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Bees!

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Eric

My buddy Kevin has been asking me over the past few days if there where any B-Model’s at the 2015 ATHS convention in York, PA. The answer is a resounding yes. At Kevin’s instance I’ll start digging into the mountains of photos and videos with the the time tested classic, the Mack B-Model.

Look at this beautiful pair. Rounded fenders or construction style, the B was one good looking truck that still got the job done.

This roll-off is simply too perfect for use. I love the look of the high mounted air intake.

A truck wash station was available to help clean off rigs after travel on dust and bug clogged highways. This old B-61 cleaned up great after surviving a heavy thunderstorm only a short time before this photo. Despite that storm the rest of the weekend provided the perfect conditions for photos and truck viewing. Bright skies. Mid 80’s. Over 1100 trucks.

More B’s than you can shake a stick at!

[Show as slideshow]

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged 2015 aths york, b-model mack | 5 Comments

White Motor Company

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Eric

So the other day I went gaga because I saw a Diamond Reo Trend. Take a guess what I saw today? A White Trend! Will wonders ever cease. This one didn’t have a camper but a stake bed and was lettered to resemble a dealership truck.

It arrived on the back a trailer being pulled but mint condition White Construcktor. Mint!

The Construcktor was also tasked with pulling one of the most iconic COE designs of all time, the White 3000.

The 3000 sounded great with straight pipes but don’t take my word for it watch the video! It was awesome to see it take off down the track.

And of course, the White Construcktor.

Tomorrow I come home from the show and can finally start digging into the gigabytes of photos and videos from York. Hope you classic trucks, I’m going to be talking about this show for weeks.

*Update*

I found a few other shots of these trucks. First, an interior cab shot of the Construcktor and second, a small group meeting. Also, the owner of the trucks, Russ, stopped by in the comments. Just in case you missed his comments.

The 3000 is a barn find, with 40k original miles on it, still with paper on the seat corners from the factory, stickers and papers, etc. to validate its originality!
I am the 2nd owner of the Construcktor. Really great truck, though it is the “poor man’s autocar”. Looks just like it rolled off the factory floor inside and out!

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged White 3000, white contrucktor, white trend | 3 Comments

Genuine Article

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Eric

This is how they do trucking in Australia. Make not mistake, this is not a homage to Mack trucks from down under, this is a honest to goodness road train. Dual aircleaners mounted up high feed a Mack V-8 dust free air. A moose guard up front is more than just a status symbol of implied toughness but a necessary tool of the job. Don’t forget about that windshield guard. Massive fuel tanks on this rig help traverse long distances of non human populated zones. Once again leave it to the ATHS National Show to bring out a truck you won’t see anywhere else…unless you live in Australia that is.

*Update* Here is the link to the Big Mack Trucks website detailing the important of this truck.

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged 2015 aths york, mack valueliner, road train | Leave a comment

Trend Setter

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Eric

One of the many reasons I look forward to attending the national ATHS meet is the wide variety of trucks that make the journey. People really pull out the stops and bring some unique machines that you just don’t see outside of the largest of shows. Case in point, this Diamond Reo Trend.

Not long ago I had a stomach bug and the only the only thing I could do that didn’t involve the bathroom was read. In my case I memorized the pages of White Trucks of the 1960’s by Ron Adams. Toward the end of the book there was a neat shot of a Diamond Reo Trend. I thought to myself how cool it would be to see one of these odd ducks as their can’t be that many left in usable shape. It would be even cooler if it had the optional camper. Boom. There it is. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw it.

The cab is made out of a laminated thermoplastic known as Royalex. This future material was unique as it had a memory that could be activated with heat from a hair dryer or similar device. No need to fix dents with body filler or fiberglass mix. Just turn up the heat and the thermoplastic would return bounce back to life. I can’t speak on how this works in real life. 🙂

Engine choices included a few different V-8 gas engines or V-6 diesel. Four or five speed synchronized gearboxes were available. The bed transfer process reminds me of the setup currently used by NYS Thruway trucks to transition from sanders to dump beds when the time is just right.

Posted in Truck Show | 2 Comments

The Road to York

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Eric

The four hour drive to the ATHS show in York, PA produced more than a few interesting truck photos. Here are a few heavy haulers I spotted just outside of Binghamton, NY.

Wow! Talk about heavy haul style!

Posted in On the Job | Leave a comment

On the Road

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Eric

Hopefully by the time you read this I am well on my to York, PA for the ATHS National Meet. If you’re really late to the party I may even be back from the show! Current talk around the show confirms that over 1,300 truck have preregistered with many more expected to roll through the gates Thursday through Saturday. Rigs of all shapes and sizes will be present including rusty relics, survivors, completely restored show pieces and custom haulers, and more! To prime the well so to speak Dave sent me a few shots of a classic looking Kenworth fixing to hit the show grounds later in the week.

