fifth wheel

Don't remember that time, but do remember the introduction of the intercooling in the early 70's, I didn't pay to much attention to that at that time either, definitely put Mack up front.

FW

Very cool. Big front axle.

23k, It could be x-mixer chassis.

FW

I think one of the most rare,has to be the Allis-Chalmers powered FL cabovers.I guess A-C had a fleet of them for parts/manufacturing distribution.

Did Mack buy FL?

FW

Well as a representitive of the "younger crowd", I'd like to share my piece.

The first thing is the part about being spoiled. Yes, I do have everything I've ever wanted, but I greatly appreciate that and I do not just expect it. Nor is it just handed to me. You see, I go to a place where not too many kids my age have been, it's called WORK. Yes, it's a place where I commit physical labor and get things done in order to EARN all of the things that I have.

Okay, I do have a cell phone and I do a lot of texting, but it is not my whole life. There are many a day when I forget my phone inside and/or leave it there on purpose and guess what? I don't ever miss it! I go to Boy Scout Camp where we don't have phones or electronics for a week and unlike most of the sissy-lalas who sit and complain about not having them, I'm proud to get away from it. If I get bored, I take a walk. OMG, that means actually using my leg muscles to propell myself across the ground! If you took away my phone and my facebook account, I wouldn't think twice about it. And one more side note about technology, my family hasn't had a dryer for probably 5 years now. We hang our clothes on an actual line using clothespins to dry them.

Another thing is video games. Your good ole Pacman game that you had to walk 6 blocks to the arcade and put a dime in to play? Yea that would be a 100% technological upgrade from what I have. My video game is called GO OUT AND GET A LIFE. It's a fun game where when I wanna have fun, I go outside and physically do something fun. Instead of sitting around playin GTA or 18WOS or something, I'll go out and actually drive a real vehicle around and have some real fun with it. Instead of playing some barnyard game on the wii, I go out and clean some pens and care for my 30+ real animals.

And another thing is the part about my social life. Instead of having 1500 "friends" on facebook that I've never even met before in my life, I go out and get actual friends that I can physically sit and talk to. For example, I'm in five 4-H clubs, three Boy Scout Troops, two different homeschoolers groups and other assorted extra-cirricular activities. This means that I am actually out of the house much more than I am in it. I'm not that kid that spends every evening in front of the screen playing xbox. I'm the kid that is out somewhere actually learning things and making real friends.

Another thing I'd like to mention is my (attempt at) courtesy. Back in the old days, it was assumed that if a person was walking up do a doorway and you were standing there, you best open that door for that person. And if any person under the age of 25 said anything that even hinted a swear word, they'd surely be beaten severely because young people should not use any language like that. If you called somebody gay just because of something they said to you, well that just showed that you were unintelligent. Well guess what? That's how it is for me now. If I'm anywhere near a public doorway and somebody is headed towards there, you better bet that I'm gonna stand there and hold it open for them, no matter who they are or where it is. And I also want to mention that all the swear words, are not part of my vocabulary at all. No exceptions. Wether I'm in the woods with my buddies or in the living room with my dad, you will absolutely not hear me say a single syllable of a swear word. And you certainly won't hear me call somebody some rediculous name that doesn't make sense either.

There is also my appearence. It's assumed that teenagers like to dress like bumms but that's not me. If you see me at any given moment, it is garunteed that I will have a belt on, my pants will be pulled up to my waisteline, and my shirt will be properly tucked in. And you will definately not see any piercings or tattoos either. I was told by my father that if I ever had any piercings, they would be removed with Vice Grips and any tattoos will be removed with a belt sander. And guess what? I don't want anything like that anyway because I want to look like a respectable young citizen not some hobo off the railroad tracks.

So before you go making stereotypes about people younger than you, make sure that you are aware that there are, though few in number, exceptions to those assumptions. Thanks for reading all that

Ben

You just made my day, _ _ _ .

FW

Living in the country but not far from the cities I was on or around farms all my life. It wasn't work, it was fun, it is what you did and what you had to do. Yes I continued my education but have just about all of my knowledge and experiences from my way of life. My family and childern had it like everybody else around today with all the elecrtronics and such but were taught life skills and work ethics based on my agricultural up bringing. My youngest daughter went to college, recently married, and moved away, she had field cars, can operate equipment, she even painted her truck and can do just about any thing. My Wife and I can take some of the credit for how she and her brothers turned out but some or most of the credit is where they grew up.

