Tom Poulsen, age 12, of Great Falls, Mont., for his question:

WHO INVENTED THE SNOWMOBILE?

A snowmobile is a gasoline powered conveyance that is designed to make possible quick movement over snow covered ground. An American inventor named Carl Eliason came up with the idea when he built a motorized toboggan sled in 1927.

About 50 different manufactures produce snowmobiles today, and they are available in a wide variety of styles. Basically, however, traction is obtained by a drive track or belt of rubber reinforced by steel rods located at the rear of the vehicle. _

Snowmobiles are steered by handlebars attached to skis that are fastened to the front of the vehicle.

Snowmobiles are available with one  or two cylinder engines with between 10 and 15 horsepower. The vehicles can travel at speeds up to 90 miles per hour. About 95 percent of the units in the U.S. are used for recreational purposes. The rest are used by the police, ranchers, trappers, rescue organizations and crews servicing power lines.