Attn Mack drivers or ex.

[Stuck]

In the old days (r model and such) there was the econodyne, maxidyne, coolpower and thermodyne. What horsepower were they ?
Cheers,
Anthony.

[Sprint]

econodyne was the engine family introduced IIRC in the late 80's

IIRC maxidyne was a engine family, originally 237HP, with various upgrades, IIRC 300, 325 and 350HP depending on the setup, and IIRC was an evoloution of the thermodyne

coolpower was a setup that to my understanding was basically forced intercooling

thermodyne IIRC was the first generation of OHV diesel engines that mack produced

sorry if i'm a lil vague, but its been more than a couple of years since i had anything to do with a Mack

[V8Ian]

Thermo was 237hp, not big in the horse depatment but tons of torque....... well for it's day. Coolpower I believe was 280hp; maxi-320hp and econodyne 250hp. I was never a Mack man so don't go down the pub taking bets on this reply.
Don't forget the Perkodyne at 120ish hp ;)

[V8Ian]

but its been more than a couple of years since i had anything to do with a Mack
Lucky you:D:p

[Sprint]

Lucky you:D:p

tell me about it....... try getting the call out to sort out a siezed front wheel bearing at 9pm...... had the replacement stub/hub off a donor truck off by 11pm, had the replacement hub/stub on and the truck rolling by 3am.....

and people wonder why i drive a desk now..... TA'ing for electricians, boilermakers, diesel fitters drove me round the bend!

that said, first time behind the wheel in a truck was in a '81 R model with a 350 and 12 speed, mostly paddock/yard work

last time was a 1984 superliner, 400HP V8 and 12 speed with a 80 tonne float..... very naughty of me to have driven it, but the fitter i was with couldnt understand the air shifter......

[ivery819]

Don't forget the Perkodyne at 120ish hp ;)

:Rolling::Rolling::BigThumb:

[V8Ian]

Last Mack I drove was pulling three fuel barrels in WA, Cat 550, RR 18 (auto:thumbsdown:) Apart from the office a fair jigger.
I drove a Superliner on heavy haulage a few years back that was impossible to drive in the rain. It used to steer from the drive, not camel back....air :confused:. I eventually blew a front diff, it was then discovered the factory had fitted two different ratios.
Make Another Choice Kenworth :D

[Sprint]

the supreliner i mentioned used to be good for converting axles into pretzels...... couldnt figure out why untill we watched bad loading of the float and horrendous drivers (ever seen a truck pull the front wheels a couple of feet off the ground trying to move a D10/11?

i felt sorry for the poor thing, not even a volvo deserved that treatment

i've allways had a thng for the bulldog breed, after all, they're not held together with pop rivets and zipties like kenworths!

[V8Ian]

I'm looking at new ones now, down to Western Star or Volvo. A few years ago it would have been between 4900 or 6900, but now I'm no longer driving myself, the Volvo is looking far more attractive :D:D

[Sprint]

something is wrong here....... i'm 27, and i'd prefer a series 1 superliner with the big gun V8 or a W model to anything from the last 20 years..... :-S

[V8Ian]

I put 200,000km on a 4900 Star in under a year, Gulf, Cape, Channel Country, Townsville, Cairns, Melbourne and Adelaide. The Minister of Finance travelled with me and she could read a book on all but the roughest of dirt.

[Sprint]

pfft, i know i've fallen asleep propped in the passengers side of a '78 R model mack, feet up on the dash, arm out the window on the mirror supports...... about half a second to climb into the sleeperwhen a drive tyre blew lol

[p38arover]

I'm interested in why anyone would want to drive a big (or any) truck for a living. My brother did interstate for many years but that was a while back.

I happened to mention it to my wife yesterday. We don't understand. It looks to be a bloody awful job.

[Sprint]

because the scenery is a bit better than sitting in an office cubicle shuffling paperwork?

[p38arover]

because the scenery is a bit better than sitting in an office cubicle shuffling paperwork?

P'raps. But dealing with morons on the road would be a nightmare. Doing the same run week after week would also be mind-numbing, surely?

Crikey, fancy dealing with caravan-towing grey nomads on a daily basis! :mad:

I have enough trouble on the odd occasion I travel.

