The Bombardier Snowcoach, known as the Snow Bus, was one of the first vehicles built specifically to carry passengers over snow. Made by Bombardier in Quebec, it had skis at the front and tracks at the rear, and it could be converted to run on wheels.
Bombardier Snowcoach at a glance
| Maker | Bombardier, Quebec, Canada |
|---|---|
| Type | passenger snow coach |
| Seating | about 12 passengers |
| Front | skis for steering |
| Rear | tracks for traction |
| Alternative front | wheels in place of the skis |
| Uses | school bus, mail delivery, emergency vehicle, tours |
| Terrain | snowbound areas of Quebec and elsewhere |
English Wikipedia covers the Bombardier Snow Bus as an early example in its article on snow coaches; there is no separate article on the vehicle, so this page is based on one source.
History of the Bombardier Snowcoach
What a snow coach is
A snow coach is a specialised passenger vehicle built to run over snow or ice, similar to a large snowcat with bus-style seating. It may use several sets of very large low-pressure tyres or tracks, seats ten or more people and is often used for sightseeing tours or over-snow transport.
The Bombardier Snow Bus
One of the earliest examples was the Snow Bus built by Bombardier in Quebec, Canada. It had skis at the front and tracks at the rear and normally seated twelve passengers. The front skis could be removed and replaced with wheels, which let the vehicle use roads as well as snow. Documented uses include school bus, mail delivery and emergency vehicle service, as well as tours and transport in snowbound areas.
Later snow coaches
In the early 1960s Thiokol produced the 601 series snowcat, often configured for ten passengers; it was not a tour-bus type of snow coach but was used by the United States Air Force and private industry. The wheeled Terra Bus is one of the few snow-coach types still made, an all-wheel-drive three-axle bus built for Arctic conditions by Foremost of Calgary and able to carry up to 56 passengers. Snow coaches remain a familiar sight in Yellowstone Park and on the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park, where they run on tracks or Mattracks rubber track systems.
Design and features
- Skis and tracks: front skis for steering, tracks at the rear for traction.
- Convertible front end: the skis could be swapped for wheels for road use.
- Twelve seats: enough for a small busload of passengers.
- Many roles: school bus, mail van, emergency vehicle and tour bus.
Bombardier Snowcoach versions
- Passenger and tour version: seating for about twelve.
- School bus: documented use in snowbound communities.
- Mail delivery: used to reach isolated places in winter.
- Emergency vehicle: documented service in snow conditions.
Bombardier’s other winter and military vehicles are the Bombardier Iltis and the Bombardier MLVW. More in the Bombardier collection.
Video: Bombardier Snowcoach @ Flagg Ranch
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Snow coach, English Wikipedia: Bombardier Snow Bus, uses, later types
