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Bombardier Garage
Where it all began... Blending with the modern architecture of the Museum, the
Bombardier Garage was built by Joseph-Armand Bombardier and his family in
1926, when he began his career as a mechanic at the age of 19. The Garage
contains the office, parts store, and a number of machine tools that
Joseph-Armand used for his business. Today, it also has a projection room
for documentaries on the life and work of the famous inventor, and several
other subjects.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier, a passion for invention and entrepreneurship
A new exhibit on the life and work of Joseph-Armand Bombardier, "Joseph-Armand Bombardier, a passion for invention and enterpreneurship", marks the 100th anniversary of this remarkable man's birth.
One of the most interesting aspects of the exhibit is its emphasis on the major innovative
aspects of Bombardier's inventions, such as his perfection of the famous track-and-sprocket system. As a result, most of the 14 vehicles on display all fully restored are mounted on pedestals off the floor. Surrounding them is a historical wall display of 100 photographs and documents detailing key events of the inventor's life.To highlight the scope and variety of these innovations during Bombardier's career, the exhibit is divided into four zones.
Zone 1: A gift for mechanics
Zone 2: Bombardier Garage
Zone 3: Industrialization of production
Zone 4: The beginnings of the Ski-Doo®2 snowmobile
For more information, click here
International snowmobile exhibition
What you always wanted to know... This exhibition provides a vast collection
of snowmobiles, coming from different eras and every northern country in the
world. Thematic presentations unveil the many facets of the snowmobile:
manufacturing secrets, mechanics, applications for work and recreation, and
parallel industries such as clothing and advertising.
Temporary exhibitions
The Museum completes its educational mission by offering a diverse program
of temporary exhibitions.
The ingenuity of J. Armand Bombardier...
The sprocket wheel/track system
March 26, 2010 to January 31, 2011
After drawing on human and animal power, mechanical power takes the various means of transportation by storm throughout the world. The arrival and evolution of the railroad and the automobile transform societies. The sprocket wheel/track system, invented by Joseph-Armand Bombardier in 1935, revolutionizes the world of transportation. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of this invention, the J. Armand Bombardier Museum is presenting the exhibit "The ingenuity of J. Armand Bombardier... The sprocket wheel/track system." Divided into three sections and featuring five vehicles, the exhibit covers the advent, birth and evolution of this ingenious mechanism that forever changed the development of transportation on snow and rough terrain.
Section 1: The advent of the invention
This first section presents the forerunners of tracked vehicles during the first quarter of the 20th century, which includes those of Joseph-Armand Bombardier. Several inventors develop vehicles that can travel on snow and rough terrain, equipped with "rigid" and "flexible" track systems, but only a few make it past the prototype phase. Many inventors develop "flexible" track systems customized for existing vehicles. Others develop track systems primarily for Model T Fords. For his part, Carl J. E. Eliason develops a motorized toboggan that will become a forerunner of the small, light tracked vehicles.
Inspired by the technological developments in tracked vehicles at the time, Joseph-Armand Bombardier develops a track system for the Model T Ford in 1929 but remains dissatisfied with the machine. The inventor cannot resolve the problems of "floatability", weight, and the efficiency of the vehicle's traction. He will pursue his research and press on until the invention of the sprocket wheel/track system.
The advantage of the track system's "floatability" is demonstrated through an interactive component.
Section 2: An invention is born
This second section covers the various steps leading to the invention of the sprocket wheel/track system from 1927 to 1935. Through an interactive information station, viewers will follow Joseph-Armand Bombardier's journey as he develops different vehicles that can travel on snow. Viewers will relive the problems and major challenges faced by the inventor as he develops his sprocket wheel/track system in 1935.
Section 3: Development of the invention
This final section presents the development and applications of Bombardier tracked vehicles designed since 1937. Here, viewers will learn that the sprocket wheel/track system marked the development of transportation on snow and rough terrain. This simple and efficient system offers enormous potential that Joseph-Armand Bombardier will develop by offering a range of vehicles that meet the expectations of his contemporaries. Bombardier snowmobiles, followed by all-track vehicles without skis in the front, correspond to a variety of travel needs. Joseph-Armand Bombardier creates an all-rubber, unbreakable and non-shrinking drive wheel and improves the reliability of the sprocket wheel/track system by developing an endless track without breakable joints. These two new elements will foster the development of more efficient vehicles.
In this section, visitors can view videotapes of archival footage and commentary that bring the man and his invention to life. Aimed at the general public, this exhibition also invites viewers to step back in time aboard the B12 CS 1950 snowmobile. A slide presentation featuring photographs and advertising documents from the 1940s and 1950s, including videos of historical moments, reveals Mr. Bombardier's snowmobiles and industrial vehicles in action.
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