Like traditional American Large Car ?

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Like traditional American Large Car ?

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Like traditional American Large truck ?

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I was a truck spotter since I was a kid on a tricycle back in the 60's. I remember lots of that style of truck back in the 70's, like the Peterbuilt 359s & the KWs. That Transtar II in the opening was a beauty, probably around 1978 or so. You never see those anymore, or any tilt cab highway haulers like the venerable Freightliner except for specialized use. That has happened since they eased the length restrictions in North America. Check the wheelbase on the Freightliner at the end. In Europe it is the other way, you see nothing but tilt cabs.

Back before the 403 was around to take people up the escarpment from Hamilton to Ancaster & beyond to Brantford (opened June/July '70 after commencing in '68), there was a lot of heavy truck traffic grinding it's way up Highway 2 hill below Ancaster Heights. I would sit on an abandoned-at-the-end-of-the-1940s section and watch all the familiar trucks. I would see V12 GMC tilts, tons of Super Duty V8 gas, the new Massey-Ferguson Ford N1000 with a Detroit Diesel, Internationals of all stripes from the 40's on through, even a Sightliner, but tons of R190s, Fleetstar D, lots of White trucks that looked like they were from the 50's & 60's. Some even said Super White Power on their hoods, definitely not in fashion today.

I even once saw a car hauler come up the grade with a load of Volkswagen 411s on board, this was many months before they were officially released here. Usually car haulers didn't come up that way. Also for a time there used to be a red '66 Sport Deluxe that went by while I was watching. Looked stock & clean but the wheelcovers were off. "What's under the hood?" "V8, man." wink I used to ask people that question. Once I saw a '67 Mustang convertible, I asked if it was a 289. With that he popped the hood and it was filled with chromed 390. He put down some nice rubber pulling away.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I always thought the cabovers were cool. There's still a lot of "old rigs" here in PEI. I've seen some really interesting ones including an old Autocar snow plow being used by a private contractor. It's diesel has a roar like no other! I should start taking photos.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Canadian Poncho wrote:
I always thought the cabovers were cool. There's still a lot of "old rigs" here in PEI. I've seen some really interesting ones including an old Autocar snow plow being used by a private contractor. It's diesel has a roar like no other! I should start taking photos.

There's an old HUGE airport snow blower used here also. I have pictures of it ... I'll try to find them.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

CDN2PLS2 · Uber Guru

Here is mine. 318 Detroit.

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

That looks like an RPM Tech snowblower. Probably from the mid 90s. RPM only builds loader mounted snowblowers currently. Cost was the determining factor. Most municipalities or airports already own a rubber tired loader and a self propelled blower was about $400K more expensive.

Paul

68 327 4spd · Poncho Master!

117432579_609761776410253_7140349250409187725_n[2].jpg

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

Back in the late 60s my father drove a snow plow on the Creston-Salmo summit in SE BC.
The truck was an experimental cab-over unit made by White, with a double sleeper compartment. The entire sleeper had been converted to serve as the air cleaner for a turbine engine. He had photos of it, but I dont know whatever happened to them.
Hed start out at the top, go down one side back up and over, down and back up on the other side. Total of maybe 120 or 140 miles. As I recall, that would use up to 1000 gallons of fuel. The experimenth lasted one season.
The real drawback was the fact that it wouldnt stop. He had to gear down (I think it was a 6 or 8 speed automatic), let the rpms drop, then gear down again and finally bring it to a stop. Gearing down too quickly, (or putting it into neutral) would cause engine over-speed and the turbine would flame-out. Hed then lose power brakes and steering while waiting for it to rev down so he could restart. I never understood how that worked, but he was adamant that was how it operated, and he nearly ended up going over the bank (cliff) on more than one occasion. When it was running, it was almost unstoppable. If he wasnt careful itd chuck those concrete barriers over the side of the mountain and hed barely feel them.
My memory of his stories is a bit vague and Dads gone now so I cant confirm any of it. I suspect there are (or were) reports prepared on its performance.
He said theyd park it in the shop overnight, and start it up inside in the morning. In 20 minutes, itd melt 3 feet of snow off the roof of the shop.

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

I found it!

https://www.tranbc.ca/2013/10/08/peeking-into-the-past-jet-setters-in-winter-maintenance/

Paul

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Now thats a truck Wes and Paul, thanks for posting.

-- Edited by DonSSDD on Tuesday 11th of August 2020 07:07:28 PM

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

Thank you so much for finding that!!! Dad had photos of the truck up next to a 30 foot snow bank (lots of snow slides on the Creston-Salmo), one with him on the steps and a couple of the turbine and air cleaner. I should try to track them down.
Wish I could see the driver in that photo. Very high probability it would be my father.

Just remembered that dad got buried in an avalanche in that truck. He dug himself out. There was a car close to him and he dug down by hand. The driver was sitting there with his engine running to stay warm. If dad hadnt dug him out, he would have asphyxiated himself. There was a bottle of whisky delivered to our house every Christmas for at least 10 years.

Long forgotten memories.

Odd that the report says it could stop in 5 seconds. That is definitely NOT what Dad described.

-- Edited by 66 Beau on Tuesday 11th of August 2020 07:02:45 PM

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

My sister found the photo of my father and this snow plow. The photos of him next to the snowbank and of the interior of the cab (showing the huge air filter) are still AWOL.

Ralph & Turbine Snowplow.jpg

Check out the size of the exhaust.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

RE: Like traditional American Large Car ?

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

It was between 1965 and 1969. I know Dad had his 64 Cutlass at the time, and he had that from new through to 1969.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Here you go Wes,

https://www.tranbc.ca/2013/10/08/peeking-into-the-past-jet-setters-in-winter-maintenance/

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/reports-and-reference/road-runner/newsletters/1966_03_March.pdf

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

I saw the one article but didnt see a date - now I do, in the filename of the second document- March 1966. So Dad would have driven it through the winter of 65-66. Thanks!