My morning banana.

Every morning before I leave for my bus run, Jan leaves me a banana. It always makes me think of one of my favorite trucking songs. If you ask Jan what it is, she would qucikly reply, "30,000 Pounds of Bananas".

Yep, she would be right. She likes Harry Chapin too! But the song has to be the full version, the one with the four different endings, the 10 minute long version - THE ONE HERE!!



I remember hearing this song for the first time in the late 1970's. I even remember hearing that it was based on an actual occurrence, but had never REALLY verified that FACT for myself.

Until now -----



It happened in 1965, when a truck loaded with 15 tons (do the math) of bananas was coming down the Rt. 307 hill into downtown Scranton Pa. At the bottom of the hill, it turns into Moosic St. The trucker lost control of the vehicle (seemed to be a Brockway) and crashed into a house on the corner of South Irving Ave. The incident was the basis for the Harry Chapin song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas." 42 years later, trucks over 10 ton are still required to use I-380 to get into Scranton, forbidden from going down Moosic St. The signs are still up.

Nice Trucks Les!

Once in a while someone actually sends me an e-mail about the post here. If I'm really lucky, they send pictures. That is what Les Warner did, so I will post his e-mails here with some really fine pictures and an admission that I am jealous of his 31 Model A Ford.

1st email from Les


Hi George, I enjoy your site. I have a 31 Model A pickup,not a big truck, in fact very small. they really made them small in those days. I also have been interested in old trucks of all kinds. The oldest big truck that I drove was a 1955 Sterling. I only drove it about ten miles. The newest was a 1995 K W.,then I retired. Raised here in Oregon,I have been around a lot of log truck's,and lumber trucks. Before I was a teen,I rode in log trucks. My favorite was the 41 Chev. They were big trucks in the 40's. Sending a picture of my Model A Les Warner

I belong to a Model A club,and they used my pickup for our Regional Convention web site. It is http://www.nwregional2009.webs.com

2nd email from Les

Hi George,Thank's for the reply.You have talent beyond words. I admire some one that has things going for their selves, and I am sure that you enjoy every minuet of the day. Sending a picture of a chev truck that almost makes me want to cry. This truck is still parked at a farm in my area. I and a friend was about 13 at the time, when we made our way over to the corral on his dad's farm to see the new Chev truck that was just brought from the Dealer. I always thought it was an early 47 that was made a few months before the Advanced series started. Maybe you could tell me if this is so,but any way it was the pretty dark green with black fenders. The new smell was present,and this was a beauty. The sad thing about it was how the owners,and hired men abused it beyond words from the beginning. Kind of like who could put a dent on top of a dent. Sending picture. Les



3rd email from Les

Hi George,I can't open the web page that you just sent. Have you been around a Mack Jr pickup? I Have only seen pictures,in fact one is featured in this months Hemming's classic magazine. I think they are one of best looking that was ever made. They derived out of the Reo Speed wagon.Later than yours. Sending a picture of the K W that I drove. I had 4 new ones in the 27 years that I drove for a building material co. They were all K W's. Sending my web site. it has custom furniture in it because my web master attached it to his. My "country filling station" has no gas. I pump a look alike gas "red prestone"from the quarter barrel. Les http://www.customfurniture.net/les-shell/

Thanks Les for taking the time to write. Great pictures - got any more ?

These are for you -

Think you might know what they are!!