat Operations and Lyndon who say Russian not American!
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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OK since I don't have any real information about this photo I'm will to accept it is not an American snocat but didn't the Russian's use a red star? Granted this is a black and white photo, but in black & white a red start would appear to be medium grey, while a white star appears to be very light grey or white (which is the way I see it).

Also, I'm not convinced the man in the photo is wearing a military uniforum at all. It might be but I don't see any overt military emblems or markings. Just 2 white stripes, one on each arm.

Also, to the right of the man is another piece of equipment with the numerals 925. If it were Russian, would those be in cryllic?

Again, I don't know, I'm just curious and skeptical. I know of no family member who spent any time in the vicinity of the USSR military during the war so I have to question how I came into possession of the photo if it is a piece of Russian equipment.
 

bczoom

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Staff member
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Those stripes on the sleeves appear to be the reflective stripes put on many arctic coats. If it were a rank insignia, it wouldn't wrap around the arms as far.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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bczoom said:
Those stripes on the sleeves appear to be the reflective stripes put on many arctic coats. If it were a rank insignia, it wouldn't wrap around the arms as far.

That's what I think too.:a1:
 

Snowcat Operations

Active member
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Actually I feel its an American cat of some sort but that guy in the picture has what I believe is a Russian military cap. Look at the front dead center of the cap. That looks like a red (darker than white) star. It may also be just a research team in the arctic and maybe was stuck? BUT that is a U.S. Army star on the cat not a Russian star. Yes Bob you are also correct that is the back. That would make it a regular Cat not a snowcat and it would have a very big Diesel engine in it. I feel this was used for a snow train of some sort or a recovery vehicle.
 

Melensdad

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Staff member
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Snowcat Operations said:
that guy in the picture has what I believe is a Russian military cap. Look at the front dead center of the cap. That looks like a red (darker than white) star
A gold colored emblem, in a b&w photo would also appear to be medium-to-dark grey. Whatever that mark is on his cap is too small to identify. But the cap looks to be a 'trooper' or 'trapper' style winter hat with the ear flaps lifted up, that was a popular style of winter hat 50 years ago.
 

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BigAl

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I still say your looking at the back end of a enclosed cab D-7 Catapiller .
 

mtntopper

Back On Track
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From my research I will venture (guess) the cat is a wide track LGP International Harvester TD 18 or larger model with gas starting engine and diesel power. The US army used these in artic operations and the building of the DEW line during the cold war period.

Army operations in the Arctic began in the 1940s and continued into the early 1960s. The Army had two main missions - one for research and testing and the other for protection from an atomic threat from the Soviet Union

Transportation units were also actively supporting the establishment and operation of the US and Canadian Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line.

The shortest distance for enemy bombers to get into America's industrial heart was across the Arctic through central Canada. Because of this threat, a radar system was built across Alaska, Canada, Newfoundland, Labrador, Baffin Islands and Greenland.

http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/Museum/Arctic.htm
 
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California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
B_Skurka said:
looks to be a 'trooper' or 'trapper' style winter hat with the ear flaps lifted up, that was a popular style of winter hat 50 years ago.
We called those Elmer Fudd hats.

But I agree with others, this one looks like Russian military issue.
 

Snowcat Operations

Active member
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By cat I was reffering to a catapillar or simular heavy duty tracked vehicle. They had a really cool set up back in the 50s and 60s. some sites were manned others were not. What a duty that would have been!
 

sledhaus

Member
I agree it is US and the back of a Cat (International) and the guy leaning in the cab looks to be wearing "bunny boots" and probably just got done shooting more ether into the intake to get the beast running. Can't be too cold out because the guy in the standard US issue looking parka has no gloves or face mask. Note the supply sledge to the left? Typical of what it would pull. Looks like Alaska operations to me.
 

Deerlope

New member
My guess would be something comparable to a D7 wide track , as we called them. I spent many hours on a D7 E at Fort Drum NY plowing snow in the winter of 84. Two Cat 7's running side by side can move a lot of snow in a hurry.
 
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