|
History of the Kristi Company
This page is dedicated to the many men and women who built
the Kristi snow vehicles. Without their help, the history of the Kristi
Company would have been lost forever. Information on this page has been
verified with former owners and employees of the Kristi Company. This is the
real history of the Kristi Company, told by those involved with the company
from the 1950s through the 1970s.
The beginning
After
returning from World War II as a Marine fighter pilot, Colorado native
William H. "Bill" Schomers began working on a propeller-driven vehicle
capable of traveling over snow or water. The first snow plane, known as the
KRISTI, was built in
the late 1940s and featured two rear wooden skis and one front ski for
steering. A rear-mounted, air-cooled aircraft engine and propeller pushed
the vehicle. All of the snow planes had a tube chassis with a doped fabric
exterior.
What
made this snow plane unique was its ability to transfer weight by raising
and lowering the rear skis, referred to as “Ski Action” after the stem-christie
ski turn. This Ski Action not only helped the vehicle make quick turns, but
also allowed it to transverse side hills. A
U.S. patent was filed
on the Ski Action design in 1949 and granted in January 1955.
|
|
Additional Snow Plane info: |
|
|
|
Schomers continued to develop his snow plane until the early
1950s, when he set aside the project to join the Korean War, earning the Air
Medal for Service with the 1st Marine Air Wing's "Flying Nightmares." After
the war, Schomers returned to the U.S. Marine Reserves, but continued
working on the snow vehicle design. Recognizing the need for a vehicle to
carry more people or equipment and to travel across deep powder snow, mud
and sand, he modified the design to allow a platform of either skis or
tracks.
While
researching track materials, Schomers met his future partner in the Kristi
Company. He was visiting a supplier for hickory track cleats when someone
introduced Schomers to C. B. "Bud" Messenger. Messenger was a mechanical
engineer and attorney who had spent several years as an engineer in the US
Navy, where he also had become familiar with patents and patent law. After
leaving the service and returning to Denver, Messenger earned his law
degree, specializing in patent law. Soon after their meeting, Schomers and
Messenger began working together on the new snow cat, with Messenger
initially helping with engineering, drawings and patent filing. Meanwhile,
Schomers improved the design of the snow vehicle control system and
suspension mechanism and filed an additional
U.S. patent.
The
first tracked Kristi was built in 1955 and was called the KRISTI Ber-Kat. Based on
the tube chassis of the ski plane, the first Ber-Kat was Harley
Davidson-powered, with the Harley Davidson police side-car transmission
featuring three forward and one reverse gears. Later Ber-Kats used a 1200cc VW
motor adapted to the Harley Davidson transmission, continuing the air-cooled,
lightweight design platform. The Ber-Kats also incorporated the Kristi Ski
Action, using splined extension shafts to drive the vehicle from the rear. A
U.S. patent was filed
on the solid bar / parallelogram tilting Ski Action in early 1954.
Schomers continued to build snow planes and Ber-Kats through
early 1957, operating as a sole proprietorship. With a few employees, he was
able to produce and sell four snow planes and six Ber-Kats to state, federal
and private organizations across the Rocky Mountain region. Two additional
snow planes were sold in 1958 and a seventh snow plane was sold to Grand
Teton National Park in March of 1963. A seventh Ber-Kat was sold in late
1957.
Taking the big step
On
May 21st, 1957, the Kristi Company, a Colorado corporation, was formed. It
had three officers: Bill Schomers, President; Bud Messenger, Vice President;
and Melvin "Jim" Ross, Secretary/Treasurer. The company was located in Arvada
at 5783 W. 56th Ave., and offered stock to employees and local investors. The
Kristi Company continued to fill remaining orders for the Ber-Kat and snow
plane, while the newest model, the Kristi Kat KT-2 with a base price of
$5,125, was sent into production.
The KT-2 built on the success of the Ber-Kat, but was a radically different
vehicle. One of the downfalls of the Ber-Kat was its fabric exterior, which
was subject to tears from tree branches and obstacles under the snow. In
addition, the process of building the tube chassis and installing the fabric
exterior was labor-intensive.
By
contrast, the KT-2 was constructed from a one-piece fiberglass bottom tub
built on a steel chassis. It was available with a full or open cab and had
seating for four with a rear hatchback door for cargo storage. Power came
from a front-mounted, horizontally opposed, 1200cc VW engine with 36
horsepower. A Kristi-specific transmission was designed with
eight forward
and four reverse gears featuring high-low range. Other new features included
brake-steer controls and an improved hydraulic Kristi Ski Action that
adjusted the elevation of the individual tracks to negotiate steeper side
hills.
