Snow tractors

[longway5]

I finally got around to getting some pictures of the 'snow tractors' I get to operate.
I'm working at Vail ski resort in Colorado this winter, and get to operate the variety snowcats we have. As one of the largest ski resorts in N. America, we have the largest fleet of cats in the world this year, grooming around 1200 acres everyday. The red snowcats are Pisten Bullys, and the silver and blue cats are Bombardier. These cats have 330 hp turbo diesels (275 in the small blue cats) and can operate on slopes up to 100%. They retail new for ~$225,000 each.

 

[longway5]

The inside of a BR275

 

[longway5]

A BR2000. 330HP, a nice cat for pushing snow

 

[longway5]

The inside of the BR2000. Bombardier moved a lot of controls to the joystick when compaired to the older BR275 models. The joystick on the driver's right controls the 12-way blade, and also now the tiller. There are seven buttons and one knob on the joystick, 5 buttons change it's function, two are on-off, and the knob is a speed control for the tracks. The two little sticks in the foreground control the tracks.

 

[longway5]

A Pisten Bully. These are nice cats to run, more confortable than a Bombi. Also 330HP.

 

[longway5]

The inside of the PB. Unlike a Bombi, these cats have a steering wheel, with a dial for your left thumb that controls track speed. These cats have heated seats and the works. All our cats (The PBs and Bombis) have AM/FM/CD and a 2-way for talking with other cats, and the heating system is amazing... maybe too much so. It can be below zero and the operator can be in a t-shirt

 

[longway5]

The tiller on a Pisten Bully. We can control the speed and direction of the tiller bar, as well as its depth in the snow, if the tiller sits on the surface or if the cat will hold it up slightly or push it down slightly (up pressure/ down pressure), and can move the tiller to the right or left or let it "trailer" along behind the cat, all from inside the cab.

 

[longway5]

The 12-way blade on a Pisten Bully. All our cats (PBs and Bombis) have the same sort of blade, and they are all controled the same.

 

[longway5]

Some action shots

 

[longway5]

another. We tend to run in groups of 8-10 cats on the night shift.