USAF Thiokol 4T10

[RangerBob]

Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea Thikol made these things.... I've only known Thikol for making rocket boosters from a previous company I was at. I had to wikipedia it to see if it was the same company and then found it even more interesting that John Delorean bought this division. Pretty cool vehicle and history behind them! Of course most things with tracks I consider "pretty cool"

From my 601 thread...

Ah, a snow cat. Explains the belting track. Only meant to spread the load over snow. Still very interesting that Thiokol made it. They are noted more for their solid rocket motors.

Not quite. These are all-terrain vehicles that spread the load over snow, sand, mud, dirt, grass, salt flats, etc. This series of 'snowcat' actually does poorly in any deep snow compared to lighter, wider tracked units.

The link between Thiokol, snowcats, and rockets is closer than you think. I believe the story goes that the military was looking for a vehicle to recover test rockets (made by Thiokol) from the Utah test ranges. Anyone who's ever driven a heavy wheeled vehicle over the salt flats knows that once a tire breaks through the crust, you're done! A local university built a few prototype tracked vehicles and then Thiokol, who of course had the inside track and manufacturing capabilities, began mass producing them for the USAF.

Thiokol also later began making true snowcats (that would lose a track if they tried to turn on hard ground, like grass) and chairlift equipment for the ski industry. That part of the company was eventually bought by DMC (yup, DeLorean!) until he went 'bust' (in more ways than one). Then it was bought (or restarted) as LMC (Logan Manufacturing Company) by an employee group before finally fading into history. I'm sure I don't have the history exactly correct, but it's something like that.

 

[Neophyte]

Absolutely awesome!! After following your 601 thread, I'm actively looking for a Bombardier Bombi (I considered a SW48, but no seating for the kids).

 

[RangerBob]

Check your PMs for a lead to a Bombi. He has some military cats as well.

 

[Neophyte]

I just responded.......god it's a small world!

 

[RangerBob]

The 4T10 will be on the move next week. I head out on Tuesday morning from New Mexico to Nevada, and then return on Wednesday and possibly Thursday. A map of the route and a link to the KMZ below.



The route.


I will be in a mad rush to get out there, but it will be a slightly more leisurely drive back, as safety would dictate. I'd be willing to stop and show her off then, as long as it is not a significant detour for me.

 

[RangerBob]

Two aching backs, one and a half extra days, one unplanned hotel room, and a few ounces of blood over budget, but got her home.

Here is the rescue from WARWAGs snowcat graveyard. She has not weathered well the last few years. In that time she has lost several parts, including the right-front axle! That posed some difficulties in getting her on the trailer, including an old tire wedged in the suspension. Glad I brought a hi-lift.

 

[RangerBob]

A few en route pictures. First, City Market Starbucks in Moab, UT. The second snowcat you may notice is one of my Kristi snowcats that was also rescued from WARWAGs.



About 800LBs of cut up track in the bed of the PU, and another 1200LBs in the 4T10.




And Starbucks in Los Lunas, NM.

 

[RangerBob]

A picture of the area of the missing axle, and the barely still there existing axle.



Full frontal nudity and a butt view...

 

[RangerBob]

Arrived in my secret desert location, but the struggle was not yet over. Made a wide arc in preparation to unload the cat, and got stuck in the sand. Multiple times.

Hi-lift to the rescue.



The smaller cut up track sections proved handy as well.

 

[RangerBob]

With the missing front wheel and axle, the cat just wouldn't roll off correctly.

 

[RangerBob]

Parked and tarped.

 

[RangerBob]

At a snowcat forum, found a link to this video. It's the Swamp Fox II test in Panama during the early '60s. A Thiokol 4T2 makes a regular appearance, never stuck, and frequently pulling out other vehicles. The cab as been mostly removed and a roll cage added. Without seeing the rear end, I ID'd it as a 4T, and not a 601, by the smooth turns it made. The 601 brake-steers in a jerky manner. A 4T2 is a 2-person/seat version of my 4T10 10-person machine.

0912 cruising
0950 pulling deuce
1003 pulling jeep
1235 emerging from jungle
2047 pulling pu

I was surprised to see the Letourneau Sno-Train thrown in at 2135, just as a 'gee whiz' I guess.

 

[RangerBob]

Almost forgot. This cat came with a row of airline seats, the defunct Eastern Air Lines I think.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Nice! It has Goer and M543 footage too!

 

[Another Ahab]

]Parked and tarped.[/COLOR]

View attachment 532196

RangerBob, seeing your "stash" reminds me of those Bower Birds and one of their crazy nests; so you might even be BowerBirdBob!

 

[RangerBob]

Those are some beautifully blue bottle caps...

 

[15beartooth]

RangerBob, I stumbled across a 62' 4t10 US Airforce machine. Looks clean minus the raccoon mess. Not running but looks to be all there. I have three other snow cats and of course love these things. I would like to save it. What's it worth roughly. Doesn't run and all the tires are rotted and flat. Any help would be appreciated. And of course, it's still blue!!

doug

 

[RangerBob]

Pictures, man, PICTURES!!

If the sheet metal is good, and the drivetrain is intact, but the tracks are garbage and the engine doesn't run, I'd shoot for 1-2K, and might end up at 3K. Pictures will help in guessing a value. I got mine for 1200.

 

[15beartooth]

Pick it up Sat. #208. Seems complete. Not to sure what i will do with it. I hope everything is in order for running gear( gear box). I will try to start it this week or weekend with a
quick tuneup. Have not found a motor number in it yet. I want to say its a ford 300. Tires are all shot. Any ideas? Any help with knowledge on this beast is and would be appreciated.
I need to find a manual but everything will sort itself out.

 

[15beartooth]

Here are some more picks.