other dog

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.

Well I'll be- small world after all I guess!One of the first trucks I drove was A 58 or 59 Ford F-600 with A 4 speed and 2 speed axle.My younger brother,myself,and our friend Mike decided to go into the pulpwood business when Mike's daddy was clearing some land.We figured we'd cut the trees for pulpwood and haul them to A woodyard about 5 miles away and get rich,instead of him just bulldozing them into A pile to be burned later.The truck usually had A cattle body on it,but it was off to haul hay and stuff at this particular time,so it was A perfect pulpwood truck-or so we thought.It still had A flat bed body,and we loaded all the wood ourselves.By hand.It was short wood,5 foot lengths,still green,and very heavy of course.I was about 17,Mike A year younger,my brother a year younger than Mike.We managed to cut and load about 2 loads,maybe 3,then we decided to retire.Back then I think A load payed about 30 or 40 dollars I don't remember,but it was A whole lot of work for the money.

You guys got me started checking out You Tube,now it's on my favorites list.The other morning I was checking it out,listening to A GMC grain truck with A 671 Detroit and a straight pipe,and I came across one called "shifting A Diamond Reo dump truck".It had a 671 too,with a 5 speed and 2 speed rear.Usually I don't even read the comments people make about the videos,but this time I did.Some guy,obviously A youngster,said it was A super ten transmission.I'm pretty sure he was young because he said "dude,I can shift like that without using the clutch".Another guy explained the difference between a super ten transmission and an electric shift 2 speed rear end,with A 4 or 5 speed transmission.And explained it perfectly I might add. Then the first guy said " well,I don't drive an old dump truck,I drive A (don't remember,so and so something or other) Western Star with A 3213 Cat and 18 speed Fuller Eaton pro shift transmission".(his wording) Being the old truck lover that I am I felt like I should put my 2 cents worth in when he dissed that fine looking Diamond Reo- if it were mine I wouldn't trade it for 2 Western Stars! So I just told him it sounded like he did all his trucking in the sand box,'til mama called him in at nap time.

Just as suspected,I see little or no difference in the way the truck pulls. Jeff said "I told ya so,it's the torque-the torque is still 1850 foot pounds,there ain't gonna be any difference".But still,75HP is quite a step,you'd think it would pull a little better anyway. I think maybe the guy that did it has computer skills like me-when he got done instead of clicking "save" he clicked "delete" by accident.

Well,I know I said soon,but Bill (The Diesel Gypsy) said part of his computer was in the hospital,so it'll be A few more days before he gets the truck show page finished.

Hey Paul,nothing on the mixer yet.I don't know where to look,but I haven't seen A name,number,or any identifying marks on it anywhere and nobody's ventured A guess yet either.