Excavator Line Up – Kennedy Square Demolition

Eric — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:30:50 +0000

Yes. That is snow in the background. No. This is not a recent photo. Thank God! I grabbed this photo back in March and forgot about it until now. Kobelco and Komatsu excavators of all shapes and sizes.

Kobelco and Komatsu Excavators – Click to Enlarge

This equipment was participating in the demolition of Kennedy Square. A former public housing complex in downtown Syracuse. You may recall a Komatsu PCL600LC was used to slowly dismantle two multistory structures. Over the months I accumulated plenty of footage of the demolition. Now that the project is nearing a close it feels right to clean out the archives and publish what remains. Now about this Cat 345BL. A stocky looking machine.

Cat 345BL Excavator – Click to Enlarge

Jumping back to more current times we have a few of the machines from above working to sort scrap and feed a concrete crusher.

Hopefully in the near future I will be able to grab footage of new construction on this very land courtesy of an ever expanding SUNY Upstate.

Bomag and Marini Cold Planers

Eric — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:30:41 +0000

My wife happened to take some great shots of two different milling machines being hauled by two different Mack trucks. Below you see a NYSDOT Mack Granite hauling a Bomag 600/15 Cold Planer. According to photos on Bomag’s website this machine is nimble enough to mill a circle around a manhole opening.

NYSDOT Bomag – Click to Enlarge

For the larger jobs we have this Marini MP-2100 miller owned by the Lan-Co Companies. I had never heard of Marini before seeing this photo so I did some searching. As it turns out they are owned by Fayat Group, a French company that just so happen to be the parent company to Bomag. Everything and everyone is connected!

Marini Cold Planer – Click to Enlarge

White Motor Company – Junk Yard Finds

Eric — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:37 +0000

Today we return to the junk yard to visit a trio of old White Trucks. All three were located at the now infamous Dobbins Auto Parts in Adams, NY. Like many of the other vehicles on this property they have been ravaged and savaged for decades. The White 9000 you see below once belonged to Super Motor Lines of Greensboro. The best I can tell this particular company went out of business in the early 90′s.

White 9000 – Click to Enlarge

[Show as slideshow]

Please enjoy a tour of the three by watching the video below.

Mack RM Snow Plow

Eric — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:30:59 +0000

I feel like I have been neglecting the Mack truck fans over the past few weeks so please accept this mint RM as an apology.

Mack RM Plow – Click to Enlarge

For those that are all about the details this truck is a 1987 RM6884X with a E-6 diesel (350HP) and a 9 speed Maxitorque transmission. Differential lock and 4WD included. The odometer only showed 97,000 miles.

As far as rust goes I couldn’t find any. Dents, smashes or dings? None. The interior was clean and well kept. There was neat plaque on the dash that read “Custom Built for the Town of Arcadia.” That being said I felt really cramped in this cab compared to the Internationals, Autocars and late model Macks at the auction. But that really doesn’t matter, this truck was awesome.

Mack RM Plow Truck – Click to Enlarge

Here is a video of the Mack while running including a walk around and cab visit. At one point in the video I felt like I was at a carnival with all the low air buzzers, ringer and beepers going of in the trucks around me. Ahhhh, the auction lot.

TMC Transportation

Eric — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:30:06 +0000

I thought this was an interesting catch considering the load was untarped. I’m guessing the rolls out back are aluminum that originated from mills in Oswego or Massena, NY. Just a guess.

TMC Transporation – Click to Enlarge

Check back later this afternoon (5/14) for intense Mack truck action.

Autocar Plow Truck

Eric — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:30:01 +0000

Probably more than a few people saw the Brockway post from the other day and happened to notice the Autocar in the background. Hopefully they didn’t toss and turn in their sleep wondering if they would ever be able to see more of the truck. Here it is!

According the auction paper work this truck is a 1985 model. I’m not sure of the exact specs because I forgot to check the door jam for the detailed information. Ooops. You can be assured that this truck has a Cummins matted to an 18 speed. No shortage of gears here!

The former owner of this truck was the Town of Pendleton, NY. The rust is just starting to take hold in the usual places (above windshield) on this classic Autocar cab. The fenders are the next obvious trouble spot.

