NY-B61

PZ 1 - I apologize for the name mix up. I'll be sure to post any craigslist responses I get.

Paul, the thing was so far off the beaten path I don't remember its precise location. I know it was near Shamokin, Pa. but that's about it. I'll try posting a "Have You Seen This Thing" ad on craigslist in the Shamokin area and see if I don't get a response of some kind. Maybe another BMT member lives near Shamokin and has seen (what's left of?) it.

Great pictures of some great iron. Thank you!

You're right, length and weight laws were all over the place depending on which state or burg you found yourself in. The Road King could have been built with the myriad of state and local regulations of the time in mind. Now we know what a truck built around regulations as opposed to efficiency and common sense looks like. I'd be interested in seeing any pictures you might have of Red Skelton's bus-based box trucks. Buses are another illness of mine. Thanks for a great answer!

The link worked great, thank you! The concept of building these things from components off the shelf reminds me of what Tucker did with automobiles.

Welcome, Gerard! It took me 40 years to get my first Mack, you still have plenty of time. You'll see many, many photographs on this site from all years to help you think about what truck you want to own someday. And the technical resources here are awesome - any thing on any subject. I recently joined here and am 100% glad I did.

I was unable to open the link but I'm glad to hear the behemoths were most likely made in the USA. It appears as if several companies were experimenting with the concept of a shorter, non-articulated highway rig. Poultry parts makes sense on two levels, PZ 1. Gainesville, Georgia is/was the poultry capitol of the U.S. and this truck did have a Georgia sticker on it. Also, many of the pics found and posted so far show these rigs set up as reefers. Lebanon, Pa continues to be a meat capital now as it was throughout the 40's and 50's but on a smaller scale. Could the four axles have been necessary to cope with the crappy Pennsylvania 'hiways' of the time?

Hands down, the Sports Cruiser is one cool vehicle! I like the rig pulling it also. I can't find anything anywhere of any substance on the McCullough company as it relates to truck manufacturing. Could the vehicle I originally posted be a McCullough prototype assembled using Freuhauf, GM and other available components? There are minor differences in the pictures kindly posted so far by others, but many identicalities as well.

It's starting to look like the vehicle could have been manufactured from a number of existing assemblies. Production tool and dies would be hideously expensive if starting from scratch. Several prototypes could be made using components readily available during that era.

Thanks for the welcome! Every U model I've seen has awesome pulling power and a unique sound to it.

A McCullough Road King is the closest I've ever seen. Thank you, PZ 1! I've included all three pics and noticed only one significant difference. The RK has stamped or rolled side skirts with square wheel openings; the ? has flat metal with semi-circular wheel openings. Other than that they're as near as twins as you can get. The ? could also be a knockoff of the McCullough Road King. Twin steer buses, for instance, have been made in Mexico since at least the '50's, many copied from GM's stable of 'new', at the time, streamlined body styles. I sure appreciate the info so far. The identity of this thing has been like a worn toilet flapper under my saddle for the better part of a decade. Off to research the Road King. Bus examples

Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome! This is my first Mack, the last ten years were spent refurbishing and enjoying a series of Willys Wagons and FC's. Simple in design, well thought out vehicles with tons of history behind them but they became too familiar. Rebuild the carb blindfolded, replace steering ball joints with both hands tied behind the back, refurb the transfer case while blindfolded with both hands tied behind the back AND 'Monster Mash' playing at full volume - the challenge was gone. And a Willys doesn't really have six or eight (depending on configuration) sequential forward speeeds. It was time. GreenGiant2 - I'm located a little Northeast of Buffalo about 50 miles from your neck of the woods. You have a nice looking set-up! Mr. Superdog - Yes, I bought her from Dennis and feel fortunate to count him as a friend. I didn't want to spend the next ten years turning a wrench daily, even blindfolded, so bought a B61 as mechanically sound as can be. I still have a lot of learnin' to do and this is a great place for it!

Hi there, I appreciate being here and the excellent mechanical resources I've found on this site. Not to mention the folks that have way more knowledge than me and are willingto share it. Thanks for accepting my registration! She's a 1964 B61 repowered with an END673T mated to a Triplex with both rears live. She's a work in progress but we both have a great time when I take her out and run her like a thoroughbred. Oats are running about $4.35 a gallon here and are expected to rise this Summer as (fill in bullsh*t excuse), but nothing runs like a Mack. Thank you again! NY-B61

Hi there to everyone! I found this relic about ten years ago outside Shamokin, PA. It was parked in a field along with some friendly horses who allowed me to get some pics. The owner of this beast wasn't home at the time and I haven't been back through the area since. I'm sure hoping someone can help me identify it - it's a mystery that's been bothering me for a decade. The red and blue stripes visible underneath the windshields made me think of a rolling Post Office, utilized in the '40s and '50s.. It had a DD8V71 factory mounted straight in beneath the rear portion of the frame, similar to a GMC PD4501 Scenicruiser. The insulated rear main and vent doors puzzled me. No need to freeze mail. Did it haul produce? It had a 1983 Georgia inspection sticker on the driver's windshield. Both fronts appear to be steer axles, only one of the rears was powered with the other being a tag. There's the outline of a diamond shaped emblem on the front of the vehicle. Any guesses or information would be appreciated!