Battle Stations – Part 2

Straight from the front lines of the colossal blizzard assaulting Western New York Dan sends us a shot a Kenworth C-500 working for the town Lewiston.

Kenworth C-500 Snow plow

Trucking terminals have the coolest repurposed plow trucks. Usually they are retired OTR trucks like this old S-Series or this International 8200. I’m not sure if this old Mack follows the same mold. For starters the headlights appear to be factory deleted and the overall condition of the truck is near perfect. It’s also possible this rig was purchased by NEMF as a dedicated plower. Whatever the history this truck is a real eye catcher.

Mack Snow Plow

I’ve been tracking the deployment of the new Western Snow 4700 plows for the NYSTA for over a year now. It’s been a long process for these trucks to hit their respective bases but here is one in its finished form complete with lettering and painted hood.

NYS Thruway Plow

Who doesn’t love the classic, S-Series derived, 2574 snow plow? Heading by the NYSDOT Region 3 HQ I spied more than a few still lingering around the back lots. This one appeared to be in good shape. Nearby was a large Oshkosh blower many decades old. I wasn’t able to grab a photo of it so I turned to the original plow chaser, Ryan. Of course he had the exact one in his collection. Click here for the photo.

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In her travels my wife stumbled across a retired 2574 and took some photos. I am truly blessed. These things are starting to show up all over the place. I guess it will only be a few more years until the first generation of NYSDOT Macks start leaving the fleet for fates similar to the Internationals.

On the topic of 2574 let’s talk about 2674, the set back axle option. They are just as cool and just as plentiful around the roads of NYS. Here we have truck 86 of the Madison County Highway Department. In the gallery are two more 2674’s for the Onondaga County DOT.

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Proving the adage that you’re never too old for school here is a S1900 plowing for the Westmoreland Central School District. Was this truck a hand-me-down from the nearby highway department? Smart money says so.

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In the gallery below we have a little more of everything. A Town of Scipio WorkStar. A Town of Scriba Western Star. A Town of Schuyler Volvo VHD. A single axle International WorkStar for an unknown agency. A Town of Wolcott Freightliner 114SD. A Town of Annsville Mack Granite if full dress. A WorkStar for the Cicero-North Syracuse Central School District. A Town of Windfield Sterling.

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Battle Stations – Part 1

By now most of the U.S. that receives snow during winter has received snow. In some cases, significant snow. Buffalo and Tug Hill I’m looking at you. It’s time to settle in and enjoy the vehicles that will help save us from ourselves all winter long.

This new Western Star 4700 for Schuyler County has a clean look to it with liquid tanks that hid under the dump body.

Western Star 4700

It’s hard to beat an Oshkosh when it comes to plowing snow. In the modern world of municipal work where every truck must be a master of all trades a dedicated snow fighter like these P-Series seem antiquated. However when push comes to shove and you are facing two and three feet of snow you’ll wish you had old iron in your corner. The town of Osceola runs this old truck which was spotted at Tracey Road Equipment receiving a new sander.

Oshkosh P-Series

The Batman and Robin of International Trucks as seen below. Representing the variables between departments the Town of Popmpey runs a 6×6 Paystar for those steep, windswept, high country roads while a single axle 7400 is used by the University of Syracuse for nimble, crowded city street plowing maneuvers.

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I don’t care how many times I see this truck I never get bored of it. For me it represents the quintessential City of Syracuse snow plow. Crusty, rusty, but still slugging it out. I believe the city has two of these rigs both equipped with Marmon Herrington AWD conversions. They are purpose built machines that are only seen during the winter.

International 4x4 S-Series

Tomorrow the fun continues with even more plows including one the new Western Star 4700s fully lettered up for the NYSTA, old and older NYSDOT 2574’s, brand new rigs, and more!

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Autocar Mondays – U Turn

Last weekend as I was merging onto the interstate I saw the roof line of this Autocar (at the time I was also thinking it could also be a White) peeking out from behind the weeds at the rear of a nearby shopping center. Too late to escape the highway I did what any normal person would do and promptly took the next exit and back tracked to the mall.

Autocar Dump Truck

I don’t know much about this truck other than it is in great shape. The year, model, engine, etc are all unknown. A local contractor was using it as a site truck to haul away broken concrete from a small construction job on property.  Looking at the bumper I’m see what appears to be a spot for a PTO so maybe this truck plowed or mixed in a past life? Also, it looks like the air cleaner followed a different setup at point.

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Continuing Coverage

Wow, did Ryan sure ever take a truckload of photos at the Peterbilt 75th anniversary truck show. The show and the trucks really speak for themselves. Many dollars and many hours are represented in the photos below. I’m starting to think the saying “class pays” is more than just a slogan but a lifestyle for some of these owners.