Spotted at a Memorial Day parade the owner told Dave he was a major B.J. and The Bear fan growing up. That now classic show provided inspiration for his current ride.

I agree with Dave and think this truck may just have surpassed the TV show original when it comes to coolness. You can read more about the truck from the show by clicking here.

Thanks to Dave for sharing! Check back often for nearly live updates from the show!

Posted in Famous Trucks | Tagged bj and the bear, kenworth aerodyne, kenworth k100 | 1 Comment

International 650 Excavator

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Eric

I think it’s safe to say you don’t see many International 650 excavators around anymore. For many years I’ve kept my eye on this machine but the timing was just never right to grab a decent photo. The heavy equipment stars aligned this weekend and I was finally able to to capture my prize. So what do I know about this machine? Absolutely nothing. Thankfully the internet has a few facts for me to crib. To enter the tracked excavator market International purchased controlling rights of French manufacturer Yumbo. No relation to the Burger King sandwich. Of the two parents I’m unsure of how International or how Yumbo the 650 design represents. The production year of this machine most likely falls between 1978 and 1982 with ’82 being the file year before the great sell off of International’s farm and construction equipment divisions. Power to this machine reportedly comes from an International DT402 diesel engine producing 118 HP. Hydrulic power ran at 4350 PSI at 55 gallons per minute. Anyone know how that stacks up to similar machines of the time period? This 650 certainly looks like a burly machine and I be that DT402 is capable of making some noise. It would be cool to see it running. You can check out more info on the International tracked excavators and Yumbo by visiting this article at nationalihcollectors.com

Posted in Heavy Equipment | Tagged international 650 excavator, yumbo excavator | 4 Comments

Autocar Mondays – 1971 Autocar DC10364B

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Eric

If you blinked you probably missed this truck that was listed on eBay just the other day. It’s a 1971 Autocar DC 10364B. Listed as a prime mover lets check out the resume to see if that tag line lives up the truth.

DD: Thank you for your interest in our position of prime mover. I would like to begin by asking you about your gearing. Can you tell you me how you are equipped to pull heavy loads?

DC: Certainly! My main gearbox is a six speed Allison automatic, model CLBT5960-6. I also have a four speed Fuller auxillary transmission for the heaviest of situations.

DD: Very nice. What about your frame? Strong gearing is meaningless if you will twist into a pretzel under slight hauling.

DC: I do have a reinforced triple frame mostly free of rust.

DD: Mostly?

DC: I am 44 after all.

DD: As you know, Federal law prohibits me from disqualifying you based on age.

DC: Phew!

DD: What is your strongest asset?

DC: That would have to be my low mileage 12V71 Detroit Diesel engine.

DD: *heavy breathing*

DC: Are you okay?

DD: Mmrehm, yes. Can you tell me about any other qualifications that might set you above other candidates for this position?

DC: I come equipped with a 100,000 pound winch and tandem rear Rockwell SFDD4640 axles with 8.07 gearing.

DD: Welcome aboard! When can you start?

And that’s my take on an conversation with an inanimate object. The original listing stated that this truck was once owned by Mooney Brothers in New Castle, PA. The opening bid was 5,000 but the auction was ended before anyone could take a shot. Most likely someone saw a truck they really liked and made an irrefusable offer. That’s how the cookie crumbles on eBay. You can visit the original listing by clicking here.

And by the way, if you’re scratching your head about the automatic transmission with a 4 speed auxillary I don’t blame you. As fate would have it there is another A-Car on eBay right now with similar specs as this one. The most notable exeception being the huge planetary axles in the rear. Check out the listing to catch a glimpse of the cab setup.

Posted in Autocar Trucks, eBay Finds | Tagged autocar prime mover, detroit diesel 12v71, mooney brothers | 2 Comments

City Life. Farm Life.

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Eric

Below is a city view. It contains the desecrated corps of a former ice cream factory. Now it is being picked clean by a pair of old Caterpillar excavators. The old 225 LC and 120 may not look like much but between the two of them they have torn down more buildings in the City of Syracuse than any other demolition team.

While old Cats live in the city. New Deeres live in the country. See what I did there? Wooow, I need the ATHS national meet to get here!

I took this shot while volunteering at a cross country race event. You get what you pay for!

Posted in On the Job | Leave a comment

New Mixers in Town

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Eric

Yesterday I spotted this pair of presumably brand new Oshkosh mixers for Vitale Ready Mix-Concrete. If they are not new someone certainly is good with the hose and soap bucket.

Nothing too outrageous here, just pouring concrete for new sidewalks and cementing new curbs into place.

They certainly looked great in the bright spring sun.

Posted in On the Job | Tagged oshkosh mixer truck, vitale Ready Mix | Leave a comment