The KT-2 track design increased to four belts per track, with the outside
belts only connected at every second cleat. The outside belt configuration
created excellent side hill traction by cupping over the snow to offset pack
the snow around the inner drive belts. This enabled the Kristi track system
to remain lighter than the conventional steel side grouser design of its
competitors. The tracks were driven by the front of the vehicle with five 6”
tires per side. The first KT-2 was delivered to the United States Department
of Agriculture in March of 1957, and a new
U.S. patent for the
vehicle was filed in 1958. Because production of the KT-2 was less
labor-intensive, the first KT-2 actually beat the last Ber-Kat out of the
plant.
With
the new KT-2 design complete and tested, Schomers headed out on the road
demonstrating the vehicle to federal, state, and local government agencies
along with many utility companies. In 1958, several orders were received for
the KT-2, and production was in full swing. The following year was a strong
one for the Kristi Company, with a total of 24 KT-2s delivered. Customers
included the Federal Aviation Administration, Mountain States Telephone and
Telegraph, several soil conservation agencies, fish and game agencies, the
Denver Rio-Grande Railroad, a school district in Montana and a power company
in Australia. The "school bus" Kristi was complete with flashing lights and
stop sign that swung out.
One of the sales was to a new Colorado ski area being developed in the Vail
valley by Pete Siebert and Earl Eaton. The ski area developed by Siebert and
Eaton is known today as Vail Resorts, and Eaton has been quoted as saying, “It
was the red Kristi Kat that sold Vail.”
Building on success
The next
evolution of the Kristi Kat was the KT-3. The Kristi design crew listened to
its customers and incorporated their feedback into the new design. Production
of the KT-3 started in 1960 with a base price of $6,295 for a full cab, and
this would prove to be the best-selling Kristi Kat.
The KT-3 was approximately the same size as the KT-2, but featured a new
walk-in full rear door and larger cabin area. Open and full-cab
configurations were initially offered, with a half-cab option offered later
in production. Optional seating configurations allowed the KT-3 to carry 5-6
passengers.
Weak areas of the KT-2 were identified and addressed in the KT-3. The
industrial Porsche engine was introduced, and 30% of the KT-3s were equipped
with this engine. The track design on the KT-3 was also improved, with taller
9" tires slightly increasing the ground clearance of the vehicle.
The Federal Aviation Administration was the biggest customer, purchasing 34
KT-3s, followed by the Colorado State Patrol, which bought 10 of the new
Kristi Kats. Production peaked in 1962 with 33 KT-3s built and delivered. The
KT-3 was sold throughout the United States and was exported to Australia,
Chile, England and France. It also was used in Antarctic expeditions. Overall Kristi vehicle producion peaked in 1962 with 40 vehicles built and delivered.
The
KT-3 eventually caught the eye of Jean Pomagalski of the Poma lift company in
France. Pomagalski purchased a foreign license to build a Kristi KT-3 in
France. Unfortunately, the design deviated too much from the license
agreement and French production never started.
At the
same time it was producing the KT-3, the Kristi Company also introduced a
hybrid Kristi Kat called the KT-2A. The KT-2A was 14" shorter than the KT-3,
but still utilized the walk-in rear door. It seated four, with the rear
passengers facing the rear of the vehicle. The track system was a shortened
KT-2 setup with four 6" wheels/tires on each side. The KT-2A with a base
price of $5,985 was only available with the 36hp VW engine.
With several Kristi models in production and development, Schomers sought
a bigger facility. The current facility in Arvada, Colorado was not adequate
to handle the volume of Kristi vehicle production. A 25-acre plant site was
identified and purchased in Boulder County. Jefferson County Bank provided
the financing and drawings for the 10,000 sq. ft. StransSteel structure were
completed. Construction started in 1961 at the new site, which also included
testing grounds with simulated rough terrain and hillsides up to 80% slope,
as well as two ponds to test and demonstrate the Kristi vehicles.
The need for a bigger Kristi
The engineering team at the Kristi Company was busy in 1960.
With work on the KT-3 complete, the team started on a bigger, all-terrain
vehicle. But in order to make a truly all-terrain vehicle, the Kristi would
have to float.
Around
this time, the company approached the U.S. military, but the German VW motor
was unacceptable to the government. The new Kristi would need to be powered
by an American engine. In addition to being amphibious, this new Kristi also
would need to be larger and able to carry more people and payload. The
solution, introduced in late 1960, was the Kristi Kat KT-4 and KT-4A.
