Autocar finale .....for now

I have just about reached the bottom of the shoebox for Custom Driver Cab Autocars, so here is a round up of some offbeat Acars: 1. Ace towing had this extra long wheelbase wrecker attending to a pranged up International 1990-07-21 on Lady Hammond Road and Mackintosh Street in Halifax.

2. Service Provincial had a long wheelbase single axle Acar in wrecker service 1990-08-30 at Baie-St-Paul, QC. The huge non-stock front bumper was integrated with stainless steel fenders and mounted rectangular headlights. I believe this unit was rebuilt from a highway tractor, possibly from Transport Poirlier. The massive lifting gear looked about ready for anything.

3. A.W.Leil had the rig for housemoving, in James River, NS, ca. 1985. Note the twin steer axles, then see below.

4. Leil had rebuilt the truck by June 1989, removing the second steering axle and installing a drop axle. This involved some repositioning of the fuel tank.

5. Another view shows the front differential, so it is a 6x6. I like the rectangular fuel tank converted to a storage box, complete with padlock. Halifax waterfront.

6. Also on the waterfront, but this time the Montreal waterfront, this long wheelbase Acar tractor from Les Entreprises Gilbert Denis Inc was still running. 1995-10-06.

7. Still port related, Port Paving (back in Halifax) had finally removed the plates from this sturdy dump truck 1994-04-16, but it looked capable of taking on another paving season if called for.

8. This dandy twin steer 8x6 was a pulp cutter/loader. The giant saw blade mounted on the trailer was set to cut pulpwood in 8 foot lengths. The crane was mounted on the truck body and the boom was fitted with a grapple and another fitting - purpose unknown. Although they were certainly economising on tires for the trailer, the truck meant business. Ile-Verte, QC, 1997-09-07.

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Super singles

Sysco Food Systems delivers food stuffs all over down town with this short wheelbase tractor/short reefer trailer. The trailer is also used as the second unit on a B-train for longer hauls back to a central distribution centre in Moncton, NB.

The trailer is fitted with super single tires - still very rare on Nova Scotia roads.

The tractor is a single axle Navistar International Transtar.

Another new Liebherr

The parade of new cranes for Mammoet continues with this unit, just arrived yesterday on the ship Elektra. It was already on its flat car this morning and may well be on its way tonight.

The unit is a 6x6x6 (six wheel drive, six wheel steering) and is either a LTM 1050-3.1 (50 tonne at 3 m) or LTM 1055-3.2 (55 tonne at 2.5 m) The telescopic boom reaches 38 m or 40 m respectively, with a jib that extends 16m.

Some interesting details include the ladder stored under the cab, and the three overlapping windshield wipers.

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Had enough Autocars yet?

Not me - I'll never get enough, so here are some more: 1. This garage in Baie-Ste-Catherine, QC promised 'Service Rapide' 1980-09-03. This same truck was sold to Garage Dallaire, and can be seen in its 1983 paint job in the previous post.

2. Named "Captain High Liner"after the National Sea Products ad character, this Acar was carrying fish (or the inedible results therefrom) on the Halifax waterfront 1979-12-01.

3. This one was for sale at the International dealer's lot in Dartmouth, 1980-05-30.

4. And a rare sleeper equipped unit for sale privately, 1979-09-03 in Bedford, NS. Lots of miles left on this one.

5. Coastal Tank Line had this well worn Acar at the dealer's in Dartmouth in March 1976.

6. Bowling, Texaco gas and Autocars - what more could you want? Brand new on the lot, March 1976.

7. A contradiction in terms - a light weight autocar. The plastic hood and fenders said White, but the badge said Autocar. This one was painted in Speedway Transport colours, and was therefore meant for long haul highway work. 1976-05-22.

8. L-J Transport's #31 had a bit less pinstriping than #32, shown previously, August 1978.

9. L-J's #30 - good front, bad rears- hope the operation was a success, also August 1978.

10. I've seen the future. Irving Oil house-built Scots flanking a pair of vintage Autocars. The big Scots would soon replace all the Acars, but they didn't have the staying power. If the stencilled on numbers are dates, the Acar on the right dates from 1971. Photo in Dartmouth 1980-07-06.

11. One of the same trucks #70-145, at Irving's Pleasant Street depot, 1979-09-03 .

12. This is an early Owen Davis Acar, photographed doing parade duty in Halifax, July 1983. The pinstripping and elaborate labelling was a feature of many Autocars in the day.

13. Kaizer Transport, part of Kaizer Construction, had this Autocar hooking up on the waterfront 1983-11-17. It featured a Mercury sleeper, and decorated mud guard with Autocar dogbone logos. It also had the embossed "Autocar Diesel" plate below the cab door (which is slightly open.) The plates must have come from a 1950s era Autocar, which had them on the sides of the hood (see the L-J units above.).

To be continued..........

Freightliner Argosy - Custom Build?

Apparently discontinued in 2006 after five years of North American production, you can still see what appear to be new Freightliner Argosys. They are still built for Australia, New Zealand and South America, so perhaps they do make a few left turns on the assembly line and glue one up for North America.

This one sure looked new at Nova Enterprises in Truro on Saturday, but it was in the service lot, not in the new vehicle compound - so mybe I'm only fooling myself.

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Do Western Stars rule the road?

For heavy work, it certainly appears that Western Stars rule the Nova Scotia roads. Anybody who is anybody in the heavy load biz seems to have them, and many more that one! The tridem seems to be a popular option for the specialist carriers, but the standby tandem is still out there for the day to day hauler. 1. Owen Davis Sons & Daughter run this set back axle tridem from Bedford, NS. 2011-03-26.

2. Atlantic Tiltload has this Star hooked up and ready to roll with a Grove crane truck 2011-03-25.

3. Well used Star at the Big Stop in Enfield awaits its next assignment 2011-03-26.

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There's a Freightliner under there

Under all that decor there is a Freightliner. It is apparently laying over in Halifax for the weekend, probably waiting for a load to be released Monday morning.

The truck runs for Deck-X, a flat deck and drop deck specialty division with Trans-X, based in Winnipeg. The much lived in truck carries Manitoba plates.

It is well equipped with lights and storage (there is a large headache rack behind the sleeper for chain and rigging gear) and a very nicely integrated moose gooser on the front. He's still got his rad blanket on too - it's still winter in these here parts!

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