Chevrolet LRDG 30cwt

OK, I hear some of you asking what does LRDG and 30cwt stand for. This post is due to a book that was recommended on Straightstack ( see my side bar) . The book is called "Killing Rommel" by Steven Pressfield. It is a novel about the British "special unit" known as the Long Range Dessert Group or LRDG. Their objective was to go after Rommel, to kill or capture him during the North African Campaign of WWII. The book is based on the memoir of R. Lawrence Chapman, who fought with this group.

Early in this groups existence, they used Ford trucks. But after 1941, they switched to, and preferred the Chevrolet 1 1/2 ton (or 30cwt). This was a Canadian built Chevrolet supplied without the cab and modified for dessert war fare.

As my friend on Straightstack pointed out, imagine driving one of these in sand and when temperatures during the day were over 110 F. My hats off to those that did.

1941 Chevrolet 30 cwt LRDG

"They Drive by Night" - Sterling Truck?

I found another picture of a truck mentioned in an earlier post about the Bogart / Raft movie, "THEY DIVE BY NIGHT".

When I looked closely at this picture, I noticed what appears to be another set of wheels behind the rear duals. I checked other pictures, and the only one that shows that this might have been the way the truck was set up, is the picture used in the earlier post.



If you look closely behind the left rear dual, you can just make out the shadow of another tire. I wonder if this is how the truck was set up? Anyone know?

UPDATE: ---- Recently the model used in the accident scene was sold at auction -- sale price was $25,300. Below is a picture from the sale --

And here is some info I found on the model before the sale --

Truck Hunting

THE HUNTED - 1941 Chevy 1 1/2 ton


It was a good day for truck hunting, I had the day off and it was threatening to snow. I had an errand to run for Jan, so I took her camera along with the intent to head over to an old truck I spot every day on my bus route.

Well, I took a detour, and it as worth the time. I started my hunt at Sullivan's Fire Apparatus and found this Mack COE:



I drove out back to find this old Dodge waiting for some care.




Then I was off to my quest - to re-shoot a 1941 Chevy 1 1/2 ton. I found it like you see it in this picture.



Whoa, wait a minute, where's the hood? I found it. Half setting on one side, almost buried, the other half hidden in some brush.



I love the lines of this old truck. All together I took ten pictures - a beautiful late fall day!

"North by Northwest" - 1950's White Freightliner

Alfred Hitchcoks' movie about a middle-aged Madison Avenue advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (played by Carey Grant) is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies. He gets involved in a series of misadventures and is pursued across the States by both the spies and the government whilst being helped by a beautiful blonde (Eva Marie Saint).

Also appearing: 1950's White Freightliner

AMT Mack Cruise-Liner - Re-Issue by Steven's Hobby

I'm sorry to say that the truck kits I built way back when are getting harder and harder to find. This build is not one I have done before, as I missed the original issue of the AMT Mack Cruise- Liner.

Once again, Steven's Hobby has come through with the re-issue of this kit. All in all it was a good build - even if in the instructions you had to refer to a parts list to get the correct number for the part shown in a particular step.

I miss those old AMT truck models, and hope that Steven's Hobby will continue to re-issue the AMT line of truck models.



The sign in the passenger window says " FOR SALE 1975 MACK CRUISE - LINER $ 25, 000 FIRM"

Any takers?

1956 Mack B-61 - Astoria, New York

I have been spending the weekend in Astoria, Queens, New York. Last night we took a walk down by the East River and spotted this Mack truck sitting in a Toyota / Mitsubishi truck dealership at 14 Vernon Blvd. It was in mint condition - wish I could drive it back home.

This truck can also be seen at Google Maps.

One more Zaffo - American LaFrance Fire Engine

If anyone should read this, and they have been following my posts on George J. Zaffo's "BIG BOOK of REAL TRUCKS", and they are fortunate enough to know this book, you know that this is not the last illustration. There is one more - a Greyhound Scenic-Cruiser from the late 1950's. I actually road in one of these.

But, sorry to say, this is about trucks. So this post is about an American LaFrance Fire Engine. And since I live right next door to Elmira, this is a fitting post. Elmira was long time home of American LaFrance - a real good piece of fire apparatus!

"They Drive by Night"

Sterling Truck from "They Drive by Night"



If you are a true fan of "Bogie" films, you might still have missed this classic truck film about the depression era. The story evolves around two brothers played by Humphrey Bogart and George Raft and also stars Anne Sheridan and Ida LaPino.

But of course, my favorite stars are the trucks, especially the truck pictured here in the opening scene. I'll have to admit that when I found this picture on the net, I had no idea as to the truck type. I suspected it was a Sterling from the late 1930's.

I had to rent the movie, and after several pauses, I did identify the marque from the radiator. It was indeed a Sterling.

This movie also has some great shots of other old trucks, including General Motors and an early cab over I still need to ID.

Another shot of the Sterling - taken by camera from my computer.

1930's Sterling Truck

Another Post on George J. Zaffo

I have just finished copying another picture from "The Big Book of Real Trucks". It will be the subject of this post.

I am by no means an authority when it comes to identifying old trucks. I will admit, that I was stumped by a few I found in this old book. The following is one of them. It took a lot of searching on the net to find a clue - it came as another picture, the ONLY one I could find that would help identify the truck type.

First is the Zaffo illustration -



The only thing stated about this truck in the book was, it's called a Flushing Machine.

Second is the picture from the Internet - thanks Hank's Trucks and Ken Goudy.



Note the "suicide doors".

Mack Snowplow - George J. Zaffo

This is how it looked while restoring

I have spent the better part of today trying to restore this illustration by George J. Zaffo. It is the last picture of my childhood book mentioned in a previous post - THE BIG BOOK OF REAL TRUCKS.
This was a challenge, as I had tried to repair the page some time ago using masking tape. Sometimes I must admit to not thinking about future consequences - this must have been one of those times. So, my apology to the memory of Mr. Zaffo. I tried my best to bring this picture back.
It can't, however, begin to compare it to the original.



The finished restoration - an early 40's MACK Snow Plow