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Memories for us old truckers

Truck Shop

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Mile counter-I think the hydroplane photo was taken on Lake Washington it looks like
the west channel bridge/floating bridge I-90 Seattle.
 

Jumbo

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Black Diamond WA
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Mile counter-I think the hydroplane photo was taken on Lake Washington it looks like
the west channel bridge/floating bridge I-90 Seattle.
The time frame for the hydros is 1954 or 1955. Hull number U45, Miss Cadillac only ran those two years. The bridge is the Lacy V. Murrow bridge which sank Thanksgiving Day 1990. At the time, the highway was US 10. I 90 was just a dream in those years.
 

Jumbo

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Let me expose my ignorance:
The plate appears to be a Massachusetts license plate, so that is US.
I have seen very few if any tri-drives here in the US. I've seen lots in Canada, but the few here are/were usually attached to a lowboy.
Somebody out there can and should educate me. I always try to stay West of the Rockies personally...
 

Truck Shop

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In the 60's FWD, Diamond REO built tri-drive mixers and other rigs for vocational use. Most in the Rust Belt- I have a book showing
several different configurations including quad drive.
 

DMiller

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Cheap "old" Geezer
Were used in STL during the 1960s as can remember them on the site for the Arch, Westlake Construction was a First Use of Autocar Tri Drive mixers and a first use of Live Drive Hydraulics off the crankshaft nose. Those old wrecks were abandoned in one old quarry I frequently had to enter in W STL County.
 

DMiller

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Cheap "old" Geezer
Can already tell, Double Breasted Yamahas!!!


Look to be 10-12 yard drums
Old Dodge cabs were tiny even in comparison to the rest of the truck!!!

75 or 76 Pontiac GP in background.
 

DMiller

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Cheap "old" Geezer
Side note, March 1980, went to TMC Transit Mixer Company(McNeilus) distributor, picking up Mixer parts for a CdA quarry, rolled in and they set some weird cribbing on the flatbed, get to back under a yard gantry and they set two Drums on the cribbing, said NO Chains just straps, NO Scars and do NOT bend them. Drove that from SLC stopping around every fifty to a hundred miles to realign and reset the Eggs tied to the 2x4 I was dragging. No matter how set the winches and straps these damned things(NO Frames) walked all around on the Cribbing, SUCKED!!!
 

Truck Shop

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On another forum it's funny how one BS story feeds another until it becomes gospel of sorts years later. Below is a Freightliner Powerliner which
had a choice of Cummins KT series up to 600 hp or Detroit 12V71 with 435 hp. The BS builds to the point of factory 12V71's with 525 hp. and one
was factory special built with a 12V92 at some 790 hp. And this special trucking company was the one to test it because they knew how to handle
big power. In the 70's the engine companies did their own testing first off and have ever since because the engines were fitted with every diagnostic
piece available at the time. The other problem is there were no gear boxes at the time that could handle that kind of torque and horse power right
along with the fact there was no clutch that would withstand that kind of torque. Rear drive axles were another problem. The KT Cummins was only
producing 1550 torque. Crap-a lowly 475 hp E Model Cat 3406 would produce 1850. A friend of mine long dead worked for Emerson Diesel Seattle and
Alaska he worked on the Powerliner below, he had photos of it and several other V12 powered trucks at the time. The most he ever saw on a factory
12 on the dyno was 460 hp.----BS stories.

239659609_183224983908419_832286703168934368_n.jpg 120365506_1876658515808077_668173540668180328_n.jpg
 

skyking1

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washington
pretty much everything you said above plus advice from folks here has completely turned me away from the idea of turning up the 3406. Years ago on my first go-around here I asked around and toyed with the idea.
You mess with one part and then another becomes vulnerable. It all became moot when I set my last work day too :)
 

DMiller

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Did not realize they moved cab pivot point up as well increased cooling and grill dimensions on the powerliners.

Guess needed more momentum for knocking windshields out as cab crossed 45 degrees and jack or cylinders failed!!
 

DMiller

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Actually saw a 362 Pete(Day Cab non sleeper) still running on the interstate the other day, had a 48' refrigerated van behind it, looked so out of place. Could not have had a 140" wb, super tight drives to back of possibly 80 gallon fuel tanks.
 

Truck Shop

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Not really when taken into consideration I built it from a pile of junk and obsolete antique reconstituted parts from a era that's
not practical anymore.
 
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