Trulyvintage Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 January 2014 … It is early morning in Dayton, Ohio and Jay Klehfoth is boarding a flight to California where he will attend one of his good friend Jay Leno’s last episodes of taping for The Tonight Show … Jay is the Executive Director of the MTCA museum in Richmond Indiana. His cell phone starts ringing … The Richmond Police Department has responded to alarms triggered at the newly opened museum and his wife Barbara is watching on their computer at home as the police arrive … Fresh snow has fallen overnight. The single motorized garage door leading into the museum is opened and just inside the door sits The Model T Haunted Snowmobile. Jay and his wife Barbara watch as the police enter the museum through the open garage door - the moment they enter the cameras turned to snow. There are no signs of forced entry. There are no other unlocked doors. There are no tracks in the freshly fallen snow. The overhead door is operated by a pushbutton stop - start button with no wireless remote. Jim 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 Didn't one or more young museum guests have "conversations" with the ghost? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted October 19, 2023 Author Share Posted October 19, 2023 17 minutes ago, cudaman said: Didn't one or more young museum guests have "conversations" with the ghost? At least one such exchange has occurred over the years. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted October 22, 2023 Author Share Posted October 22, 2023 Christmas Eve 2023 is when my story began in New Hampshire. I found myself within a reasonable distance to pick up a Model T for The MTFCA Museum that was on my “ to do “ list and the weather was cooperative - so I picked up as twilight fell …. Sadly - both of the folks who donated the snowmobile have since passed away …. @ http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/410201.html?1388329132 Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 Lenny & Priscilla Smith were well known in the Model T Family in New England. Lenny organized The New England Model T Snowmobile Club Meets for 10 years. Lenny had bought The Haunted Snowmobile for a $1.00 at an estate sale … Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 So - after I dropped off the snowmobile - I called and spoke with Priscilla & Lenny to get the background story and find out if anything unusual had happened to them during their ownership. Lenny told me that after only a few years, he decided one day to take the body off the snowmobile because it was in good running order and he wanted to use it with a different body. Priscilla stopped him from changing anything on the body …. The snowmobile had come from Minnesota ? where a rural mail carrier had built the wood body and installed a small pot belly stove with a vent pipe to help heat the cab. The skis are unique in that they “ float “ and don’t require removal of the front wheels. They assist in heavier snow. Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Interesting tale Jim! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 I of course have heard of and read about this incredible vehicle for a number of years now. However, I find your serialized postings of your encounter with it very interesting. Is more coming? I have heard some "Halloween-worthy" stories surrounding it before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted November 2, 2023 Author Share Posted November 2, 2023 (edited) Mark Atkins & The Richmond Boyz fueled up the T and took it out to play in the snow - even made a few “ mail deliveries “ … The Model T Haunted Snowmobile was featured on the cover of ” The Vintage Ford “ along with an article detailing my experience transporting it and the strange things that started happening once it inside the museum. At the end of this video - you can see the gas tank mounted high on the rear of the wood body which had a copper fuel line connecting it to the engine: @ Jim Edited November 2, 2023 by Trulyvintage (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted November 8, 2023 Author Share Posted November 8, 2023 The 10 year anniversary of The Haunted Snowmobile has brought me previously unknown historical information. Otto Bufe of Grand Marais, Michigan patented the “ motor sleigh “ which is The Haunted Snowmobile. The document above is a receipt for $45 which was the second payment to his patent representative in Washington, DC. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted November 9, 2023 Share Posted November 9, 2023 (edited) @Trulyvintage i believe that is a application to try and get a patent ,not actual patent......would be interesting to search if there is actually a patent granted from that application......there were already other motor sleighs by this time ,nice history though having the paper. Half tracks were invented by a french military engineer, ,and skis were already around a long time.the Russians also had half track cars with skis prior to this date the same design . Edited November 9, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 i wonder if maybe the Russians did not bother to take out a patent in USA ? the car in pic also has skis,i couldnt copy other pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticbuicks Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 A Kégresse track is a kind of rubber or canvas continuous track which uses a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments. It can be fitted to a conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track, suitable for use over rough or soft ground. Conventional front wheels and steering are used, although skis may also be fitted. A snowmobile is a smaller ski-only type. "Russo-Balt" "C24-30" from the garage of Tsar Nicholas II with Kégresse track design of Adolphe Kégresse. Adolphe Kégresse possibly seated on the right of the photograph Technology[edit] The Kégresse propulsion and suspension system incorporates an articulated bogie, fitted to the rear of the vehicle with a large drive wheel at one end, a large unpowered idler wheel at the other, and several small guide wheels in between, over which run a reinforced flexible belt. The belt is fitted with metal or rubber treads to grip the ground. It differs from conventional track systems by using a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments. Use in Russia[edit] The name comes from the system's inventor Adolphe Kégresse, who designed the original while working for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia between 1906 and 1916. He applied it to several cars in the royal garage including Rolls-Royce cars and Packard trucks. The Russian army also fitted the system to a number of their Austin Armoured Cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted November 17, 2023 Author Share Posted November 17, 2023 Back on topic …. My research shows the patent that I posted was not for the ski apparatus on The Haunted Snowmobile. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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