other dog

Paul's Monday sounds better than mine,but I had mine on Sunday this week.Started out looking like it was gonna be one of those days.I couldn't get the computer to come on because it wouldn't take the password.Not an AOL or website password,but the HP password to start it in the first place.I'd type it,but nothing would happen.Tried restarting 2 or 3 times,same thing.Finally I just shut it off completely and turned it back on and it worked.As I think I once heard somebody say here "stupid computers". Then I couldn't get on BMT,kept getting an error page,so I went to work and my truck wouldn't start.Batteries were dead.I'd even cleaned the refrigerator out Friday and turned it off,and it still wouldn't start.Usually I'll leave the refrigerator on all weekend and it starts right up.One of the batteries must have gone bad,they look like the original batteries,so they're 2 years old.Had to call Jeff (Moore) to bring some jumper cables,because mine were in the tool box on the back of the pickup,but the tool box was sitting in my back yard because I took it off for something and never got around to putting it back on. It started raining about the time he got there,and it still wouldn't start off his pickup.Another driver came in to leave about then,and he had cables too,so we pulled one of them Freightliners down by the truck and used both sets of cables and finally got it started.Then I was motoring along on I 64 near Covington,headed to Zelienople,Pa,when an SUV passed me and A rock or something flew up and broke my driver side windshield-not too bad,but worse than the usual little bubble A little rock makes.It hasn't started to spread yet,but it probably will when it gets cold because there's dozens of little cracks around the center of the point of impact. So,when I got up to I-79 and proceded North,I pulled into the first rest area I got to and made A ham and cheese sandwich,and after I ate I took A nap. After that,everything went very well-unloaded in Zelienople this morning,reloaded 5 coils in Sharon,Pa.going to Lynchburg,dropped the trailer there tonight and bobtailed home. I hope the truck starts in the morning.

I'd take a stab at Smith Mfg. for a guess. The company I worked for years ago had all Smith Mfg. and Rex Mfg. mixer bodies, and both makes look very similar to what you have. It does seem, though, that both of those builders had their name someplace on the body in cast lettering. Usually up high on the back. It probably doesn't really matter, as you can have any of the parts duplicated pretty easy, I would imagine. The critical pieces might be the hydraulic pump, the gearbox and the drum drive assembly. Drum skins, mixing fins, drum rollers and chutes are all fabricated pretty routinely. If the drum bearing ring at the back of the body is worn - it can probably be hardplated and remachined in place by a good welder. It would be nice to have it usable, even if you just delivered clean stone and topsoil etc. - no more concrete, unless you enjoy climbing inside and jackhammering it out to clean the drum. Been there - done that - no need to repeat it. Yeah,it all works now,I just never use it (the mixer that is ).After it rains,which has been very seldom around here this summer,I always run it for A while just to dump the water out.I'd even thought about putting some gravel in it to roll around A while to knock any rust loose and clean it out better.Plus some rocks would probably make A nice noise. I picked up A load of landscaping stone near Binghamton,N.Y. one time and they rolled the stone in A mixer to give them that old weatherbeaten look before they put them on pallets.They had two mixers there and that's all they used them for.

I've sat around here all day and haven't done anything but pick the tomatoes and go to the mailbox.And wrote some checks to pay some bills-phone,electric,credit card,etc. I know I should relax and try to enjoy A day off,but I can't help feeling A little guilty for doing nothing.Tomorrow I'll probably feel like doing nothing,and I have to go back to work. A truck drivers life I guess.

I knew I'd think of something else-the sound of the mailman leaving A check in the mailbox instead of another bill.

No Paul,I drive for F.L.Moore and sons in Concord,Va. We're between Lynchburg and Appomattox,Va.Yeah,they keep me pretty busy-lot of times busier than I want to be,but like I say,when my outgo is more than my income I gotta go no matter how lazy I get.

I have a question-I pick up the free tractor magazines,with tractors and equipment for sale,at A lot of truckstops and pass them on to my brother and Dad because they like to look at 'em,and I notice they always mention when an IH is the black stripe. What does the black stripe mean? Are they different than the ones with the white stripe on the hood?

that got me to thinking...things you just don't hear much anymore.When I was A kid about anytime I went outdoors I'd hear A chainsaw running somewhere.Nowadays they use feller bunchers or A saw head machine,you don't hear chainsaws much except maybe someone cutting firewood. A 903 Cummins engine-used to drive one,but it's been years since I've heard that distinct sound. V-8 Macks-very rare to hear one now. And the old 2 cycle Detroits-I remember when Roadway had R-models with 318s in them and when they talked on the radio you could barely make out what they were saying but you could hear that 318 jimmy screaming in the background. I guess they were used to it.

Why am I the only one with cops and trucker stories? Maybe because I have so many? Well,as I said,I don't get stopped A lot nowadays,I usually just knock along maybe A couple of miles over the speed limit,but in my younger days-well,I got my share of tickets.Even had my license suspended for 45 days once,and had to work in the shop. I got A couple of tickets I did not deserve.Now I realize most people would think they didn't deserve any ticket they got,but once I was heading north on I-81 near Staunton,Va.with A load of concrete pipe going to Harrisonburg.I was cruising along about 67 or 68 mph when A four wheeler passed me at A high rate of speed and there was A cop sitting in the next crossover.The car cut right over in front of me and hit the brakes so hard I had to swerve into the left lane to avoid hitting it.A passenger in the back seat turned all the way around to look for the cop,and sure enough he was coming.I thought as I moved back to the right lane "he's done nailed their a..,I mean butts".However,instead of pulling them,he pulled in behind me and turned his lights on.This particular truck wouldn't run but 71 mph-it would only turn 1800 rpms in high gear,so it would run as fast in direct as it would overdrive,but 71 was it-top end.I tried to tell the officer this,but of course all he knew was radar always got the biggest object,it didn't matter that the car was in front of me,in the left lane,I was in the right lane,or that the truck wouldn't run but 71 mph-he still wrote me A ticket for running 74 in A 65. I suspect he went by the big truck rule when he worked an accident involving A truck,which is " whenever there's an accident involving A big truck,the truck is automatically at fault,regardless of the circumstances".