The KT-4 and KT-4A were available in many cab configurations. Base price of
a full cab KT-4 was $7,700. Two additional types of Kristi action were
offered. The Kristi Water Action dropped the front or rear of the tracks for
water entry and exit; this was standard on amphibious KT-4A models. The All
Purpose Action allowed each corner of the vehicle to be independently
lowered or raised for complete control of the track system. Company records
indicate only a few KT-4s received the All Purpose Kristi action.
The
KT-4 vehicle had a wider 4-belt track design with standard hickory cleats.
The exhaust on a KT-4 exited the rear of the vehicle. The amphibious KT-4A
(additional cost of $275) can be identified by the following
characteristics: the intake and exhaust ducts exit the top of the vehicle;
the tracks on the KT-4A were a two-belt design with every cleat extending
the full width of the track; and the sides of KT-4A had a rubber skirt that
helped to propel the vehicle in water by preventing water diversion around
the track when in the up most position.
Two engines were initially offered in the KT-4, the 65hp Porsche marine
engine and the 80hp Chevrolet Corvair 6-cylinder engine. Only the first four
KT-4s, which were KT-4A models, had the Porsche engine and all four units
were sold to the Gulf Oil Company and shipped to Africa. A Clark S70FS
transmission and steering differential was used on all KT-4s, and an
optional 2-speed transfer case was offered.
The
Kristi Company also offered a few accessories for their tracked snow
vehicles. A tilt bed trailer was built in-house to carry a Kristi vehicle.
Other accessories included a snow packer, luggage rack and top-mount
spotlight. Visit
the accessories gallery to see additional pictures of the
trailers and packers.
Tragedy strikes the Kristi Company
August 22, 1961 was the day that changed the face of the Kristi Company.
While on his two-week active duty with the U.S. Marine reserves, Schomers
was killed in a plane crash in El Toro, California. The Kristi Company had
many orders on the books for Kristi snow vehicles, so work continued.
Vice-President Bud Messenger took the reigns as President of the Kristi
Company. Shop foreman and brother-in-law to Schomers, Nathan Ray, was
elected Vice-President of the Kristi Company. Both Messenger and Ross
stepped up and became full-time employees at Kristi to keep the company
running efficiently. Ross took over as primary salesman for the Kristi
vehicles. The KT-3 remained the top-selling Kristi in 1961 comprising 80% of
the 34 units sold.
The
year 1962 marked the height of Kristi vehicle sales with 39 vehicles rolling
out the doors of the new facility located at 10401 West 120th Avenue in
Broomfield, Colorado. With almost 90 Kristi vehicles in the field at this
point, the Kristi parts and repair business added to the bottom line. The
Thiokol Company, located in Logan Utah, also built similar sized snow
vehicles and competed with Kristi for government contracts. Messenger
started work on a new vehicle to compete for market share.
The poor snow season of 1962-1963 along with a saturation of the small snow
vehicle market had a direct effect on new vehicle sales of the Kristi Kats.
Kristi reacted to the slowdown by cutting personnel by 50%, down to 10
employees, and a capital loss was recorded at the Kristi Company. With only
13 vehicles produced in 1963, the Federal Aviation Administration was still
the largest customer. Seasonal vehicle repairs and parts sales helped Kristi
during the slowdown.
A new direction for the Kristi vehicle
Messenger
started development work on a new Kristi vehicle in 1963. The U.S. Army had
received several KT-4 test vehicles the previous year, and feedback gained from
the Army’s Air Terminal Operations Center was the driving force behind the
new vehicle development. This new vehicle, named the KT-4G, was designed
with the aim to reduce costs by maximizing use of standard automotive parts.
Kaiser Jeep supplied the CJ-series universal frame and body, while power was
delivered by a Chevrolet 6-cylinder engine mated to a Clark four-speed
transmission and steering differential. The new Chevrolet engine was
water-cooled, allowing for a car-like heating system.
In order to further reduce costs and compete for government contracts
against the larger American-built snow cat competitors, the KT-4G was
designed without the patented Kristi Ski Action. It featured a new type of
torsion bar suspension with a center leaf sprung walking beam independent of
the front and rear wheels that improved ride quality. In addition,
provisions for a snowplow were standard on the KT-4G. Design and fabrication
of the KT-4G was completed in 1964 and tested extensively at the Broomfield
facility.
Because of the focus on developing the KT-4G, 1964 was another slow year
for new vehicle sales, with only 12 new vehicles sold. One notable sale was
a KT-4 delivered to a large cattle ranch in the Texas panhandle used to feed
cattle buried by a large snowstorm.
