Over the memorial weekend we stopped at a tourist location at Greenland MI called the Adventure Mine and noted a interesting looking snow machine was parked in there yard, Adventure M's web address is
http://www.exploringthenorth.com/mine/venture.html
In speaking with the mine owner, he said they had inherited the machine from a defunct ski hill located nearby in Greenland. It was a Frandee and that was all they knew about the machine. He thought it had been used until the early 1990’s. Photos will be posted below
Doing some modest search with Google the Frandee snow machine mystery was solved and below is pasted the pertinent information. At the below address is where this was found.
Is the parent company “Thiokol” still making snow machines?? So it was made in Utah by a company that later became Thiokol.
http://www.westernsnowconference.or...Wilson,HistoryDevelopmentOversnowVehicles.pdf.
Below is a small section found at the above address
(3) Double-Belt Track Vehicles.
The Utah Scientific Foundations headquartered at Utah State University Logan, Utah, has been a prime developer of oversnow vehicles for many years. Recently the Foundation turned over the commercial production of these machines to the Thiokol Chemical Corporation which has made modifications and new models. After the Eskaisied, which was mentioned previously, the Foundation built a machine called the Frandee (Photos 19, 20, 21) in a variety of models. The tracks on all models consisted of hardwood or metal cleats attached to endless baits surrounding a system of idler and drive wheels in tandem. The number of wheels varied with the size and model of the machine. Steering was achieved by an individual braking system for each track. On some models steering was supplemented by the addition of a single ski suspended on a long framework out in front of the vehicle. The unit could be folded back over the top of the machine when not needed. The ski was turned by a steering wheel in the cab. The Taskmaster (Photo 22) oversnow vehicle is the largest machine developed by the Foundation. In most respects it is an enlarged Frandee with a different steering arrangement. Steering is accomplished by a system of individual transmissions for each track. These are variable speed transmissions and turning is possible by speeding up one track and simultaneously slowing the opposite track. The tracks consist of endless belts with steel cleats driven by rubber-covered sprockets at the rear and supported on a system of idler wheels.
The Thiokol Chemical Corporation oversnow vehicles (Photos 23j 24) are modifications of the Frandee and Trackmaster machines. The only significant change is the steering. Most models use a planetary controlled differential system, allowing braking and power transfer to the individual tracks. The very large quad-track models have hydraulic power steering and turning is accomplished by turning the front tracks in one direction and the rear tracks in the opposite. The Nelson 5no-Poke was developed by Ivan Nelson of Boise, Idaho in the 1940’s. There were several models of this machine» early models having a single belt track and the last having a double belt track. Hardwood cleats were attached to the belting for traction and steering was accomplished by two skis mounted in front. Early models ware similar to the modern one-man oversnow vehicles and the later models similar to the Frandee. Insufficient track surface did not allow good operation in soft snow
