Memories for us old truckers

[RZucker]

This rig has always been interesting to me 8V-71 with a 15sp built in Colorado. With 4 steer it gave true meaning to wiggle wagons at highway speed.

Truck Shop

View attachment 181917

I once had a Chevy C6500 with a Coleman front axle, It was wiggly by itself.

 

[Junkyard]

Up 'til 10 years ago I had a big Bay gelding, 3 white socks and a white blaze on his forehead, very cow smart and only needed knee steering. He was from of some of granddads stock, My grandfather bred cow horses from mostly Quarterhorse and a bit of thouroughbred. He did have a soft spot for abandoned Draft horses that led to some interesting results... Belgian and Quarterhorse mix will stop anything you can get a rope on and then drag them where ever you want. Kind of like roping off a D9 cat.

Somewhere I have a pair of boots that the vet had to cut off after a Belgian stepped on my foot crimping the steel insert over my toes. This horse was bomb proof until you went to float his teeth. Whatever it was about it he did NOT like. Kinda like most people lol. He stepped to the side and son of biotch I was in serious pain. I’m not certain but I think I heard what a horses giggle sounds like. Damn fine horse to ride around on.

 

[old-iron-habit]

Right on Junkyard, For milking it was a rubber fabric strap with brass eyelets and a 3/8 curved rod attached to the strap on one end with a hook on the other
that hooked through the brass eyelet, you hung the vacuum bucket on it. I screwed up one time in the barn which caused one of the cows to pull back in the stanchion and kicked my mom.
My dad grabbed a Surcingle and lashed me with it about five times, every six inches there were huge welts from the eyelets. Never forgot that I was about seven then.

Truck Shop

OK, Now my butt is stinging with a awoken memory. Here goes. My mother always had a hazel brush switch (actually stick) which she used frequently on my brother and I while the other eight "angel" kids watched. She never swatted, she swung overhead always aiming for the head and shoulders. She always took 2 practice swings stopping short and then as we dodged she wacked us a good one. Well one day she was going to whack my brother. On the second practice swing he grabbed the stick and underhanded it past her, tossing it to me. I bolted out the back door of the house and still holding on to the small end of that 5 ft stick, I whipped it as far as I could as I cleared the steps. Unknown to me our near 80 year grandma, whom was staying with us, was bending over picking up a dress out of the wicker basket that mom used for cloths. She was about to hang it on the line to dry. The stick nailed her smack across her rear end where the pink flowers that were printed on that old yellow house dress was stretched tight. She let out a screaming war whoop and her legs went to full gallop. Did I mention that she had a pretty good beam to her bottom. As she leaped ahead her neck caught on the old wire cloths line. Her legs kept going and she landed on her bottom in the wicker basket, exploding it on impact. I still have this vivid image of her on her back in that exploded basket, legs up in the air with that yellow with pink flowered dress up around her waist. Her white bloomers were sticking to her legs up to her knees. As I stood there in total shock I got grabbed by the back of the neck and realized that Dad had just got home. He had walked around the corner of the house just in time to see the stick make contact. I got the 2nd worse whipping of my life. They forgot all about my brother whom started it all and got away with no whop at all. I felt bad about spanking Grandma and told her I was sorry but I don't believe she ever fully forgave me nor trusted me to be behind her. Dad and I had many good laughs about the humor of it later in life but it took a while.

 

[RZucker]

Somewhere I have a pair of boots that the vet had to cut off after a Belgian stepped on my foot crimping the steel insert over my toes. This horse was bomb proof until you went to float his teeth. Whatever it was about it he did NOT like. Kinda like most people lol. He stepped to the side and son of biotch I was in serious pain. I’m not certain but I think I heard what a horses giggle sounds like. Damn fine horse to ride around on.

Grandad had a Morgan cross that looked like a Sorrel Zebra minus the stripes, fat head, longish ears, upstanding mane, and a really bad attitude. that thing would try to sidestep on your toes when you cinched him up. Then he would start crowhopping after the first hundred yards that would lead to bucking if you didn't whack him between the ears with the reins. Otherwise you were on the ground or having a private rodeo.

 

[Junkyard]

Grandad had a Morgan cross that looked like a Sorrel Zebra minus the stripes, fat head, longish ears, upstanding mane, and a really bad attitude. that thing would try to sidestep on your toes when you cinched him up. Then he would start crowhopping after the first hundred yards that would lead to bucking if you didn't whack him between the ears with the reins. Otherwise you were on the ground or having a private rodeo.

Some of KJM’s horses were getting up in years, late 20’s for some of them. There were days, like today, when it was stupid hot and they flat refused to let anybody on them. The instructors would saddle them up and most generally a few minutes they’d calm down and do their deal. Once in a blue moon the instructors would be busy or whatever and ask me to ride the attitude out of them. Not much I could get ahold of with my skinny a$$ on an English saddle back then. They’d want to buck or hop so I’d just pull their head to the side and if they kept up a whack or two with a crop and they’d capitulate.

