I saw this Mack lurking behind a diner last week and promptly made a detour for a closer look. The second I saw it from the interstate I knew this truck was not original to New York State or many nearby locations…unless your travel north and visit our fine Canadian neighbors. Just look at that long wheelbase with a noticeable gap between the two rear axles. That famous Canadian spread. I know the photos don’t clearly show this fact but trust me on it. Also, that pusher axle is practically siting underneath the cab. Google Canadian dump trucks axle spread and you’ll see what I mean. Clearly, Canada has different bridge formulas than the United States.
The unknown dump body out back is a real eye catcher as well. It’s very long and tampers down toward the rear of the bed. The automatic tailgate goes without identification but is extremely different. This kind of setup also seems very popular on Canadian trucks.
If anyone out there has information to share on this setup please leave a comment below.
This past Saturday while the Brockway Museum installed the new exhibits for the year I took a ride with Russell Bonds and his 1973 361 Husky. Russell’s truck actually had just been released after being on display for a nearly a year. It proved to be one of the more stubborn trucks of the morning with a pair of rear drums that just wouldn’t release. Eventually a large hammer and a little pushing and pulling broke everything free. You’d be hard press to know this truck had not run in nearly year when you saw it cruising down the main street of Cortland a short twenty minutes after it rolled out of the museum. It’s a true testament to the Brockway name and the people who keep them running to this very day.
The inaugural trip of the 2016 truck season found us escorting one of the newest additions to the museum display roster in the form of a 1972 U360 with a 12V Detroit. I’ll let the trucks do the talking from here.
This weekend I spent sometime at the Brockway Truck Museum as the new exhibit truck for the year were put in place. Many hard working and talented individuals volunteer countless hours of their time to make this home for Brockway Trucks a reality. This year twelve trucks will be on display offering a fantastic cross section of trucks from the 65 year history of the company. Two such rigs represent the highest horsepower units ever available from the company.
The 1972 U360 model seen above has been meticulously restored to a condition eclipsing any factory made unit. On loan to the museum for one year the truck arrived without a hood to showcase a Detroit 12V71 that has been clean, polished, and chromed like few seen before. Not a single part of this truck escaped the eye of its restoring. Chromed steering box, painted wheel wedges, upholstery from top to bottom, two tone painted u-joints, the list goes on and on. You truly must see this truck in person. It is a work of art. This truck has been in “hiding” for a very long time. Congratulations to the crew for finally tracking it down and convincing its owner to loan it the museum for a year. See it while you can!
If you stop by the museum this year, and you really should, you’ll find a face off taking place between the U Model seen above and this equally impressive 1973 H model. Proudly owned by Jimmy McLaughlin, this truck is equipped with a Caterpillar 1693. As I said before, both trucks are locked into a stare down on the museum floor. I’ve tried but I can’t determine which I like more.
Hopefully these shots have convinced you to stop by the CNY Living History Center. In addition to the physical trucks there are countless artifacts, displays, and photographs relating to Brockway Trucks and the truck industry in general. And don’t forgot, the Brockway section is just one part of the Living History Center. If you’re passing by there is no reason NOT to stop in.
In the effort of transparency I’ll mention that I am new member to the Brockway Truck Preservation Association board. I’ll take this time to mention a brand new YouTube channel dedicated directly to the brand of Brockway. Below you’ll find the inaugural video. Please subscribe! There is much more to come! Below, a time lapse video of the exhibit swap, an entire day boiled down into four minutes.
The open road may no longer call for this pair of Autocars but that doesn’t mean their work is finished. Dave sends in these photos of a ’83 and a ’84 model that were once owned by Dutchess Quarry and Supply. Back in those glory days these two trucks were paired with tri-axle Montone dump trailers and could be found working the roads in and around Pleasant Valley, NY through the early 2000’s. What a site that must have been!
Over the years the trucks were sold and switched over from tractor units to the current dump truck setup you see here. They are primarily site trucks now but in still in excellent shape as their aggregate hauling days spared them from the sheet metal devouring road salt mixture that appears on New York roads each winter. Now these two just have to worry about careless heavy equipment operators. 😉
Cat power resides under the hoods in the from of a 3406A for the 83 and a 3406B for the 84. Both trucks have 13 speeds with 44,000 lbs rear axles on Hendrickson suspension. With around 275,000 miles on each truck hopefully this power couple has many more years together. A big thanks to Dave is due for his information and photos!
