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Chapter 4

THE SUCCESS : 1935

1935The invention of the sprocket wheel/track system
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The four men are in the garage, which is brimming with vehicle and auto parts.

Valcourt, 1935. After his son’s death, Joseph-Armand Bombardier started sketching plans again. He had been working on his snowmobile for ten years.

Back to cars?

Joseph-Armand is pensive but confident. He is holding a sheet of paper and talking to Léopold.

I redesigned the whole thing. The engine must be mounted on the rear.

The sheet Joseph-Armand was holding comes into view: It shows a new snowmobile prototype with tracks encircling the rear wheels.

This will help distribute the weight. Instead of nose-diving into the snow, we’re going to glide over it!

Joseph-Armand is pleased to show the sketches of his new idea. The other men are huddling around him to examine the sketches.

I also have a little surprise....

The system’s blueprint. A bar connects the two large rear wheels. A gear system at the front of the vehicle pulls the tracks—which are bound to the wheels—to move them forward.

This is the sprocket wheel/track system!

I’ve applied for a patent.

The men are discussing and commenting on the sketches.

Sprockets drive the tracks.

Then the tracks drive the vehicle.

It solves the traction and suspension problems.

Joseph-Armand is showing a wooden prototype of the sprockets he plans to add to the traction system.

Won’t a wooden sprocket break?

We’ll make it ourselves out of metal!

Joseph-Armand is about to climb into the red machine, around which the other men have gathered.

It’s time to try it out.

The snowmobile moves forward on the snow, away from the garage and the other three men who are still watching.
Joseph-Armand reaches the people seen in the distance, who are in fact Yvonne and their tallest son, Germain. He talks to them through the window.

And there’s plenty of room!

When are you taking us into town?

The snowmobile sets off again and progresses through the snow.
Close-up on the inside of the snowmobile, where Joseph-Armand, his wife, and his son are seated.

Daddy, daddy, the doctor and the priest are waving.

The snowmobile continues its journey across the landscape, moving towards two new people. The village can be seen in the background.
The snowmobile stops once more in front of two people: the priest and the doctor.

It drives like a car!

Joseph-Armand climbs out of the vehicle and talks to them.

With this, I could transport my patients.

And I could go and see isolated people.

A curious crowd gathers around the snowmobile.

A lot of people will be interested in your invention, Mr. Bombardier.

Time passes yet again, and a new production factory is built beside the garage.

In the winter of 1936-1937, seven snowmobiles were produced in the Bombardier garage. Demand was high. Joseph-Armand built his first factory in 1940.

Joseph-Armand and Léopold are laying out plans together with a sheet of paper in front of them.

Check this out! We can carry up to seven people! With the plywood-covered timber frame, it’ll be even lighter.

This illustration shows a drawing of the new invention.

When I told you that necessity is the mother of invention....

In the garage, Joseph-Armand is staring straight ahead (facing us), posing in front of two of his snowmobile models of different sizes.

Soon, hundreds of B7 snowmobiles (7 passengers) and B12 snowmobiles (12 passengers) would be leaving Valcourt to brave winter’s storms across Canada.