Other Australian Snow-Related Equipment & Like



This is possibly the first dedicated snowplough used in the NSW Snowies and possibly Australia. By 1935 the NSW Government must have believed the traffic to the NSW Snowies sufficiently robust to specifically import a Walter Snow Fighter from the USA. Here dignitaries are inspecting the newly arrived vehicle outside the Sydney Conservatorium. The plow advertising leaves little doubt where it was to be deployed....
Picture: ANMM

Picture: Baglin Collection in "Skiing off the Roof", Rick Walkom
The above picture is also dated 1935 showing the Walter outside the Hotel Kosciusko along with quite a few buses it may have helped reach this point. The dating shows the advertising having quickly worn off in use, and also the secondary blades not in use at this time.

The development of the Snowy Mountains Scheme brought increased requirements for snow clearing on NSW's alpine roads. In these two pictures a newly purchased Walter Snow Fighter is demonstrated on the road to CharlottePass in 1952.
Picture: National Archives of Australia

An early postcard view of what appears to be a Rolba Snow Clearer at what looks to be a location near Perisher Valley.
Picture: "Road Clearing in the Snowy Mountains", NSW, Australia, Garrick Colour Postcards, 1954

A caterpillar tractor seeminly using its dozer plough is employed at Mount Hotham for road clearing during 1957.
Picture: National Archives of Australia

A nice vignette of snow clearing on the way to one of Victoria's smaller snow fields, thought to be in either the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Picture:  Nucolorvue Productions

What appears to be a Rolba snow clearer, this time at work in the Victorian Alps, possibly on the road above Bright c.1970.
Picture: National Archives of Australia
A dawn picture of a Rolba clearing snow from the Kosciusko Rd in 1975 with an RTA truck (perhaps a MAN?) following.
Picture: Mr Mook via ski.com.au

Rolba Snow Clearers at Perisher Valley, 1985
Picture: Slopegrooming Reducing Injuries Report

Department of Main Roads Unimog with plow attachment, Perisher Valley, 1985
Picture: Slopegrooming Reducing Injuries Report
Two pictures kindly supplied by David Sissons via the ski.com.au forum of the "Zoo Carts" used for transport around Mount Hotham Resort for some time, these pictures looking to date from the late 1980s/early 1990s.
A great action shot by Damien Brietfuss of a later model Rolba at work near "The Man From Snowy River" at PerisherValley in 1991
Picture: Damien Breitfuss

Here's something different - An oversnow converted for rail use! Not far from it's previous home, it is used on the Skitube in NSW between Bullocks Flat and Mt. Blue Cow. As the photographer (Oigle) states: "Formerly A Perisher snowgrooming machine used on the mountain from 1988 to 1997. This Bombardier 1000 (Jumbo) was converted in-house to run up the ski tube tunnel as a maintenance vehicle. It has a large cog connected to one of the original hydralic tiller pumps for drive and runs on the rack rail to drive it up the track. The power plant is a 6 cylinder turbo charged Volvo diesel. It has a overhead work platform and a crew cab on the rear. Excellent use of an otherwise redundant machine.
Picture and quoted text above: Oigle via Panoramio

A great action shot by Mark Hanna of a Rolba clearer used on the road between Hobart and Mount Wellington in Tasmania, here seen in August 2008.
Picture: Mark Hanna  http://tasbushblog.blogspot.com.au/

Tracked gas tank trailer parked during the 2011 off-season at the Hans Oversnow depot in Jindabyne.
Picture: Andrew Collier

A piece of Snowy history - a Dodge Power Wagon, perhaps one of the many used by the Snowy Mountains Authority in the early days of the scheme, awaits restoration at Hans Oversnow's depot, 2011.
Picture: Andrew Collier

Three oversnow operators/enthusiasts at Hans Oversnow in 2011 (L-R) Ben Carrie, Damien Breitfuss, Ralph Zollinger
Picture: Andrew Collier

Forklift attachment for Oversnow, Mt Buller 2011
Picture: Andrew Collier

Tracks laid out, Mt Buller 2011
Picture: Andrew Collier

Autocar Crane/Recovery Truck, Mt Buller 2011
Picture: Andrew Collier

Above - Two pictures of the Mt Buller Oversnow Depot, 2011
Pictures: Andrew Collier


