Thursday 29 January 2015

What a find! A 1960s sled

UPDATE: After some research by myself, I found a Romanian company, Autorol, on Facebook, but it doesn't quite seem to fit. They do have machines and other products.

Bing tells me that Autotrol has been manufacturing machines and motors since 1964! That has an extra T, though!
There is a #AutoRol, but that seems to be Japanese, related to a fighting character in Anime!
There is an Indian company that sells Autorol grease!
A Dutch company, Autorol, sells Nike products.
I sent the photos to some historians at the Perth Historical Society, and they did some more research for me.

At first, they suggested:
It looks like a 1960's vintage, and I suspect may have been made to tow behind an early snowmobile. The shield on the front may have been an aftermarket addition.
It's the same logo!

This makes sense to me. I would say that it was being towed behind a snow machine, and the front bar, where it was attached, broke. It was left behind. In those days people didn't think anything of going out alone.

They came up with a bit more research, and found a couple of photos on kijiji that has the same logo from Bear Autorol.
Look at the maximum speed: 60mi/120km per hour

Here is the one runner I could salvage. It is VERY rusted!





Original post:

I have no idea how old they are, but I found this sled and circular metal thingie in our wetland.
Daisy and I went of to try and free it from its frozen bed. Both runners are terribly rusted, and have rusted right off of the bottom of the sled. As I worked at it with the hatchet, Daisy did her thing: exploring, climbing the meagre cedar trees, and checking in periodically with me.
It was quite heavy, as there is several inches of organic matter rotting in the bottom. Much moss, and cedar leaves.

The wetland in winter is beautiful and quite walkable, even for someone with a pulled Achille's tendon! Daisy and I walk across it a lot in winter. (We walk around it in summer.) This time we had a mission.



Wetland in summer
Early spring

9 comments:

Hilary said...

Wow.. how cool is that! No doubt you've already looked but I tried Google Autaral and.. nada!

William Kendall said...

Lord knows how long it's been there.

Nancy J said...

Interesting, is the oval tin thingie a old time bath, or a feed trough? too tall for that? and the sled, wow what a find. this might be a project for lots of TLC to bring it back to use. I agree, memorials like this bike should be taken elsewhere, maybe to the owner's home. Death must be acknowledged, but not like this. great news of results, hugs to you both.

Red said...

It's surprising the things you find abandoned. Now you could make up a story about this sled and why it was abandoned and what it was for before it was abandoned.

Powell River Books said...

I love finding things in the bush. They all have a story about times past. - Margy

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
Love your find! YAM xx

Judy said...

If you can find out anything about the name on the sled, let us know!! Sounds and looks fascinating!!

Jenn Jilks said...

I googled Autorol, and found an overseas company, but not much more! Romanian, it was!

Hilary said...

"Romanian, it was!"

Like Yoda, you speak! ;)