Yeah,it's A good show.I usually go and take pictures for Old Bill's site,and he's A BMT member too. I bet he'd be glad to link up with you. I'll volunteer to be the undercover picture taking operative.

Hey everybody,I just talked to Bill and the truck show page is complete. Check it out at www.thedieselgypsy.com .Just look for "Tom Blackwell visits truck show,Troutman,N.C. USA"

Hey Barry, I've never been to Macungie,it's A little far unless I had A load going somewhere in the area,which I seldom do. I was just wondering if you ever went to the ATHS show in Winchester in September?

But...speaking of Dunkin' Donuts,there was A radio station in Roanoke that used to have the "cop or no cop" game. You'd have to guess "cop or no cop",then they would call A donut shop and ask if A cop was there...if you guessed right you won A tee shirt or a CD.

I once got A warning ticket in West Virginia running about 77 mph. We were hauling pulp wood from Va. to Chillicothe,Oh. and I was coming back empty one day and just west of Lewisburg I met A cop.I glanced at the speedometer and it said I was running about 77 mph. I was driving A KW T-800 with A 444 Cummins , 18 speed,and 3.55 rears and it would get up and go.The speed limit then was 65 in WV, and when the cop put his left turn signal on to cut through the cross over there,I put my right turn signal on and pulled over.When he got there I was standing in front of the truck with my license and registration in my hand. He actually thanked me for pulling over so he wouldn't have to "chase me down".Then he went to his car with my paperwork,and when he came back with my ticket he said "here's A warning ticket". I said "A warning ticket? what am I supposed to do with that?" He said "whatever you want-you can throw it away,I don't care,there's no points,no court,no fine-just A warning". okie-dokie,thank you officer!

There's some good truck drag racing videos at www.thedieselgypsy.com-trucks pulling equal loads of lumber up a hill side by side,only there's no sound.I saw at least one Superliner on there.Just go to item 14,where it says "complete trip now ready...",the videos are on page 9.

Yeah, Brockway made some neat looking trucks. I like the short hood , tall looking conventional,don't know what model it is.I still see A few around occasionally.Montague-Betts, A structural steel fabricator in Lynchburg,had a couple of Brockway cabovers with the F-model cabs.They went out of business years ago,then Hirschfield Steel moved into their old plant,then they left,now it's occupied by Banker Steel.

Did somebody say they'll probably put 2 ten inch stacks on it? I agree,it looked pretty good to start with,but I think the flat top sleeper looks way better on this truck than that aero-dynamical ( ?...huh? ) one did.

I remember a logging operation somewhere near the house when I was A kid (pulpwood was BIG in the area) and I was checking out the equipment and they had 2 Timberjack 230 skidders running with them screaming Detroits in them.Most of the pulp wood cutters were small operations then-A man or two,couple of good saws,pulpwood truck. Not many people had skidders or loaders.Lots of people used 1 ton trucks,easier to get around and easier to load I guess.Now machines do everything,and A man doesn't even have to step on the ground for anything.

Greetings Gus-we love pictures! (that means I don't know much,but I do like to look at the pictures)

Sounds like A true trucker story to me.

I made those two turns and I'm loaded for Sunday.Went to Zelienople,Pa. Monday then over to Macedonia,Oh. to reload coils for Roanoke,Va.Then I went to Orville,Oh. and over to Macedonia to load coils to Roanoke,Va,where they make truck frames out of them.Even Mack truck frame rails are made there.Usually I'll have three coils,and I put seven chains on them because they are so tall and narrow-about 6 feet high,and 14" wide.I always horse shoe 2 chains,then criss cross 2,plus throw a chain across the top of each one. Now I'm loaded with Kyanite going to Zelienople,Pa. again,and it starts all over Sunday. Stopped by the grocery store on the way home today,just to pick up A few things...how come I can't go in the grocery store,even to "pick up A few things",without spending at least $100?

Hey Barry,I don't know if they'll run the marathon again,but they probably will.They will rerun the whole season they said,starting next Sunday night.The new episodes came on Sunday nights and they would rerun it Tuesday night at 10.I've been taping it for Bill in Canada because they don't even show it up there.

Well,as happens every week it's Monday morning again and back to the old grind.Got to go to the bank,drug store,and post office,then to Lynchburg to unload the load of coils I dropped Saturday morning.Then it's off to parts unknown.I'll make two turns this week,and next weekend I'll have to leave on Sunday. I hate it but my out-go has been exceding my income lately,so I must be off!

Great! I put A lot of the pictures on Web Shots too,look for otherdog's pictures.I was just kind've waiting for Old Bill to finish his page,but now the cat's out of the bag as they say. I had to go look,but that's http://rides.webshots.com/album/5601

Got home yesterday after our safety meeting and went to the garden and pulled up what was left of my cabbage,(saved what I could),squash,watermelons,and A row of snaps.Then I ran the tiller over it and sowed turnips,mustard,and spinach mustard,and sprinkled it with the hose.It's so dry everything I pulled up had done all it's gonna do,so maybe I'll have a turnip and some greens if it ever rains. Then I went to the store and bought A case-the Ice Road Truckers marathon comes on at 1:00,and the Michigan race too,so I might just sit on my a...uh,tail I mean,and take the day off today.