Mack and Trout

 Interesting exports from Halifax in recent weeks include: some Trout River live bottom trailers. I have never seen a trailer with six axles before. Even with one axle air lifted they must be beasts to turn.

A nice Kenworth hauled the trailers to Halfax.

Trout River Industries is based in Coleman, Prince Edward Island.

A Freightliner from White City, Saskatchewan (near Regina) made the long trip to Halifax with a very rough looking load.

It is hard to believe that it would be worth hauling a very beat up Mack Model R all the way here and then export it to some third world country. Produced from 1966 to 2005, it was the longest production run of any North American truck.(Some were also built in Australia and Iran.) So this beast must be closing on twenty years of age or more, but apparenely still runs and has some value - perhaps as a rolling parts pile.

I hope the driver has a backhaul it's a long trip home.

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Classics on the Move

 There is a significant trade in used cars leaving Halifax by ship. They arrive from the used car lots and auctions each week by the dozens - most are just barely running. There are also a few trucks from time to time. Last week (August 16)  I spotted this interesting trio:

 

The R model Mack dumper was the first to catch my eye, as that particular model was discontinued in 2004. But of course Macks are rugged so there are still lots on the road. The newer model Mack highway tractor, with some damage, was loaded on the trailer incurring some more damage by the look of it.

I was not quick enough to get a clear shot of the hauler tractor,  a vintage GMC General day cab, which was likely not going overseas. It appeared to be in pristine condition. The General was produced from 1977 to 1987, so is a true classic.

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Road Report - Big Truck Version - Finale

Kenworth has always been a big favourite in Quebec, and they are probably one of the most common trucks on the road. Getting a photo of one sitting still is always the challenge.

 Bertrand's Unit 12-05 with an RV for a long haul tow, takes a quick truck stop break.

Garage Bertrand in Lévis operates a fleet of big wreckers and works all over Quebec and beyond into the US. They also have an interesting web site with an album section showing their older trucks back to the 1980s. http://www.remorquagebertrand.com/ENG/index.html


Another Mack popped into view, and a classic offset cab R model. Used as a water truck by a road construction company it probably has very low mileage.

These rugged units are still in daily use as transit mixers, dump trucks and other uses.


Many of the smaller brand names don't attract much attention, even though there are many units on the roads. The late lamented Sterling brand can still be seen, usually in vocational vehicles, but the odd time it pops up in other places. Daimler shut down its Canadian plan in St.Thomas, ON in 2009, but there are still Sterlings to be see:

This Acterra chassis serves as a village fire tanker in Les Eboulements, QC.

Built by Camions Helie Inc of Joliette, QC - see their excellent website: http://www.camionhelie.com/


I didn't see too many Peterbilts on the road trip - or at least ones that stood out from the crowd. Petes were once very rare sights in Canada but are now right up there with the other big brands for over the road. They have also made their mark in the vocational field too.

This short hood Pete may be a model 348 which is engineered for a variety of applications.It will distribute its load via a set back front axle and a second steering axle from Simard Suspensions.

Western Star makes its own twin steers and this one is waiting at the Halifax dealer.

Freightliners are everywhere these days, and a few samples jumped in front of my camera

This handsome unit, seen at the New Brunswick/Quebec border appeared to be waiting for some assistance due to a sagging load. The truck runs for TCF Express of Pierreville, QC.

I saw several Freightliner COEs - but only a few were stopped.

Fueling at Woodstock, NB, this drom unit is a very rare sight, although Packers Logistics of Stoney Creek, ON likes them for their LTL work.

A classic FL COE - with straight stacks was taking a break in Amherst, NS, some distance from its home base in Sussex, NB.

There was something for everyone in this trio of chip haulers. Low rise, mid rise and high rise sleepers, and a mix of traditional and more modern styling - two Petes and a Binder. The two red trucks are 2018 models, with license plates only ten digits apart. The blue Pete is a 2012.

That's the end of this road trip report.

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Another old dog

This delightful R model Mack Econodyne is not quite factory stock. The massive moose bar front end is certainly a rare sight on a Mack of this vintage. I didn't notice until long after I took the photo that the bulldog has been replaced by a chromed Daffy Duck, so the blow up doesn't do it justice.
The two box trailer with amidships grab crane is also an interestnig find.
Woodside 2011-04-30.
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Old Dog in the Park

You never know what you may see when you go for a drive in the Park. That would be Burnside Industrial Park (bearing little resemblance to any real Park, except for a few spindly trees.)

Last Saturday I spotted this old R model Mack, with a strange axle spread.

On closer investigation it appears that the rear axle is an add-on tag axle. Even then the drive axle looks oddly close to the cab. No doubt it was built for some specific purpose, but it is now just another old tractor.

The R model was introduced in the early 1960s and had one of longest (if not the longest) run of any truck model. [1965-1990]

Mack R Models

May is fast expiring, and there are more Macks to go!

Introduced in 1964 the R Model Mack was one of the longest running truck productions on record. Featuring a unitized fibreglass cab and tilt hood, it was a ground breaking vehicle in its time. Finding use as highway tractors, transit mixers, wreckers and just about any other work a truck could do, they seemed to last forever. Early models had the nearly rectangular grille, later models had angled lower corners.
1. This unit was had its twin steer installed at Simard Supsensions in Baie St-Paul, QC and was ready for its mixer body. May 19, 2001. The front axle is set back, and the fenders are angles slightly to the back, showing more recess to the headlights close to the grille than on the normal axle position..

2. Another variation of twin steer at Baie St-Paul, July 1, 2000. It also has a set back axles. Its fuel tanks are still strapped on the frame.

3. Miller Group ran this tractor in its asphalt recycling an re-paving operations. Seen in Kanata, ON, September 30, 1995. This is an earlier model with the nearly rectangular grille. It also had the factory installed radiator guard, sometimes used as a sign board, and the set back front axle.

4. J&J Wrecker Service had long wheelbase unit J8 working on an overturned tank truck at the McCloskey Blvd and Maritime Blvd intersection in Tampa FL April 28, 1995. This is the normal front axle position. The fenders are flush with the grille, and the headlights are only slightly recessed.

5. J&J's unit J3, a shorter wheelbase truck, was also standing by April 28, 1995. This one has a Farr air cleaner and a bug screen . It also has the normal front axle position.