The discussion came up when I mentioned the skill needed to drive a truck accurately (car drivers seem to have trouble keeping in their lane but truckies don't); and the stupidity of the powers-that-be for giving points and fines for incorrect spelling in a log book. It seems to me that many people on this (and other) fora would be be ripe for fines and points. ;)

[Olive Drab]

Most owner/drivers I know leave home sunday night or early monday, return home saturday. Wash and service the truck sunday, then do it all again. Seems to be more a lifestyle than a job. Good on them for doing it, I couldn't.

[p38arover]

Good on them for doing it, I couldn't.

Absolutely! On both counts.

[V8Ian]

It looks to be a bloody awful job.

It is, but it's like owning a Land Rover. You hate it, you curse it, you can't live without it.
I'm sure truck driving is an affliction, like acoholism or smoking.

[Tank]

In the old days (r model and such) there was the econodyne, maxidyne, coolpower and thermodyne. What horsepower were they ?
Cheers,
Anthony.
Maxidyne was 237HP, Coolpwer was 285HP and 320HP, mine was a 285 Coolpower with 12 sp. box, incredible engine the Coolpower, the 285 produced 1080ft/lbs of Torque from 1200rpm to 2100rpm, not bad for an 11litre 6, Regards Frank.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

This from work--


Mack anyone?:p
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/723.jpg

[Sprint]

P'raps. But dealing with morons on the road would be a nightmare.
you have to deal with the same morons in the workplace!


Doing the same run week after week would also be mind-numbing, surely?
just as bad as shuffling the same paperwork week in, week out!


Crikey, fancy dealing with caravan-towing grey nomads on a daily basis! :mad:
In the office, they're known as management, geriatric idiots who think they know how things should be done when in reality they have no concept about the modern world, and fail to realise they are no longer living in the 50's

[Gold_TD5]

I always found it curious that mack steered away from using their own engines and started supplying with Cats, Cummins, Detroit with Fuller Gearboxs.
That was the big attraction of owning a mack especially to operators in the outback, one phone call for all your trucks needs.
IMHO, I don't think there has been a good mack since the last of the Valueliners, when was that, late 80's.
As for running up the Highway, the bureaucrats are legislating us off the road.
There was a time not that long ago that I could not wait to get back out on Saturday night and do it all over again.
In recent years it's just what I do to make ends meet and support my family.
I think at the end of the day all come down to education at all levels of the community, too many experts on road transport that have never even sat behind the wheel of a truck and looked in the mirror at 25mtrs of trailers, more if it a road train, let alone done any driving.
Yet they can sit in their little offices without any windows and tell us how the job should be done.
Then if you don't tow the line we will fine you to inch of your life and teach you a lesson.
Better to a be a lame duck living off the system, than a hard working member of the work force, who without these people the country would falter and stop.
To anybody out there who's desire it is to have trucks off the road, make a stand to day, PROTEST, refuse to use any service or product which has been supplied by a truck.
Cheers Lionel

[p38arover]

you have to deal with the same morons in the workplace!


just as bad as shuffling the same paperwork week in, week out!


In the office, they're known as management, geriatric idiots who think they know how things should be done when in reality they have no concept about the modern world, and fail to realise they are no longer living in the 50's

I work by myself so I don't have those problems. I don't do any paperwork if I can avoid it. I had Operations call me last night wanting a report on an incident. I told him I wasn't doing one. So he rang another bloke and he told him the same thing.

[V8Ian]

II don't think there has been a good mack since the last of the Valueliners, when was that, late 80's.
I'd say B 61; even if you had to wear two pairs of thongs (on ya feet :twisted:) so as not to burn your toes on the floor.

[Sprint]

you arent working in a conventional office!

[p38arover]

you arent working in a conventional office!

True!

I feel for you blokes. It looks a bloody tough job. I really get annoyed at car drivers who seem to have no comprehension of the dynamics of a truck and dive in front, cut you off, etc. Then they write to newspapers and auto club magazines complaining of truckies. Sheesh! :mad:

I've hijacked this thread enough....

[V8Ian]

True!

I feel for you blokes. It looks a bloody tough job. I really get annoyed at car drivers who seem to have no comprehension of the dynamics of a truck and dive in front, cut you off, etc. Then they write to newspapers and auto club magazines complaining of truckies. Sheesh! :mad:

I've hijacked this thread enough....

