Most famous truck in Halifax

There is a proliferation of (usually ugly) food trucks these days sprouting out at odd places at odd times.

With a paint job meant to look like Graffiti, this carefully fitted out Ford is probably better looking, and in much better condition that most Halifax food trucks.

But there are still some traditional fry wagons on the street occupying regular positions.

There is nothing particularly scary about Monster Fries' Utilimaster, which has been stationed at Point Pleasant Park this year.
(Utilimaster is owned by Spartan Motors and includes the former Union City Body Co, that bought General Motors' chassis division back in 1998.)

The most famous is certainly Bud the Spud and his vintage Grumman Olson Kurbmaster. Bud and Co have been in the business for 30 years plus and are a fixture on Spring Garden Road.
(When Grumman Olson was declared bankrupt in 2001 it was purchased by an investment house. The step van line is now known as Morgan Olson.)

The white colour is no accident, since the operators stress cleanliness to attract patrons. 

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Boschung

As the gateway for European vehicles, Halifax sees all kinds, and if I am lucky enough to catch them before they are forwarded on.

During the past weekend I spotted this Boschung Jet Broom vehicle, manufactured  by the Swiss company:
http://boschung.com/en

Fitted on what looks like a Mercedes chassis, it is likely headed for demonstration work in Canada this winter.
There is also a Youtube video showing one of these units at work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92PN9h42sBw

More RVs

With the fall colour season at its height, there are still lots of tourists in Nova Scotia. Many it seems are traveling in RVs. The usual array of domestic rental types don't interest me very much, so I keep a lookout for any oddities.

There are still lots of foreign RVs around - both arriving from overseas and departing for home. The adventurous Germans are still in the lead, and they seem to come up with an infinite variety of vehicles - no two alike.

 This Fiat 130 chassis/cab mini-RV would likely be very economical to operate, but require  a great deal of cooperation for use of space.

I  particulary like the iridescent leading edge of the roof and the teardrop window. I could see no maker's name on the RV body.

Although it did not start out as an RV this Ford E-350 chassis/cab mini-bus body has made the transition. Now equipped with solid panel side doors, privacy window tints and various appurtenances on the roof deck, it seems to do the job. The solar panels are backed up with a surplus pick-up truck tool box and a Volvo ski-box. It pays to be prepared!

"Bustang" is word play on "Bus" and "Mustang" - since it is a Ford after all. Oddly the State of Colorado started up its own bus service in June 2015, and calls it Bustang, with a horse logo too.

The unit carries British Columbia plates.

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Bright and shinies on the waterfront

A tremendous amount of truck traffic on the waterfront these days with large project cargoes and machinery moves. Most  are oversize and require low bed trailers or drop decks and often escorts. I have not been in the right place at the right time for most of these or they have been blocked from view. My guess is that more than 30 special loads moved in or out this week.

However I did grab a few today.

Bellemare, the Quebec heavy load specialist has been front and centre with two contracts, one for project cargo and one for military vehicles (see previous post).

These three Western Stars, a Kenworth and their escort vehicle were planning their route this evening.  The escort has elaborate graphics. Note the small diameter tire tag axle.

 Bellemare's graphics sharpen up this Chev. I guess that is a clearance pole on the front .

Another bright and shiny was this big red Pete from Couture Logistics Inc. See: CLI
It is carrying one of nearly a dozen timber harvesters (and several farm tractors among other things) that moved out of Halifax this week after arriving by ship on Monday.

If you haven't heard of Ponsse before, it is a company based in Finland, but has a worldwide business. See their website: http://www.ponsse.com/

All the trucks were not bright and shiny however. This matte finish old Freightliner set back was certainly the weirdest truck, and certainly looked the least reliable. It was carrying an over width crate on a straight deck trailer.The lettering on the truck is "R-052357-2"

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Citroen RV

There are not many Citroens to be seen on the roads around Halifax, even among all those scores of European RVs that arrive here in the sporing and fall as they migrate between continents.

This RV appears to be based on the Citroen Relay low roof cargo van, with the German company Concorde adding a bubble on top, and of course fitting out every cc of interior space for maximum use. I am not sure I am happy with the tail pipe right under the drivers door, however I do like the Canadian and US flags in the picture window - very homey.

This Citroen, with Concorde (not the jet) body work, is part of the German organized Panamericana tour scheme, that provides guides and assistance for those who wish to "do" the Panamerican highway. The vehicles usually land in Buenos Aires, travel south around to Tierra de Fuego into Chile then northward covering 38,000 km through 16 countries in 180 days, ending in Alaska. If that is not enough the adventurers cross the continent for an east coast port. Many arrive in Halifax, which provides the shortest sea route to France, England and Germany.

Mercedes Actros - comparison shopping

If you need to comparison shop between the civilian and militarized versions of the Mercedes Actros, this is an ideal time to do it.

Since I returned to Halifax in September  this big Fahrenholtz Actros and its multi-tired heavy lift trailer have been sitting the the parking lot at Pier 29 in the Port of Halifax.
An arrangement with local operator Mills Heavy Hauling and Germany's Fahrenholtz, has brought Mercedes Actros to Halifax before: in September 2014, September 2011 and November 2014

But this a newer and bigger twin steer version:

Then on October 3 the Icelandic ship Reykjafoss unloaded several militarized Actros variants at nearby Pier 36. How they came to be brought here by an Icelandic ships remains to be explained.

The Canadian military acquired 86 of these beasts, named Armored Heavy Support Vehicles. Although they were secured on flat deck shipping containers, they were poorly tarped and must have received a real salt water washdown while in transit.

I have seen this type in Halifax before too: in November 2012 and December 2012

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Outbound RVs

It is the time of the year for all those European RVs that have been touring North America all summer to return home. More than a dozen a behind the fences at the Fairview Cove container terminal awaiting the arrival of the Atlantic Container Line ship.
Short of sitting at the gate all day, it is almost impossible to catch them as they arrive off the road. I was lucky enough today to catch an untypical exmaple.

This Mercedes chassis Le Voyageur is a prestige unit built in Framce. See the company's extensive web site:
http://www.levoyageur.fr/

A beautifully finished exterior, with numerous access doors, is matched by a roomy and luxurious interior. 

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