Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Antique Trucks: Working Stiffs

To one who plays at being a photographer, let's face it, old trucks are a lot more interesting than antique cars. Vehicles that worked for a living offer more character and variety, therefore this selection from the recent antique auto show out at Watson Lake Park.

There were fire trucks two. And, yes, that is me in the red stripes -- some of the pictures in this set were taken by the Niece from Memphis; the girl in the shades is her daughter.

A scene almost obliterated from our green world -- a logging truck. It would be good to see a few more trucks loaded with timber from the many drought-killed trees that still stand in local forests.

Piggy back, old-style or a wrecker or merely a utility truck for long loads. I'm not quite sure which.

However, this well equipped vehicle probably served as a wrecker and undertook many other tasks.


Double-duty for the show -- an old truck hauling in old machinery for the exhibit of old engines.

A fine, if stripped down tractor. The caterpillar my grandfather drove in the early 30s was a much more elaborate contraption, complete to a big umbrella to protect him from the hot Phoenix sun.

The owner decided to have some fun outfitting this minimalist machine.

And here was what you might call a jack-of-all-trucks. Note all the gear lashed to the side panel.

Not to mention two extra seats for the hitchhikers.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The bomb under the two-seat bumper is a novel form of ballast. A few antique cars, please.

Hermano

Anonymous said...

Super post. I would love to vist the Airforce graveyard in AZ. Bet there are some interesting pictures and stories there.

Steve

smilnsigh said...

My husband would really enjoy this show! He has a 1950 Chevy truck, which is his pride and joy. :-)

Mari-Nanci

Linda G. said...

I'm like you..love the working vehicles...
E. says the little tractor was spotted in a field down Skull Valley way by a friend of his. It was all in pieces. He asked the owner if he could have it. When granted permission, he gathered it up and spent three years assembling it. The last E. heard the owner had been able to locate only one other in existence.

Granny J said...

Bro -- two more posts coming up just for you. One of antique cars, the other of classics.

Steve Anon -- I, too, would love to take pictures at that graveyard!

SnS -- Hope you showed DH the pictures...

Brain -- what an interesting tale. Any idea of just how old the tractor is?

Avus said...

Granny, these are great, so interesting - like you I think working vehicles have so much more character (just as a sun burnt farmer's face in relation to some "city slicker")

Avus said...

Message to smilnsigh: how did you manage to put a link ("truck") into a reply? I have often wanted to do that.

Granny J said...

I agree, Avus. I think it may be the hard lines vs. the softness and lack of lines.

Linda G. said...

E. says he has no idea how old the tractor is. It's been about twenty years since his friend found it.

Granny J said...

Brain -- I sure bet that tractor could celebrate its 80th birthday, easily. Reminds me of those plain-pipe-racks tractors they made for a long time in Maoist China.

 
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