Diamond Specialty Vehicles announces all-new models

[kscarbel2]

Press Release

Diamond Specialty Vehicles LLC has announced the company will launch an all-new vocational and specialty truck model range in April featuring the truckmaker’s new T-Line “Driver II*” aluminum construction conventional cab.

In addition, the company’s new set-forward axle TCS20 and set-back axle TCL20B powered and non-powered glider kits are now available for order (http://tlinetrucks.com/glider-kits-2/).

For further information: http://tlinetrucks.com/

* The first generation "Driver" cab was designed by Autocar and introduced in 1950. The last Autocar to use the driver cab rolled off the line in Ogden, Utah in 1987. The last Western Star to use the Autocar cab, dubbed the Heritage cab by that truckmaker, was produced in 1997 (the new Constellation cab, designed by an team of Australian Western Star and DAF engineers, had been introduced in 1996).

The Diamond Story - History Timeline:

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Loyal Osterlund, a former Diamond Reo dealer, obtained the legal rights to the name, all the spare parts at the Lansing, Michigan factory and the manufacturing dies following the truckmaker’s bankruptcy in 1975.

FYI: Fire apparatus, custom truck chassis and Utilimaster brand body manufacturer Spartan Motors was founded in 1976 by former Diamond Reo Engineers effected by Diamond Reo’s bankruptcy.

Osterlund created the Diamond Reo “Giant” range and established a 50 dealer nationwide sales network.

Osterlund operated from 1977 thru 1993.

It appears that in the summer of 1995, Loyal Osterlund's son Jan explored selling the operation to S&S/Superior of Ohio, who planned to produce Diamond T trucks as the Superior Truck & Tractor Manufacturing Company (ftp://nhtsa.gov/MfrMail/01-22-N11B-6002.pdf).

In December 1995, William Snyder operating as the Diamond Reo Truck Company purchased Jan Osterlund’s assets and inventory, and built trucks until 1997 in Somerset, Pennsylvania.

In 2003, Diamond Vehicle Solutions LLC under former Osterlund engineering head Joseph Whitman and other Osterlund veterans began supplying spare parts to Reo, Diamond Reo and Diamond T customers.

In 2007, Diamond Vehicle Solutions LLC relocated to the Harrisburg plant constructed by Osterlund in the early 1980s.

In 2008, the new company launched its “T-Line”* range of Diamond T trucks. Like Osterlund, Diamond Vehicle Solutions decided to target the vocational segment.

* Not to be confused with the International Harvester "T-Line" heavy trucks once sold in Australia (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30957-those-magnificent-aussie-international-transtar-4670s/).

(Because Sheller-Globe had stopped producing the Western Star cab, the Navistar S-Series cab was substituted until a proprietary cab could be created)

In December 2013, Joseph Whitman announced that T-Line range production would resume in 2014, with order acceptance from January 6. Designed for vocational and specialty applications, component options include Cummins diesel and natural gas engines; PSI gasoline and natural gas engines; Allison, Fuller and Spicer transmissions; Dana and Meritor axles; TRW-Ross power steering; and Hendrickson and Neway suspensions. In addition, all T-Line models will be available as glider kits.

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[james j neiweem]

KS: For those Mack glider enthusiasts-Get a T-Line glider- add Mack remanufactured pre emissions engines(e-6 350)(E-7 400) -Mack transmission/ rears-on Camelbacks-slap a bulldog on the hood. Now you have more of a Mack truck than the new Volvo/Mack brand. Plus the cab won' rust.

[41180]

I think k2 should negotiate a deal between scania and diamond so you can get a scania v8 in the t line

[DailyDiesel]

So it appears they are still using the S-Series cab.

[thomastractorsvc]

looks like a intersterling

[james j neiweem]

You could make it an Inter Mack with an after market R or RW hood

[BillyT]

A  fellow in gibsonton Florida,has a 1986 diamond reo day cab tractor for sale looks like a single axle(pictures are poor) says it has a Dietz air cooled diesel engine .bizarre looking long nose truck,kinda looks European.would be a really cool hobby truck! Googled it may have been built by osterlund in Harrisburg pa.the "real" diamond reo went bankrupt in74. Do any of you guys know about this engine? Parts availability etc? I know they have built industrial engines for yrs,welders,compressors, etc. Thanks!

[41chevy]

1 hour ago, BillyT said:

A  fellow in gibsonton Florida,has a 1986 diamond reo day cab tractor for sale looks like a single axle(pictures are poor) says it has a Dietz air cooled diesel engine .bizarre looking long nose truck,kinda looks European.would be a really cool hobby truck! Googled it may have been built by osterlund in Harrisburg pa.the "real" diamond reo went bankrupt in74. Do any of you guys know about this engine? Parts availability etc? I know they have built industrial engines for yrs,welders,compressors, etc. Thanks!

There was Grazzio's Contracting on Long Island that had a pair of the Diamond Reo Ant Eaters, one mixer and one dump both Dietz Air Cooled V-8s. Margis-Dietz is /was pretty dependable and there never seemed to be a parts availability problem. I believe the parts were available through the local Mercedes.Benz truck dealer..

PHOTO BY MARK B.SIMIELE