My 1920 T has an open buggy body made of white oak, and a early 1923 West Ossipee snowmobile kit. Many members may have seen it when I brought her to Bennington, VT. last year. Two weeks ago we attended a VSCA meet in Waitsfield, VT where there were over two hundred vintage snowmobiles but only one model T.

She was a hit! On Sunday 2/6/00 we attended a meet in Sangerfield, NY. We unloaded her just over a mile away from the meet so we could ride her in.

The trip started out great as we crossed the nice flat pastures, we then had to climb several large hills (mountains) which SADIE did in low gear. That was until gravity got the best of her. We only had about a 1/2 tank of gas, she quit on the hill in 3 ft deep snow. No chance of coasting backwards to the bottom and backing up like you can do in the summer on blacktop. So I caught a ride from a very modern snowmobile back to retrieve my gas can (which I had brought with me empty) from the truck. I took the truck to town and got 5 gallons of gas then went to the meet in the truck. Then I got a ride back down to SADIE where I had left her on the hill.

When I got there there were almost 20 of these modern machines looking at her like she just fell out of the clouds. I gassed her up and got her up the hill with a little help from my passengers pushing. As we headed for the meet, the modern snowmobiles kept riding by us and advising the crowd at the meet we were under our own power and would be arriving shortly. The lodge would empty as the people came out to see our arrival, only to get cold and return inside and get warm.

Well, after a good 45 min of up and down hills we pulled into the meet and were greeted by over a 100 on lookers with cameras and applause. SADIE was boiling hot and happy to have made it. As I let her cool down we won a trophy for oldest pre 1960, and unanimous decesison people choice trophy. Sadie spent the next hour and a half giving rides to the young and old and everyone in between.

We had a wonderful day and are looking forward to the meet in Townsend, Mass. on the 19th and 20th.

Keep on T-ing, Doug

February 8, 2000 / last updated February 8, 2000