Following a tip off from a member of the Aus Ski Forum I dropped into Cooma Airport in August 2013 and found these two people carrying trailers stored at the Airport in apparently good condition. Seems an unusual place for them to be stored but perhaps as a contingency if the airport is snowed in. These seem to be very similar to the trailer in use for some time for the run between Perisher Valley and Charlotte's Pass, a picture of which can be seen in the Bombardier entry: http://australianalpinoversnow.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/bombardier.html
Picture: Andrew Collier

The NSW Ambulance service fields several vehicles for service during the snow season including this track equipped Toyota seen heading out at Perisher Valley in late August 2013.
Picture: Andrew Collier

A scene during late August 2013 on the road between Smiggin  Holes and Perisher Valley sees a large dozer for heavy clearing work cross one of the Roads & Traffic's snow plows, both helping keep the road open during a snowstorm at this time.
Picture: Andrew Collier

The same dozer is later seen clearing snow at the end of the cleared section at Perisher Valley, the road beyond here to Caharlotte's Pass being snowed in during the winter season.
Picture: Andrew Collier

At the same location and on the same snowy day during August 2013 a tracked Isuzu waits to either be loaded or leave for Charlotte's Pass with supplies.
Picture: Andrew Collier

Again on the same day a Takbuchi BobCat fitted with a rotary snow clearing capability is seen clearing the turn-around at the end of the cleared section (note the oversnow at right) at Perisher Valley.
Picture: Andrew Collier

Further down the road below Smiggins Holes a large 6x6 Caterpillar equipped with plough is roadclearing during a snowstorm in August 2013, the centre blade doing the work in this scene.
Picture: Andrew Collier

One of the earlier plough blades used by the Snowy Mountain scheme is preserved in the park at Adaminaby outside the Snowy Mountains Scheme museum there. August 2013
Picture: Andrew Collier

Two of the RTA's snow ploughs await their next call out at the Kiandra Snow Clearing Station. August 2013
Picture: Andrew Collier

One of my childhood memories of snow clearing operations in the NSW Snowies was the fleet of orange MAN ploughs based out of Jindabyne in the 1980s. I have so far been unsuccessful in finding a picture of one of these, however this MAN shown clearing the road at Mount Hotham during the 2013 season may be a vehicle that is ex-NSW DMR. Any information is welcome. Note the concrete ballast bloack on the rear of the tray.
Picture: Mount Hotham Facebook

I suspect this picture is taken a few years earlier and perhaps shows a different MAN in action again at Mount Hotham, and possibly still wearing it's ex-NSW DMR orange livery. Coincidentally taken in almost the same location as the previous shot.
Picture: Snucklepuff via Panoramio

Richard Townley of Snowy Tyres (http://www.snowtyres.com.au/) has very kindly got in touch and provided the above picture and those below showing snowplow trucks in both NSW and Victorian service, a great selection thank you Richard! Thanks also for the further information on the earlier MAN trucks shown in entries above. These trucks are all owned by Karl Stadelmann who has a snow clearing business based in Bright (Vic) and Jindabyne (NSW).Above Falls Creek Resort Management 6x6 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck at the Mount St Bernard Snow Clearing Depot.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

A great portrait of one of Stadelman Bright's earlier  MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing trucks at the Mount St Bernard Snow Clearing Station.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck useful out of season with the plow attachment still in situ.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

And in winter! 17 August 2012 - Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Another picture on the same evening.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Bright MAN 4x4 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Stadelman Perisher Thredbo  MAN 8x8 AWD Snow Clearing truck.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/

Two of Stadelman's Snow Clearers presumably parked at their Jindabyne base during the off season.
Picture: Richard Townley  http://www.snowtyres.com.au/ 
Two pictures: Richard Townley http://www.snowtyres.com.au/
Above two pictures kindly supplied by SnowTyres of a new (for season 2019) MAN snow clearing truck for use at Mount Baw Baw in Victoria, some of the stats are:
- MAN TGM 18-340 4x4 truck
- Wintec-Vario variable V-snowplow
- Schmidt Syntos de-icing salt spreader with thermo-logic computer/laser discharge control system
- Nokian Hakka E Winter drive tyres on rear axle
- Studded Nokian Hakka E Winter tyres on front drive axle
- Rud snow chains