<<Rewind 2010: Gimme Elmer’s Backyard Anytime!

In-depth

20 Feb

Written By Graham 'Kermie' Harsant

Intro: With the American Truck Historical Society’s bash at Lancefield returning on Feb 26/27after a two year hiatus, I thought I’d troll back through past articles I’d written on the event, eventually coming across this one. For a truck journo to talk of historical trucks as described below was downright bloody disgraceful, not to mention ignorant.

Read on….

**Murray & Kaye Langford’s '69 Kenworth W924 with an Inter R190 taking it easy on the trailer.**

The weekend of March 20-21 was a busy one. The Saturday was spent at the Melbourne Truck Show after which we headed to Lancefield (V) – about an hour north - to check out their inaugural Historical Truck display involving the American Truck Historical Society (ATHS). Lancefield is a charming, small Victorian country town that most of you have probably never heard of.

A contributor to this magazine (Truckin’ Life) once described an historical truck show he’d seen as: ‘Trucks that looked as though they’d come from Elmer Fudd’s back yard.’

I’ve gotta say there’s no place I’d rather be. After the rather clinical presentation of trucks at the Melbourne International Trailer & Truck Show (now well and truly defunct) - Where’s the ‘International’ come from? Love to have seen a Lone Star from the company of the same name there - ‘Elmer’s’ back yard at Lancefield was a breath of fresh air.

Owners, both young and old were more than ready and willing to talk about their trucks and a life in trucking, their love of these behemoths of the road and imparting knowledge of their vehicles history. They didn’t talk about the trucks as trucks – rather as a loved member of the family.

Visitors to this show were treated to a great variety of vehicles from Mack to Kenworth to Peterbilt (lots of them) to Brockway. International Harvester, Leader – the list goes on. ATHS doesn’t run competitions or give prizes for the prettiest truck. The only requirement is a love of all things ‘Truck’.

There were some brilliant vehicles on display such as Murray Langford’s better-than-new KW ’69 W Series. Murray brought the W924 over from his home at Mt. Gambier (SA) for the show. Originally bought new for $54,300 by Quarry Industries of Adelaide, this was the largest Kenworth sold in Australia at the time. With a GVM of 38 tonnes and a GVC of 100 tonnes the 924 is powered by an (approx) 18 litre V12 Detroit putting out 435HP @ 2100rpm. Drive is through a 13 speed Roadranger with an auxiliary 4 speed Spicer. Murray purchased the 924 in 2004 and spent from 2005-7 restoring her. In a mastery of understatement he says, “She’s fun to drive.” (She also sounds fantastic!) Murray also had a magic R190 on display.

**12 cylinders - 18 litres of GM's best**

Another class act at Lancefield was Ed Eminson’s 1975 Brockway F761TL. Founded in 1851 as the Brockway Carriage Factory, the company produced its first truck in 1912. In 1928 they acquired the Indiana Motor Corp and in 1934 produced the Model V-1200, a 12 cylinder, 240HP engine which at the time was America’s largest capacity truck, capable of doing 45mph.

In 1956 Mack Trucks bought Brockway and in 1958 the Husky mascot was introduced. In 1970 they were named ‘The most rugged truck in the USA’. Sadly Mack closed Brockway down in 1977.

Ed acquired ‘Bruiser’ around two years ago. He first saw her in 2000 at a truck show when visiting Cortland, NY State – the spiritual home of Brockway. In 2007 she was up for sale and Ed snapped her up. “I bought her for a bargain price,” he said. “The ‘Bruiser’ moniker came about due to being knocked black and blue (financially) in getting her back to Australia. Ed has another 5 Brockway’s and we’ll bring you a dedicated story on these in a future issue.

Neil Tilley’s ’77 Ford, like many trucks at the show is a continuing work in progress – but man, has he come a long way already.. Bought from Johnny Paden, Neil used to drive it interstate for him. Originally in white it had steel tanks and the exhaust ran in between the chassis rails. There was a sheet of hard plywood across the back window where the dog box sleeper used to be.

“Going to Adelaide for emergency deliveries to GM’s Elizabeth plant meant hours of sucking in fumes,” said Neil. “A bit of plywood across the seats was my bed. For the return trip I’d load up out of Ray Singleton’s yard in Adelaide and catch up on a bit of sleep – in 40 degree heat. I loved it!” To Neil his (now blue) ’77 has more character and ‘blood & guts’ than later models.

Peter Watson of Bacchus Marsh turned up with his ’55 Bedford retrieved from the Herald & Weekly Times museum when it closed. This was truck number 105 and was possibly based in Ballarat. Peter believes this to be the only one still in existence. All he did was a cut and polish and put the signage back on. Pete’s into Holden’s and describes his Bedford as ‘an FJ on steroids’.

Jack Gardiner’s I.H. R190 was painstakingly rebuilt over the 20 years with a lot of help from his Uncle Mick. The bonnet has been lengthened 10 inches, she runs a KW front axle and the sleeper was hand built.

Paul Dossett’s 1980 Leader shows that the younger generation is as interested in preserving trucking history as their older counterparts. Bought from his boss at Viking Express of Altona, Paul believes there are only about 30 on record. Originally built as a log truck in Tasmania the Leader also spent time as a heavy recovery tow truck.

Robbie Green of Lancefield first suggested getting the show up and running in the town. A bloke with a permanent grin on his face (only beaten by dad, Syd’s), Robbie was happy to display his three Peterbilts. Flanked by a blue ’66 model on the right and an ’84 (which Rob converted to RHD himself) stood an old white model which was the last brought into the country in right hand drive. Used as a tow truck she, in Robbie’s words, “Has had a bit of a sad life but is well worth preserving. Don’t let her looks deceive you – she runs beautifully.” Rob’s three Pete’s are all working trucks. Although from the same Paccar stable, Rob says, “I had a KW – same age, same motor, the whole shebang. The Pete’s are a totally different truck to the KW. You cannot compare the two brands.”

My favourite of the show though, was a rusted out old Monkey-Faced-Blitz. Believed to have been in Darwin during WW2, Syd Green acquired her in 1963 for a hundred quid. In the space of a weekend he put a crane on her and spray painted the mudguards grey with red bodywork and silver crane. “She looked beautiful then,” said Syd. In 1973 he replaced her (numerous) Ford V8 power with a heart/lung transplant in the form of a Bedford motor, radiator and gearbox and she hasn’t skipped a beat since.

Over the years the paint has gone and the springs poke through the seat covers (Syd’s term is ‘luxury interior’). The old girl still works today in a timber yard. This truck embodies the spirit of Australian trucking and the men and women involved in the industry. Visitors to this show walked away with a vastly improved knowledge of trucks and trucking history and increased respect for the men and women who have plied them around Australian roads over years gone by.

Living history – it’s not just all about the boot polish!

Here’s a few more classics…