Hijacking a bit more..........As the self appointed defender of truckies & motor cyclists I've seen some undefendable and stupid act from both of these groups. 10% form the reputation for all.

[Bigbjorn]

I always found it curious that mack steered away from using their own engines and started supplying with Cats, Cummins, Detroit with Fuller Gearboxs.

Cheers Lionel

Mack in the USA always were users of proprietary equipment like any other US custom builder. It was only the marketing position taken up in Australia first by Westco and later by Mack Australia of "all Mack driveline" that differed.

Mack's own engines were pretty antiquated and the sixes were quite small in swept capacity. Likewise their parts prices were horrific and if any Mack operator was smart they always bought their bits from a pirate importer, just like owning a Land Rover.

Mack had a bit of a niche market with the oil companies for a while based on low tare weight, the oil companies pet requirement. Of course they were light, they had small capacity engines, five speed gearboxes, 34000lb diffs on lightweight suspension, 12000lb front axles. Kenworth got their tare down below Mack for an oil company special. At White Australia considerable engineering time went into the same. In the end we got a Road Boss down to the holy grail weight but the Chief Engineer refused to sign it off having concerns about durability. After all this time and money was expended, Shell came back and said that xxxxx was now considered an acceptable tare weight as they were experiencing durability and reliability problems with the feather weight specials. Chief Engineer blew steam and sparks for weeks after.

Don't forget that in the late fifties until around 1963-65 in Australia, Mack had virtually no competitors to the B61 Thermodyne other than overweight and underpowered Euro-British trucks.

[groucho]

My Flintstone. They Don't come better than this

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/719.jpg

:cool:

[Tank]

My 285 Coolpower, 12 sp, 44,000lbs diffs, Camel back, Parabolic 3 leaf front springs H/d R/t spec front axle, 40" sleeper.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/01/958.jpg (http://www.aulro.com/app/showphoto.php/photo/12921)

[Fusion]

My fave truck would be the Transtar 4670 . Loved working on them and loved the shape .

http://tcimages.net/DisplayImage.aspx?PD=19023710&S=ISS&wmin=truckhub

[Sprint]

another question for the Mack nuts out there..... when/why did mack upgrade the R-models from single 7" headlights to dual 7" headlights?

[V8Ian]

In the end we got a Road Boss down to the holy grail weight but the Chief Engineer refused to sign it off having concerns about durability.

Caltex operated some Rolls Royce powered (250-290hp) Bosses in the early 70s. I think they were Allison autos

[groucho]

another question for the Mack nuts out there..... when/why did mack upgrade the R-models from single 7" headlights to dual 7" headlights?

As for why i don't know. To make them look cool. When, I would guess about1975 give or take a year.

[Sprint]

strange...... i know a friend who passed away about 18 months ago had a '78 model that still had the single headlights..... i'm kinda kicking myself for not making a move to buy his old truck

[groucho]

strange...... i know a friend who passed away about 18 months ago had a '78 model that still had the single headlights..... i'm kinda kicking myself for not making a move to buy his old truck

Optional extra

[Sprint]

moot point anyway, cant see s**t even with the duals! lol

[Bigbjorn]

Caltex operated some Rolls Royce powered (250-290hp) Bosses in the early 70s. I think they were Allison autos

Late 70's, RR Eagles 290hp. Ampol had a couple too. Dog of an engine. No get up and go. Best thing about them was the high quality tool kit that came with each engine. Kits were taken into protective custody by manufacturing division and kept under lock an key to prevent us acquisitive marketing types away from them. Don't remeber Allisons. My memory is of RT9509 boxes. Maybe Allisons were retro-fitted. BP had Allisons behind Detroit 8V92TTA's. BP Darwin had Road Bosses with NTC400 Cummins and RTO12513's to pull triple tanks.

[V8Ian]

Road Bosses with NTC400 Cummins and RTO12513's to pull triple tanks.