I was browsing through some raw footage of the 2015 ATHS National Meet yesterday when I discovered that I had more footage of this vintage Ward LaFrance military wrecker. I feel the clips add to the video as you get to see the truck catch a gear or two, you can really hear that gas engine start to sing. The attention to detail on this truck is impressive in each way. Click here to read the original post and learn more about it.
The collection is now complete. The new International HX520 was unveiled yesterday at the Truck World show in Toronto. You may recall that three other versions of the HX were released during the spectacle known as World Of Concrete. The HX520 features a set-forward axle configuration and is powered by a Cummins ISX15. With a BBC measurement of 120 inches this truck should prove popular as heavy haul tractor.
Par for the course were left with goofy looking computer renditions of the truck. Just use real models! I know the exist. If you disagree take a look at this shot from TruckingInfo.com. A real truck looks a thousand times better. Perhaps my eyes deceive me but those look Tackaberry colors? Hmmm. If you have a moment to kill stop by InternationalTrucks.com and fool around with the truck configuration tool.
Below, a few shots of the other models that make up the HX line of trucks courtesy of Joe Kelly. Hover your cursor over the photo for model information.
There is just something about an old and rusty truck in the weeds that is mesmerizing. Why is it there? Who did it once belong to? What are the specs? The list of questions can go on for days and more often than not the answers will never be found. Even from the long distance vantage point of this photo you can tell that rust has set in hard on this old Louisville. I would like to think that bump in the hood on the passenger side means there is huuuuuuge power lurking. But then I went back and looked at this L700, still working as of last year, and noticed it has one too….and it’s a gasser! As you can see this old Ford sits in a field with plenty of other relics. Three of which are Brockway dump trucks. Yup, three. More on those later…or maybe not. 😉
Along with the beautiful 1973 Autocar DC another classic member of the Cortese fleet was this 1980 Mack DM812SX1041. Reading the specs on this truck will make any Mack purist salivate. Hauling power was generated by a Mack 300 Plus diesel while ample gearing came through the Mack 12 speed gearbox. Out back, large 11.00R24 tires rode on Mack 58,000 lbs rears.
Anthony purchased this truck form its original owner Blairstown Paving and Excavating in 1989. In 1995 it was sold and apparently fell off the face of the earth.
Anyone out there have leads on this trucks? If so, please drop a comment below.
Tradition dictates that truck shows take place during warmer weather. I don’t see any of that on the East Coast so I guess that explains all this great footage from Ryan and the St. Jude Truck Show from Sutter, California. Believe it or not the skies were overcast with rain! Rain! Usually a disappointing element to any truck show but with things as they are in California it was welcomed with open arms. Rigs of all shapes and sizes showed up to the benefit the St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Take a look at this Kenworth T-800 with a massive Cat scraper lurking out back.
To truly appreciate how far trucks have come compare the Kenworth to this Autocar from sometime in the 19TEENs date range. Do you think that steering wheel height is adjustable. And those side mirrors seem to be in a convenient spot. At least it has year round A/C. All kidding aside it’s a very cool machine and no doubt it was just as impressive to the people of the time as the T-800 is today.
It seems strange to me but there is only one photo of a B-Model. Just one? We are still overrun with them back east. 😉
When you think about Autocar trucks what kind of truck comes to mind? Maybe your imagination travels to the the curving and flowing style of a 1940’s U-Model. Or perhaps your tastes lean toward the squared lines of a the ever popular ACL. For me, I see a truck very similar to this 1973 DC 10364BDC owned by Anthony Cortese. Completely restored in 1995 this truck has all the features I love on heavy haul trucks with tall rubber, spokes, external air cleaners, and diamond plate pit fenders all around to name a few. Under that long piano styled hood a small Cam Cummins 350 lurks. A Spicer 5 x 4 trans with Rockwell 65,000 pound rears and a 100 ton oscillating 5th wheel complete the hauling picture.
Anthony purchased this truck from a farmer in Wind Gap, PA and began the restoration process during which every single part of the truck was touched. And I mean every, single, part. Gauges, wiring, cab roof, all glass, doors, interior, upholstery, and steering components, nothing was overlooked. Rumors abound that this truck was a former Gerosa unit but no proof has been found…yet…to substantiate this claim.
Thank you to Anthony for sharing these amazing photos. Stay tuned for a few more trucks of his in the coming days. Have you spotted an Autocar? Let the world see! Email eric@dailydieseldose.com today!