Messenger’s
efforts to reach a wider field of customers resulted in another variation of
the KT-4G. Aimed at providing an all-year-round vehicle to attract farmers,
ranchers, sportsmen and the utility industry, the KWT was the biggest Kristi
to be built and the only one to have a VIN from a major automotive
manufacturer. The vehicle, designed by Messenger, started out as a standard
Chevrolet pickup chassis that was modified by moving the cab up and forward
to provide clearance for the application of tracks.
This new design used a drive-sprocket, hydraulic- track steering mechanism
on the front of the vehicle to move the vehicle with the tracks installed.
The tracks were designed to install over the vehicle’s rubber tires allowing
quick installation and removal. Intermediate bogey wheels were easily
installed between the front and rear wheels while the tracks were installed.
In addition, the tracks and bogey wheels could be removed and stowed in the
bed of the truck, allowing the vehicle to be driven on public highways.
Messenger filed a U.S.
patent for this new design in 1964. Most of the competitors’ designs
used a braking system to steer the tracked vehicle that not only took power
from the vehicle during a turn, but also quickly overheated the brake
system. Instead of applying brakes to the inside track, the KWT would speed
up the outside track. With the drive sprocket accelerating the outside
track, the conventional automotive rear axle differential would slow the
inside track. When fitted with tracks, the front tires were locked in a
straight-ahead configuration, and the KWT was controlled by a single lever
mounted to the steering column. With the tracks removed, the KWT drove like
a normal pickup truck.
A single hydraulic motor, built by the Char-Lynn company, was used to
control all aspects of the track drive and steering system. The hydraulic
system, driven by a standard PTO, could be used to operate a winch, power
boom, snowplow or various other items attached to the KWT as well as the
track system. The hydraulic motor would propel the KWT to 35 M.P.H. on
tracks and enabled it to climb slopes up to 80%.
The
KWT prototype was completed in the summer of 1964 and caught the attention
of the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy. Interest in the patented design also
came from other government contractors that provided vehicles for
transporting everything from people to missiles.
The hydraulic motor from the Char-Lynn company had been modified by
Kristi to get additional torque needed to move the KWT. While the motor had
no problem initiating a turn on snow, it struggled in soft pack gravel. The
next larger size motor was three times larger than the existing motor and
would not fit on the KWT. The U.S. Navy was ready to purchase the KWT and
send it to Antarctica as soon as the hydraulic motor was upgraded.
Char-Lynn promised a larger hydraulic motor, but it was not delivered until
December 1965. The larger motor from Char-Lynn was a prototype, however, and
did not perform as expected, so development of the KWT was abandoned in the
summer of 1966. The KWT eventually was sold to
Safety One Inc. in 1978 for
$500.00.
With all of the attention given to the KWT, new vehicle sales in 1965
increased to 14 vehicles. The company continued to produce the KT-4, and of
the final six models built in 1965, two were purchased by the Florida Bureau
of Fisheries & Wildlife in a KT-4A configuration. The last KT-2A was also
sold in 1965, ending production of that model.
After abandoning the KWT design in 1966, Kristi revived the Jeep chassis and
body concept, using the smaller and lighter Jeep Universal chassis. This
allowed the previously underpowered Char-Lynn hydraulic motor to propel the
Jeep with ease on snow or dirt. The hydraulic motor was initially installed
on a Jeep chassis with the KT-4G torsion bar suspension. Tests were
successful, and so was born the KT-6. A trip to Kaiser Jeep in the fall of
1966 allowed Messenger to select the exact parts needed to go into
production of the new KT-6. Messenger also visited the U.S. Army Mobility
Command headquarters in Michigan to introduce the new KT-6.
In production form, the KT-6 would have used a Jeep V6 engine with a 4-speed
transmission and complete CJ-5 body. The 4wd Jeep running gear, standard on
the Jeep, also would be used to provide the KWT-like wheels and track-drive
system. The Jeep power train parts specified for the KT-6 were the same
parts used by Jeep to provide the Department of Defense the M-175 1 1/4 ton
trucks.
The last few years in Colorado
In late 1966, Messenger put together a bid for the U.S. Air Force to build
42 vehicles using the design of the KT-6 wheeled and track system utilizing
a hydraulic motor to drive the tracks. The Kristi Company was one of only
two bidding companies to present acceptable vehicle designs. The other
company was Thiokol, which ultimately won the contract by $170 per vehicle.