I just read that a local farmer passed away at 92 and in his obitituary it said "He wasn't afraid of anything or anyone" .

My daughter just sent me this morning,

Love my John Deere wreath..;-)

The Dodge comercial on the Superbowl tells it all. God Bless this great country.

FW

From what I know the AC line was orange for both agricultural and construction machines. In the early 60's the small machines H3,HD3, HD5 were a bleached out yellow. In the 70's the construction machines small and larger HD16,HD21,HD41, and others were sandard yellow. Ag tractors were orange.

The Allis Chalmers were favorites among the local farmers,D15,D17,WD45, and more and othen had nickmnames for them like "Alice", one farm had a HD9 and a HD11, they were the "little rooster and the "big rooster". Many operators would say "even on the farm she was a charmer".

This is my H3 crawler loader in 4/10/77. I was a normal occurance to go throughout the town plowing driveways etc. with crawlers and other equipment.

Those were the days,

FW

I had 4 group 31 batteries made for Caterpillar that lasted 11 years, went to buy more and that run was discontunied . They where a gray poly case and had this nice embossed plate on the top, which I keep in my trinket case.

FW

I am sure that is an HD 11, they where made with both their own engine (Buda design) and GM. The AC engine sounded better, and their tradmark color was orange. Our first crawler loader was a AC H-3.

Nice picture.

FW

Skiroyal was one, and the family up the street had a Bolens, very unusal the engine and tracks,( yes a pair of tracks like a crawler dozer) up front, and pulled a two person seat on skis behind . to steer there was a handle bar on the powered end and you would steer it like a sulky behind a lawn mower. It was " a pissah", about 1967.

FW

On my Grandmothers farm and all the neighbors, we blazed our trails with a 1968 and a 69 Johnson ski horse. Couldn't see over the hood unless you kneeled on them.

We still have 2 or 3 around. we had 66 & 67 Evinrude Skeeter, 68? Johnson, 70 evinrude the first one with reverse, and the sleighmate. Like you we went first to make the trail , (20" wide track).

Thinking about it now, we had a lot of fun.

FW

Suzio, used to be a tri-axle

IMG_0589.JPG

IMG_0590.JPG

An early production fender.

FW

Barrett.jpg

Barrett from the 1990 Mack Calendar

I have that picture hanging in the office, been there 22 years. I must like it.

FW

Regs say you can except on a bus, I wouldn't and some of the of the cheapo's won't last for the first cap. I put premium firsts on the steer, and run the drives and the trailer to the air shows thru. My .02 .

FW

Not a cable it looks like the flat tie down straps but much wider and thicker with hooks on each end,kinda like a snatch strap,lol you know what I mean..

Thong?

Valves might be to tight, does it fire off right away?

FW

photo (42).JPG photo (44).JPG

I have one truck plowing Interstate ramps. unknown CAT 980K clearing breakdown lane I 290 E .

We got 28", 20 miles north someplaces 36", just moved the D 8 to the city's snow dump, will be pushing snow 10 PM to 6 AM.

FW

Ready for work Ran 4 PM- 7 AM , Tues,Wed,Thurs

FW

This picture taken late 60's when the Town of Holden MA just completed the work on this B60 and tank trailer for fire service.

It was an all volunteer department then and most or all the work was done by them, the now Captian scanned and colored this picture

for me. The fire station was across the street from the High School and this unit was parked on the lower level side door, and would

always see the chrome shell in the window riding the bus (68-71)

It was sold at auction in the 80's and the guy put a 237 and made a dump truck, He has the 464 and unishift trans ,which I posted for sale

awhile ago.

FW

Was it a tandem dump or tractor back then?

Dump,Garwood hoist and body.

Billy's Bulldozer and Backhoe Service, Webster, MA

This orignally was a SX truck, at one time belonged to Pitt Const, Acton,Manard? MA. Drove it for a few days in the Late 80's.

FW

I have sold a few parts to Mack users in othe countries, Austraila, Holland, UK, Germany, and Canada. Mack trucks and parts have been exported to Central and South America since the early 90"s ( demand was 237's,6spds. 3&4 sp auxiliarys, and 44# camelbacks. They would build trucks using new sheetmetal and used drivetrains, and I am sure many or all are still in service today. There is a difference between working it hard and abuse.

They are treated well, like a good dog loyal to its master, wherever he/she lives.

FW