The Cummins in this rig loved to produce smoke. I left the door open while filming so you could hear that sweet diesel rumble. At one point the wind decided to change course and started to blow the exhaust right back into the cab. If you look closely you can see if drifting by the lense. The hood on this truck is very long. Toss a plow and a wing to the mix and I don’t know how any driver can accurately see what is going on…..and that is on a clear day! Just something to keep in mind the next time you “need” to pass a plow.

Click to Enlarge

Brockway 361 – Town of Ulysses

Eric — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:30:50 +0000

Another Saturday another auction! Yesterday I went to the yearly municipal vehicle auction at the Town of Palmyra highway department. Trucks and other equipment from all over the area sell at this event. Until yesterday afternoon I thought I was going to skip this event but I eventually came to my senses. This was the first time I have ever been to this auction and this part of the world. I’m glad I went.

Plenty of late model plow trucks of every make were on hand including some rare birds like a ’72 Brockway 361 and a 85 Autocar. To be honest they were the reason I made the trip but once I arrived there was plenty of other great things to see. I was surprised at the large collection of Ford L-Series trucks in very strong shape. There were more than a few Mack trucks to review including a mean looking AWD Mack.

Between the Dobbins auction last week and the auction yesterday I’m drowning in material. I figure there is no better place to start than with a trusty Brockway.

This ’72 361 has north of 124,000 miles on the odometer. According to the auction paper work this truck once belonged to the Town of Ulysses, NY. All in all this truck looked rather good to my amateur eyes consider the year is 2013 and this rig has been tasked with plowing snow for all those years. The rust was minimal and very reparable. A Cummins power plant resides under the hood that seemed to rattle but maybe I was just looking for a problem. Moving to the cab found all gauges in place and in working order. The only way to rev up this rig was to mess with the throttle under the hood. The peddle in the cab was completely flat on the floor. Just a little something for the new buyer to tinker with.

[Show as slideshow]

Here is a walk around video of the Brockway. Enjoy the sounds of the low air bell and Cummins on startup. Plenty more to come from this auction in the days ahead!

Junk Yard Finds – International and Brockway

Eric — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:30:50 +0000

If you google International A-160 you’ll find that many of the result show a 4×4 setup with blower just like this one. This truck is equipped with a SnoGo thrower. I call them blowers but maybe the term isn’t interchangeable? The power plant for the thrower is Red Seal Continental gas engine. All in all this truck was fairly solid. Just a little body damage to the front driver side fender and a misaligned door on the passenger side. Ready to work!

Click to Enlarge

Nearby was this Brockway 260. Missing wheels and rims where a common theme at the Dobbins Auction. The cab on this truck looked OK. This is back in the era when wood was still used in the cab. I’m not sure what engine this rig had but it was huge. Stamped on the block was the phrase “Chrome Moly”. I’m not entirely sure what that means but it sounds interesting.

Click to Enlarge

On the Job – Western Star Dump Truck

Eric — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:30:45 +0000

Changing gears here for a moment just to referesh and give everyone a break from the rusted iron. I spotted this truck working a few weeks back hauling away old sidewalk. Later that same day I found it across town at a different job site, the same site occupied by the GMC General from earlier in the month. Small world.

Click to Enlarge

Northwest Shovel

Eric — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:30:26 +0000

Browsing through my collection of photos from the Dobbins auction I came to the following realization. I have A LOT of video and photo to share. I could probably post a different story like this one for the next week or so. Maybe it’s time for two posts a day?

I came across this Northwest Shovel resting at the far edge of the auction yard. It was not for sale. The engine in this shovel is a Red Seal which apparently is type of Continental gas engine. There were several trucks and tractors onsite that used this exact engine for power. One words provides an accurate description. Massive. I don’t know much about this shovel so I guess more experienced people will have to chime in. The age of this machine is up in the air. It contains no hydraulics for the use of digging. Nothing but cables and pulleys here. Maybe something from the 40s or early 50s?

Click to Enlarge

I know this unit is not steam powered by I can’t help to think of one my favorite books from childhood when I look at this shovel. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.

[Show as slideshow]

Do you have any info on this shovel? Leave a comment below!