MTFCA Forum

Found this great photo from the 1910 era, not sure if has been posted here before, but what a wild ride!

Looks like the rear wheels are covered with burlap or canvas for traction, never saw that before.

Crazy what they used to do with those cars!! The printing is hard to read at the bottom of the pic, looks like it says ....Donner Summit...what a horrible place to take a model T through! No decent roads there at that time.

I've seen this before, and you're right it's a great picture. That's not burlap, though. That would have been canvas or similar to protect the tires from stone punctures. Tires then were a very different compound and durability compared to what we have today. Sharp stones were the bain of an automobilist's existence back then.

Looking at the rig, and having 4 guys in it, to boot, makes you appreciate what lives folks lived before us. Compared to them, we live our lives wrapped in bubble-wrap.

Thanks for posting

Maybe there’s burlap (or something) involved in the tire wrap, looks to me like there’s a lot of rope used - pretty common traction improvement. I wonder if they worried at all whether that cable rig would stand the load ? I’m sure the car was not suspended, but the cable kept them from being swept downstream.

The men are standing beside the car. There looks to be about a 4' drop into the water from where the car is. So, yes the car would be suspended by the cable and chain fall while crossing the river.

Scott

you're right, and it is completely obvious.

The photo is one of many from the Donner Pass trek with that Model T. Rear tires wrapped with rope for moving in snow and ice.

That looks like an adventure!! I would volunteer to go in a heart beat!!

Wouldn't it have been a whole lot easier and faster traveling to just leave the Ford behind?