WILLMAR –– A vintage highway snow blower that could have been destined for the scrap metal pile was instead driven down the road Thursday to its new home near Blomkest, where it will be on display at the West Central Antique Power Collectors Club show June 21-22.
With three sets of massive snow-chewing rotary blades mounted on the front of a 1942 truck that was powered with a Climax Blue Streak engine, the “Snogo” held a special place in the Kandiyohi County Highway Department’s history.
Purchased in 1950, the Snogo was actively used to clear snow from county roads for nearly 50 years.
When it was finally pulled from the roads, the machine was put into cold storage in the highway garage. Public Works Director Gary Danielson had always hoped it could be restored and driven in parades.
But last summer the county agreed there was not time or money to refurbish the old Snogo and agreed to sell it through an online government surplus auction.
Not long after a story about the Snogo’s fate was published last year in the West Central Tribune, the county was contacted by the West Central Antique Power Collectors Club about acquiring the snowplow.
The County Commissioners agreed to pull the Snogo off the auction list and gave it to the club on the condition that if the club no longer wants it, the Snogo will be returned to the county, said Danielson, who watched the orange plow drive out of the parking lot.
“It was good to see it go someplace where it won’t be cut up into pieces and used by people who appreciate it,” said Danielson in later comments.
The club typically collects and displays agricultural equipment but was eager to add the Snogo to their collection.
“We’re interested in this, because this is what we do. We collect antique power equipment,” said Norm Riediger, treasurer for the club, who volunteered to drive the vehicle the 12 miles from Willmar to the show site.
“There’ll be a pickup in front of us and a pickup behind us,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll get it there OK.”
Riediger, a retired farmer who has driven a variety of large equipment, got a quick how-to from Kevin Groen, the head mechanic with the county Highway Department, and Steve Lindgren, the highway maintenance supervisor.
They kidded Riediger that there was enough gas to get out of the parking lot gate.
After getting the engine fired up, Riediger gave a quick test drive around the parking lot.
“I want to be able to find all the gears,” he said, adding that he had heard the air conditioning in the Snogo “works great in the winter time.”
After a handshake and a good-luck wish, Danielson reminded Riediger that “there’s no warranty, you know.”
Driving 35 mph, it took Riediger about an hour to drive the Snogo to its new home.
“We got it there no problems at all,” he said later in a telephone interview. “It was very hot in the cab and it was noisy and there were no brakes except the parking brakes.”
At least it didn’t run out of gas.
“I was hoping it wouldn’t,” he said.
Riediger said the club was scheduled to meet Thursday night and get their first look at the Snogo and decide how to display it at their show next month.
For more information about the West Central Antique Power Collectors Club go to: www.wcapc.org