With much of the focus on the KWT and KT-6 in 1966, new vehicle sales
consisted of seven KT-3 and two KT-4G vehicles.
During this time, the Kristi Company continued to refurbish used Kristi
vehicles. Many of the Kristi vehicles were purchased from General Services
Administration (GSA) auctions, refurbished, and resold. The parts business
and seasonal repairs division of Kristi continued, but left little money for
research and development. The KT-6 was on the verge of going into
production, but capital was needed to take the next step.
The Kristi Company had loans from the Small Business Administration and
Jefferson County Bank. Messenger put together documents to extend these
loans in 1967 and sought additional money to continue the KT-6 project. The
additional funding was not secured and the company struggled in 1967 with
only two KT-3 models sold in January of 1967.
The doors were closed for good at the Broomfield facility in early 1968. The
Kristi Company sold the building and other assets to repay the SBA and
Jefferson County Bank loans. The remainder of the parts and Kristi vehicles
were moved to Denver Colorado. Messenger and family continued to purchase
used Kristi vehicles, refurbish and resell them. Parts were still provided
by Messenger up to 1971.
A new start for Kristi
In the summer of 1971, Dwight Baker of Issaquah, Washington purchased some
of the assets of the Kristi Company and a patent license to use the Kristi
design. Fabrication jigs and fixtures, machine tools (including a mill) and
extra KT-3 parts were all loaded on a trailer and hauled to Washington.
Baker starting locating used KT-3 vehicles to recondition and sell. In the
fall of 1971, Baker set up a small shop in Leavenworth Washington and hired
a few local employees to start refurbishing the KT-3s he had located.
Baker, a chemical engineer and former Boeing employee, approached the
Federal Aviation Administration with a plan to build a new Kristi vehicle
using a modern power train design. The FAA awarded Baker a contract to build
the prototype Kristi and advanced him capital to get the project started.
Baker recruited several Boeing engineers to help with new design of the
Kristi, initially named the KT3-300A. This new Kristi was designed as a
fiberglass body vehicle with doors on the front and rear, and with the
patented Kristi Action suspension and track design. The power plant in the
new Kristi was a mid-mounted water-cooled Ford industrial V4 engine. Power
to the tracks was delivered hydrostatically, and a unique aircraft steering
console was designed to control the vehicle.
Parts
and materials for six vehicles were initially ordered. A fiberglass boat
manufacturer built the first body, and the prototype was quickly assembled.
The prototype was much too heavy, so the fiberglass body was scrapped. The
boat manufacturer produced three lighter bodies and three vehicles were
built.
Design and fabrication of the new Kristi, later named the KT7 with a base
price of $10,980, took longer than expected. In late fall of 1973, the FAA
received two KT7 prototypes to test on the Grand Mesa in Colorado. The FAA
had many requirements for this new vehicle, including a minimum potential
speed of 20 mph. The FAA contract was vague, and the KT7 performed as
required in Leavenworth, Washington at an elevation of 1,200 feet. When the
FAA tests were conducted on the Grand Mesa at an elevation of 10,000 feet,
the KT7 did not perform as required.
The FAA cancelled the contract and requested the capital be returned
immediately. Baker had customer deposits for two KT-7s — for a rancher in
New Mexico and for San Juan County in Utah. San Juan County received
their KT7 in December 1973. While on a trip back from recovering equipment
for the phone company, the KT7 caught fire and burned to the ground after
only a few weeks of service. No people were hurt in the fire, but the KT7
was a total loss.
The
rancher in New Mexico received his KT7 at a reduced rate to help the cash
flow problem at Kristi. This Kristi was used for several years on the ranch
but was eventually sold to a snowmobile club for grooming trails. The KT7
changed hands a few times before ending up in California. The current owner
has restored the KT7.
The third KT7 was used by Baker in 1974 for private contract work in the
state of Washington. The last known location of the third KT7 was Washington
State. Baker and the Kristi Company ran out of money and closed the business
in 1974. The assets of the Kristi Company in Washington were moved from the
shop in Leavenworth and stored in an employee’s barn until they were
disposed of when the employee died in the 1990s.
The first Kristi was developed during the post-World War II economic boom
and starting out as a recreational vehicle. The Kristi Ski Action was an idea to make a snow plane turn quicker and grew into a business spanning over two decades. The Kristi Ski Action is unique to Kristi vehicles; no other manufacturer has incorporated the design into their vehicles. The Kristi Company provided a small and high performance vehicle for all-terrain conditions over 25 years ago, many of these Kristi vehicles are still used today. |
|