Now we're talking trucks :D I owned a Commander for years with these specs.
As I recall Esso(?) ran 9000s too

[Bigbjorn]

Now we're talking trucks :D I owned a Commander for years with these specs.
As I recall Esso(?) ran 9000s too

Not unless the NTC 400 was a retro-fit or you had a very rare Road Commander 2. Nothing bigger than an NTC350 or an 8V71T was fitted to the first series Road Commanders at the factory. Esso had 9000's and Road Bosses. Usually with White-Willett's Velvet Ride rear suspension. Ampol had Road Commanders also.

[3toes]

[quote=Gold_TD5;915549]I always found it curious that mack steered away from using their own engines and started supplying with Cats, Cummins, Detroit with Fuller Gearboxs.
That was the big attraction of owning a mack especially to operators in the outback, one phone call for all your trucks needs.


From my experience the operators themselves created the market forces which drove the manufactures into using third party supplied engines.

When you purchase a new truck have to keep an eye on what the second hand market wants to keep the trade in value up. It did not take long to realise that at resale time compareable trucks with own brand engines were achieving a significantly lower price.

If their customer demonstrated that they did not want it why would the manufacturers then invest in the increasingly complex / legislation controlled engine building process?

[Bigbjorn]

[quote=Gold_TD5;915549]I always found it curious that mack steered away from using their own engines and started supplying with Cats, Cummins, Detroit with Fuller Gearboxs.
That was the big attraction of owning a mack especially to operators in the outback, one phone call for all your trucks needs.


From my experience the operators themselves created the market forces which drove the manufactures into using third party supplied engines.

When you purchase a new truck have to keep an eye on what the second hand market wants to keep the trade in value up. It did not take long to realise that at resale time compareable trucks with own brand engines were achieving a significantly lower price.

If their customer demonstrated that they did not want it why would the manufacturers then invest in the increasingly complex / legislation controlled engine building process?

I can assure you that Mack always offered proprietary engines and drivelines in the USA. They were a small volume custom builder like Brockway, Marmon, Autocar, Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Oshkosh, Freightliner, White, Western Star, and a couple of hand builders. They offered an option of everything just like all their competitors.

Their Australian operation had a marketing strategy of "the all Mack driveline".
Fleet customers had their own ideas and many would not consider Mack drivelines because of their experiences with other principal components, their investment in tools, parts stock, training, and personal preferences.

just to give readers an idea of the size of the US heavy truck market, White USA considered an order for 200 trucks a fleet order. Less than 200 was not. GMC took orders from Ryder for 5800 trucks one year and 5900 the next. Roadway ordered 1100 White Road Boss 2 in one hit. There are fleets there like East Texas Motor Freight that had 3500 prime movers and 5000 trailers hauling coast to coast and interstate. Another one had 400 company prime movers and over 3000 trailers mostly hauled by permanent owner-drivers.

The scale of operations has to be seen to believe. The industrial hauling in the north-east states and the eastern seaboard, and the produce operations from the west coast and the south-west to the east and north-east are stunning.

[V8Ian]

It started as an NTC 350, ended up a healthy 435. Diffs 44s @ 5.28 swapped for 3.7; Ever been in a RC1 at 100 MPH? Gets the adrenalin flowing!!!:nazilock:

[3toes]

[quote=3toes;916131]

I can assure you that Mack always offered proprietary engines and drivelines in the USA. They were a small volume custom builder like Brockway, Marmon, Autocar, Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Oshkosh, Freightliner, White, Western Star, and a couple of hand builders. They offered an option of everything just like all their competitors.

Their Australian operation had a marketing strategy of "the all Mack driveline".
Fleet customers had their own ideas and many would not consider Mack drivelines because of their experiences with other principal components, their investment in tools, parts stock, training, and personal preferences.

just to give readers an idea of the size of the US heavy truck market, White USA considered an order for 200 trucks a fleet order. Less than 200 was not. GMC took orders from Ryder for 5800 trucks one year and 5900 the next. Roadway ordered 1100 White Road Boss 2 in one hit. There are fleets there like East Texas Motor Freight that had 3500 prime movers and 5000 trailers hauling coast to coast and interstate. Another one had 400 company prime movers and over 3000 trailers mostly hauled by permanent owner-drivers.

The scale of operations has to be seen to believe. The industrial hauling in the north-east states and the eastern seaboard, and the produce operations from the west coast and the south-west to the east and north-east are stunning.


