The fact that necessity is the mother of invention is shown in an unusual sled team in Europe’s frosty north: A luxury bus in Spitzbergen, an island on the pack-ice border in the polar sea, is drawn by a T4S from PRINOTH though difficult glacial ice.

The Norwegian island of Spitzbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago on the pack-ice border is a well-known destination for Scandinavian adventurers and polar sea travellers. However, the climate, which is frosty all year round, holds some perils for the approximate 3400 residents - especially when dealing with the safe transport of travellers across the sub-arctic expanses of ice in the interior of the island. For some inventive residents, the ideal solution to the problem is a PRINOTH T4S. Hence, in the future, Trond Solbakk – the owner of “Svalbard Taxi” on Spitzbergen, will invite his passengers into a snow groomer - bus - sled, a mode of transportation that is entirely in tune with the adventuresome attitudes of the future passengers.
Here, a brand new PRINOTH T4S is used as the tractor for a converted tour bus. The snow vehicle has already been equipped at the plant with a complete steel chain made especially for this purpose and guarantees optimum power transmission in any transport situation. The tour bus has also been custom made for this purpose and was equipped with four skids in the workshops of the Norwegian PRINOTH contract partner Trygve Owren AS from Vingrom. The front axle remains completely steerable. In the interior of the bus, the passengers find complete luxury finishings with a bar and WC.
The first vehicle tests around Lillehammer ran extremely well. Now, the PRINOTH T4S and its special trailer are on a ship on the way to the Svalbard Archipelago. In addition to Trond Solbakk from “Svalbard Taxi”, now the numerous Spitzbergen travellers will also be amazed at the unusual vehicle attraction and simultaneously at the achievement potential of the PRINOTH T4S.

 

2006-08-28