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I believe this was a tunnel support vehicle. Short wheelbase for turning around in the tight confines. It was probably fitted with a winch or two for lifting and tearing. the plated front end was for pushing disabled vehicles out of the tunnel. Through the 1990's and maybe even later, this equipment was mounted on MR chassis.

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I believe this was a tunnel support vehicle. Short wheelbase for turning around in the tight confines. It was probably fitted with a winch or two for lifting and tearing. the plated front end was for pushing disabled vehicles out of the tunnel. Through the 1990's and maybe even later, this equipment was mounted on MR chassis.

Tunnel truck would be 50's. In the early 60's NYC BTA went to International Transtars and that to MC and MR Macks. All the wrecker bodies are made by Weldbilt since 1964.

NYCFD did experiment with ultra short bridge and tunnel and NYC Aviation crash Chemical rigs in the late 50's early 60's built by the NYCFD shops. Looking at the drivers seat which matches up with the rear steer ladder rigs and the "fire bell" next to the driver. It's more likely the unit is one of them. That was during the NYCFD extreme times....Mack F Super Pumper to the Micro Chem trucks. Paul

"OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK"  Thomas Edison

 “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’

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I'm gonna take an un-educated guess,but this looks to me like some early type railyard switcher? AK era judging by the wheels and pnuematic tires,kinda what they would use to load truck trailers onto a flatcar? I'm thinking its too early to be any type tunnel or recovery vehicle,but thats just a guess...............................Mark

Mack Truck literate. Computer illiterate.

Tunnel truck would be 50's. In the early 60's NYC BTA went to International Transtars and that to MC and MR Macks. All the wrecker bodies are made by Weldbilt since 1964.

NYCFD did experiment with ultra short bridge and tunnel and NYC Aviation crash Chemical rigs in the late 50's early 60's built by the NYCFD shops. Looking at the drivers seat which matches up with the rear steer ladder rigs and the "fire bell" next to the driver. It's more likely the unit is one of them. That was during the NYCFD extreme times....Mack F Super Pumper to the Micro Chem trucks. Paul

Might be right Paul,i did'nt see the bell till i went back an looked at the picture again,tractor drawn tiller truck (hook and ladder) maybe?...................Mark

Mack Truck literate. Computer illiterate.

My bet is that is a yard donkey used by the FDNY, or some other large city, mechanics to move rigs around the shop. Our shops had a similar rig they made out of an old school bus chassis. And while it appears to be an MC or MR I also wouldn't be surprised to find out it was a C or even CF model aerial tractor that had been wrecked and given new life by the shops.

If it were intended for a suppression use it would have some type of warning devices such as a siren and red lights in addition to the bell. It also lacks any kind of fire fighting capability.

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

I think the tires, the hubs, etc. predate, or shortly date after WW2 myself. I've had several trucks that have set for 35 plus years with the same tread pattern as the steer axle on this unit has. It looks to be some type of interplant "mule", but what for I don't know. Old Caterpillar photos show a bell mounted on some of their units used internally within the plants for moving new machinery around so I'm not swayed it is a fire bell but could be very wrong. You gotta remember we didn't always have electronic movement alarms.

Rob

Dog.jpg.487f03da076af0150d2376dbd16843ed.jpgPlodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke.

 

 

With those heavy duty early front and rear axles you guys think it was a MR? I figutred it was a 1950's built truck that just happens to have a front grille area that looks like a MR. Looks likea good job too , looks like they pin stripped alot on it and all.

Edit, I typed my reply the same time as Rob. I with you Rob , its way older than a MR. Ive seen the front and rear axles on a L and B model before.

I just looked at the photo again and I had missed the two hooks hanging down on the front by the radiator, about even with the middle of the headlights. Those must be winches on the front - I doubt if a fire truck had those.

The bell plays tricks with my poor eyes - is it a bell or a light by the factory wall?

I think the tires, the hubs, etc. predate, or shortly date after WW2 myself. I've had several trucks that have set for 35 plus years with the same tread pattern as the steer axle on this unit has. It looks to be some type of interplant "mule", but what for I don't know. Old Caterpillar photos show a bell mounted on some of their units used internally within the plants for moving new machinery around so I'm not swayed it is a fire bell but could be very wrong. You gotta remember we didn't always have electronic movement alarms.

Rob

Thats what i think,the rolling stock looks pre-war to me,then look at the way the seats upholstered,and the steering wheel,all consistant with AK era trucks....again,just an un-educated guess on my part....................Mark

Mack Truck literate. Computer illiterate.

  • 2 weeks later...

What interests me more is what is on the back. Those two pillars appear to latch onto something OR they are very stubby winch booms. I bet its a custom wrecker, maybe it was used for tunnel work. The Holland Tunnel opened in 1927 and the Queens-Midtown in 1940 and the Lincoln Tunnel in 1937. So the truck could very well be an early tunnel wrecker or test truck.

Plus the push bumper is a sure sign of it being a wrecker.

-Thad

What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog!

I still think it's connected to an FD or maybe a fire apparatus maker, possibly Mack.

The pic is identified as a Mack yard tractor, but there is no obvious markings that identify it as a Mack. I wonder if the title is meant to indicate it is a yard tractor used at Mack, not a yard tractor made by Mack. (although I'm sure it would have been a Mack in that case)

Anybody recognize the building in the background as being the old Mack factory in Allentown where they assembled the fire apparatus?

Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are!

I been loosing sleep over this, but I finally got up enough nerve to go out on a limb here, but, I think it could very well be something used inside the plant, maybe Mack, maybe somewhere else, seems like it's built to run in tight quarters, and prolly the bell is like the warning alarm of the day. I've seen crawler tractors with rubber track pads built for that purpose, that's my guess. What do you guys think?

See my Flickr photostream page

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96692978@N05/

 

I believe this was a tunnel support vehicle. Short wheelbase for turning around in the tight confines. It was probably fitted with a winch or two for lifting and tearing. the plated front end was for pushing disabled vehicles out of the tunnel. Through the 1990's and maybe even later, this equipment was mounted on MR chassis.

I shared the photo with Don at the Mack Trucks Historical Museum and Harvey Eckart, a Mack Fire Apparatus Historian. Each agreed that it was probably a tunnel support vehicle out of the New York Port Authority. They purchased so much equipment that it may be difficult to pin any info down without specifics.

Interested in Old Trucks? Check out:

www.antiquetruckclubofamerica.org

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