388 Heavy Hauler (1024x683)

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Texas Forest Service

Back in 2011 the state of Texas experienced a series of devastating wildfires. Over 31,000 fires consumed 4,000,000 acres of land, destroyed 2,974 homes and most tragically resulted in the deaths of both civilians and firefighters. David was on hand as logistics specialist when he photographed some of the equipment used on the front lines to contain the often fast moving and unpredictable fires. At the time, a group of new, high horse power Macks had arrived on the scene. Equipped with Landoll trailers these trucks quickly saw action hauling dozers and graders to the latest hot spots. David tells us that after a week of use it was very difficult to tell they were new rigs.

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After a successful first deployment David was assigned to a post closer to the action where he was able to see first hand the men and machines at work. Typically a man works in front of the dozer to cut a fire line while scouting for holes dangerous enough to ensnare heavy equipment. Little more than a red blinking light attached to a helmet stands in the way of being run over in the line of duty. All in a day’s work for the brave crews of the TFS and numerous other volunteer firefighters.

Thanks for sharing David!

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Choose Wisely

You’re about to be handed the keys to a brand new snow plow at no cost to you. To sweeten the deal you get to choose between a 2015 Oshkosh P-Series or a 2014 Western Star 4800. Which one do you go with?

Snow Plows

To make a good decision you must have all the details. Let’s start with the Oshkosh.

The Details – 2015 Oshkosh P2530

  • 4×4 (Duh)
  • Cummins ISX 500 HP
  • Allison 4000 RDS Auto
  • Dorr-Miller 2-Speed Automatic Transfer Case
  • Hi-Way 11′ E3020 SS Sander
  • Wausau 500 A Side Plate Hitch
  • Wausau 16′ BMP1650H Plow
  • Wausau PB11 Belly Scraper

Oshkosh P-Series Snow Plow

The Details – 2014 Western Star 4800SB

  • 6×6
  • Detroit Diesel DD13 470 HP, 1650 LB/FT
  • Allison 4500 RDS Auto
  • Marmon-Herrington MVG-1600 2 Speed Transfer Case
  • Merritor 23000# Front Drive Axles
  • Tuftrac Spring Supsension
  • Hi-Way 14′ 304SS Sander
  • American-Sno P87 Dual Wing System
  • American-Sno One-Way Plow
  • American-Sno Wing Plows

Western Star 4800sb SnowPlow

So, what plow do you choose? Both have big power engines, 4×4 setups, automatic transmissions, and Hi-Way spreaders. Even the plows are made by the same company. Do you wan’t a belly plow or wings? The choice is yours! Don’t worry about aging 100 years in mere seconds, unlike the Holy Grail, there is no wrong choice.

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Follow Up Questions

From time to time I come across construction sites full of heavy equipment and other neat things that I chronicle on this web page. Not being part of the construction industry I usually take an educated guess to what is happening. I usually never get a chance to confirm my theories or prove my ignorance but recently two stories from months ago came to a conclusion. Click the links below to visit the updated posts.

Death of a Street -I followed this job for a large part of early summer. You may remember at one point Erie Blvd completely disappeared and was replaced by a massive trench. While we all enjoyed the work above ground what could not be seen was the restoration of 107 year old stone tunnels literately holding the surrounding area up.

On the Job – Terex HC165 – I’m slightly upset that I missed the update on this one as the final work took place just a few weeks ago on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Work on the 89 year old standpipe reached an end with the installation of an 11 ton roof. Syracuse.com was on the scene for the final lift and has a great video of the action.

 

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Cabover Peterbilt Trucks

Who doesn’t love a cabover truck? Sitting on top of the engine and front suspension ensure you have warm ride in the winter and a reason to visit your chiropractor at the end of your journey. As the old saying goes, you’re first to the accident scene! Of course I kid. Today coverage continues of the 75th Anniversary Peterbilt show today with a gratuitous helping of slab cab madness.

GVD Pete 352 (1024x683)

Thanks again Ryan.

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Huber F-1500 Motor Grader

Now here is a model you don’t see everyday, a Huber F-1500 Motor Grader.

Huber F1500 Motor Grader

This machine hails from the Huber Machinery Co of Marion, Ohio. Like so many heavy equipment builders the development of agriculture equipment proved to be the genesis of the company. In Huber’s case it was a wooden hay rake and threshing machine. Based on the model number this grader probably falls into the 1975-1980 time span of production which makes it very close to the end of the company’s life.

Huber F-1500 Motor Grader

This example of a F-1500 is currently in residence at the Broome County Fairgrounds.

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The Final Milling – Video

As promised here is over six minutes of video footage containing milling, sweeping, scooping, and cutting. If you saw something you liked in the photos from yesterday, chances are good that you will see it in the video below. Shot over the course of a week, I tried to capture footage of all the various parts of the road rebuilding process. I’m happy with how it turned out even it doesn’t contain the final part of the puzzle, the laying of pavement!

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