One of his lesson horses was an original bloodline of the AQHA. We put her down at 34 after a days work....Lil Brandy Sue was her name.

 

[Truck Shop]

My dad went in the army at seventeen in 1934, he was asked what he could do his reply was {I can drive a team of horses or mules} He was shipped to Fort Sam Houston,
"B" Battery artillery where he drove six horse team pulling munitions and piece til 1938. That was the last year of horse drawn artillery. After that he didn't have much
use for a horse but a mule was ok, sort of. Pay was 10.00 a month with soap for shaving, tobacco makings or a cut of chewing tobacco. He never smoked tailor made smokes
P.A. in can only. He could roll damn near a tailor made with one hand. He use to roll'em on his pant leg all the time. I asked him why he mostly rolled with only one hand.
{When on maneuvers or on march horse back if you think everyone's going to whoa up for you to roll a smoke well you got another thing coming, better get it done on the move
was his reply}.

Truck Shop

 

[DMiller]

Sis in law had a Buckskin mare, 14 hands at the withers named Sundown, she was contemptable toward males, dealt with little kids OK but a nag from get to go. Farrier had to twitcher her to a post to do anything even close to shoeing or hoof trimming. Was helping the sis in law one day where she dropped a grooming brush, stooped to pick it up heard the clomp at my right ear where I grabbed a two by laying at the fence. She had already pulled back knowing I was coming up, she missed the ear but I hit her square in the forehead with a rotten board, it exploded. She snapped to every time I came around and avoided any attempts to bite me from that point on. Had the board Not been rotten I would have probably left a bigger mark!

I had a knothead Pure Bred palomino gelding with tiger eyes, Tiger was barn broke and stubborn but knew better than try my patience. Always treated him well, he would make attempts to rush back to the barn but I would tuck his chin to his forelocks and drive him hard right, he eventually quit for me. My younger brother took him over as I entered the US of Army, damn horse ran him full tilt back to the barn where on a third occasion made a hard turn and flipped the brother into a steel trough. That glue factory went away at that time.

 

[DMiller]

I had almost forgotten Prince Albert tobacco TS, My own Grandparents, Dad's side rolled their own of P.A. as was the choice tobacco of the day pipe or RYO.

 

[Truck Shop]

Here's one for you to take a short road trip on RZ.

https://spokane.craigslist.org/hvo/d/1960-mack/6605832049.html

Truck Shop

 

[Labparamour]

Ah, Craigslist.... “ran when parked...”

Looks good, though.

Darryl

 

[Truck Shop]

I might have to make a short trip to Ephrata tomorrow.

Truck Shop

 

[Wes J]

Those B models are neat, but "tight" is a nice way to describe the cab. You don't really sit in it so much as you wear it like spandex. I've never driven one, but I sat in the cab at a truck show. I don't think there were a lot of 6'4" 250lb drivers when those trucks were on the drafting board.

 

[Truck Shop]

Those B models are neat, but "tight" is a nice way to describe the cab. You don't really sit in it so much as you wear it like spandex. I've never driven one, but I sat in the cab at a truck show. I don't think there were a lot of 6'4" 250lb drivers when those trucks were on the drafting board.

Yup a feller can't be packing around years of biscuits and gravy and expect to drive one of those.

Truck Shop

 

[DMiller]

Was a lot 'lighter' when worked at MACK St Louis, 6'2" tall, 155#, could actually shinny up into a dump truck mast box and replace blown hydraulic hoses on cylinders bed DOWN!. Bs were not only tight but Short inside, had to duck my head to get in while had a button knot where my ball cap would beat into my skull on test drives!

 

[RZucker]

I might have to make a short trip to Ephrata tomorrow.

Truck Shop

I spent the weekend in the Horseheaven hills with no cell service, just got home a while ago and got your voicemail. Wish I had been home when you called. Did you see it?

 

[Truck Shop]

Yeah I saw it, basically a parts truck. Frame is junk, steer axle eyes are shot and back of cab rotted. Here are some others setting there that I got photos of.
Went up and back on Dodson Rd.

Truck Shop

 

[RZucker]

Yeah I saw it, basically a parts truck. Frame is junk, steer axle eyes are shot and back of cab rotted. Here are some others setting there that I got photos of.
Went up and back on Dodson Rd.

Truck Shop

That IH cabover looks like the one that used to sit south of Highway 26 out west of Othello near the old Taunton substation.

 

[Truck Shop]

I bought this B75 today for $2,500 he was asking $4,000 and I also bought today a 1959 B61 for $700,00 that has all the good parts I need to build that B75.
RZ when I run up to tow it back is it possible to have you give me a hand with removing the axles so I can tow from the front? I can do it but a little help would
make it much easier. The axles might need some tough persuasion.

Truck Shop

 

[crane operator]

I was looking at the other pictures of that mack today (congrats, by the way, should make a pretty truck).

I was wondering what the deal was with the rear rims. It looks like the center has a rivet joint to the outer of the rim?

 

[DMiller]

All you have to do with that wagon is pull the axle caps, remove the double spline end shafts and reinstall the caps.

I do like that B!!