Unique Freightliner

[220cummins]

Look at the picture close. Is that a Cummins on its side? The exhaust is really high to with a spark arrestor high towards the top maybe for a high cude box or canvas top straight truck? The frame is strapped like the older flat bed trailers. Is that a tag or lift axle in front of the drive axle with front hubs? Maybe its a steerable lift I can't makeout if there are tie rods or drag links? Whatever this truck is, it's pretty unique.

[Mike]

Yea, I'd like to know what that truck was used for. Look at the Air Cleaner in front of the engine mounted on the frame. It looks like a lift axle. Got my curiosity going also.

mike

[David]

I'll bet that truck is really light. The dead axle can't steer. The tires are tight against the springs. It's probably a CF experiment from the days when they owned Freightliner.

[rhasler]

Look at the picture close. Is that a Cummins on its side? The exhaust is really high to with a spark arrestor high towards the top maybe for a high cude box or canvas top straight truck? The frame is strapped like the older flat bed trailers. Is that a tag or lift axle in front of the drive axle with front hubs? Maybe its a steerable lift I can't makeout if there are tie rods or drag links? Whatever this truck is, it's pretty unique.

I think Cummins manufactured some horizontal engines for use in buses and coaches back in the late 70's. I'll check tomorrow and see if I can find the model ID's for them.

[Terry T]

There were horizontal engines way back. I too would say this truck was a straight truck that probably pulled a pup. back in the day. This would be a good pic to post at ATHS. You would get all the info you are looking and a lot more. Possibly even a VIN, and end buyer of the truck. Also I don't think the tag is a lift axle. Just a dead axle to allow higher GVWR.

[bullhusk]

Freightliner had manufactured a lot of these with the cummins pancake engine an pusher axle,the west coast used a lot of these for oil & gas trucks pulling pup's also over here in Jersey Consolidated Freight had a bunch of this design F/Liner with the motor under the frame with a very short single axle backed up against a pup trailer & pulling another pup to be O.A.L. legal. C/F pulled these doubles out of there Newark NJ term. with skid chains hanging off the side of ther tractors long before doubles showed up here.BULLHUSK

[ThaddeusW]

Very interesting! Thanks for posting that. MAN trucks from Germany had a horizontal engine setup as well. A bonus of this design is the cab can have a flat floor, although this cab appears to have an engine tunnel.

[vision386]

I believe this picture is from the shop of P.I.E (pacific intermountain express) they among several other trucking companies experimented with the cummins "pancake" engine,these were mostly long wheelbase units fitted with a large dromedary box (to help "skirt" the legal length laws) making the combination a true truck and trailer,instead of a tractor-trailer. the "pancake" or horizontal cummins ,was fitted in several makes of trucks,freightliner,KW,peterbilts and from what i have learned gave good service. When the overall length law was repealed, there was no longer any need for this type combination,so most were sold or scrapped,P.I.E was a pioneer in the overseas container industry,converting many of the used drom boxes into 28' containers,some pictures i've seen,they still have the marker lights on them!.............Mark

[vision386]

Freightliner had manufactured a lot of these with the cummins pancake engine an pusher axle,the west coast used a lot of these for oil & gas trucks pulling pup's also over here in Jersey Consolidated Freight had a bunch of this design F/Liner with the motor under the frame with a very short single axle backed up against a pup trailer & pulling another pup to be O.A.L. legal. C/F pulled these doubles out of there Newark NJ term. with skid chains hanging off the side of ther tractors long before doubles showed up here.BULLHUSK

Hey ernie,you called that right on the nose! i remember the CF combinations you talked about,they were the scourge of the DOT in jersey back then! i always wondered how CF got away with running those! i saw quite a few of those running 78 into PA when i was younger, "looked" a lot like a truck/trailer, but like you said they really were a tractor/trailer.........Mark

[rhasler]

I think Cummins manufactured some horizontal engines for use in buses and coaches back in the late 70's. I'll check tomorrow and see if I can find the model ID's for them.

I forgot about this yesterday, here are some model numbers and specs. There may be more of these horizontal engines than this.

HHR-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 2 valve, naturally aspirated)

HHRF-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 2 valve, naturally aspirated)

NHH-180 (4 7/8" x 6, 672 cu in, 4 valve, naturally aspirated)

NHHE-180(5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, naturally aspirated)

NHHE-195 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, naturally aspirated)

NHH-220 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, naturally aspirated)

NHHRS-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, supercharged)

NHHT-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, turbocharged)

NHHTO-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, turbocharged)

NHHRT-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, turbocharged)

NHHRTO-6 (5 1/8" x 6", 743 cu in, 4 valve, turbocharged)

[41chevy]

Never knew the pancake Cumins was used in those trucks. We had an old Faegol bus that hat one of the Cumins pancakes in it. Nice info. Paul

[bullhusk]

White Motors used a pancake gas motor in there bus in the 1930's an 40's BULLHUSK