Perhaps I should have made my comment clearer. Forget sometimes that the address is UK. Was basing my comment on experience in the Australain market over a 15 year period. When attempting to sella used truck those with manufactures engines were difficult to shift without a significant discount against the non manufacturer engines. This was the reality of the second hand market buyer who set the trade in prices. There was nothing wrong with the engines it was just that the second hand buyer wanted to be able to go outside the dealer network for parts / servicing.

The USA market while supplying the trucks which dominate the Australian market has an influence on what product is seen however it does not directly transfer. Spent 15 years hearing how in another 5 years the local market would look just like that in the USA with a few larger operators dominating. Never happened and has still not 10 years later. Larger operators can influence prices in their favour and distributors / freight forwarders and the like would not let that happen as it is not in their business model.

Here in Europe the market is dominated by makes which use their own engines. Their are options however they are discouraged by pricing strategies. Makes it simplier for the factory if each truck is almost identical. A little self interest here as by keeping the engines in house they can make more profit on the maintenance side of the sale. Not so long ago Kenworth Australia attempted this on one smaller model, due to the different wants of the Australain customer they were unable to sustain it for long and had to offer options at reasonable prices.

Interesting difference in how brands are seen other parts of the world. In Europe Volvo and Scania are seen as the premium trucks. Mercedes is expensive and middle market. DAF then follows as the working mans truck with IVECO seen as a lower market price based decision. Renault falls somewhere below IVECO. There are large operators however nothing like you see in the USA. The largest though has an assembly line with one manufacturer dedicated to production of trucks for their use.

Have to remember that Europe has what is probably the most benign environment around for operating trucks. Roads sealed with good surfaces (locals will tell you other wise however they just do not understand), low speed limits for trucks of 30, 40 and 56 miles an hour. Always not far from a dealer or proper repair facility if something does go wrong. Down side is the axle loads are much higher than allowed in Australia so tri axle trailers are uncommon and prime movers are 6/4x2 with set back rather than forward axles.

[Stuck]

Thanks heaps for the replies, even the ones that weren't anywhere near the question :p. How old is that photo Groucho ?.

Cheers,
Anthony.

[Sprint]

Stuck, if you dont mind me asking, why did you ask?

[groucho]

Thanks heaps for the replies, even the ones that weren't anywhere near the question :p. How old is that photo Groucho ?.

Cheers,
Anthony.

The photo was at Halfway Creek back in the Good old days 1982- 83
1967 Flintstone 250 C motor Quad Box 44 rears
Dont worry i still have it Mark

[Bigbjorn]

[quote=Brian Hjelm;916151]




Interesting difference in how brands are seen other parts of the world. In Europe Volvo and Scania are seen as the premium trucks.

I once got a very strange response from Volvo Aust. National Marketing Manager and a high ranking Swede when I was running White Road Bosses on East Coast shuttle. I told them that I considered Volvos to be a truck bought by people who considered price first & foremost. Definitely not how they saw their brand or market position.

A comment by another operator brought a smile to my face. A Volvo rep was giving a presentation on their then new 16 litre engine. The rep mentioned how the engine was 16 years in the development. The trucker wryly said that they were bloody lucky it wasn't 20 litres.

[isuzubob]

Great thread everyone. It is interesting to note how the trend is now becoming for US makes to push their own engines rather than offer the choice of the trad Three. Daimler which owns Detroit will have the latest engine developments (and keenest pricing) in Freightliner/Western Star before offering it to others, Paccar (KW, Peterbuilt & DAF) are close (already have?) to launching their own in-house donk across all brands, Cat are selling the on-highway engine side of things to Navistar (a done deal by 2011) and the latest gen Mack motors are slightly mod Renaults.

Rob W

[V8Ian]

Great thread everyone. It is interesting to note how the trend is now becoming for US makes to push their own engines rather than offer the choice of the trad Three. Daimler which owns Detroit will have the latest engine developments (and keenest pricing) in Freightliner/Western Star before offering it to others, Paccar (KW, Peterbuilt & DAF) are close (already have?) to launching their own in-house donk across all brands, Cat are selling the on-highway engine side of things to Navistar (a done deal by 2011) and the latest gen Mack motors are slightly mod Renaults.

Rob W

As Cummins marches on independantly; and remaining the creme de la creme

[3toes]

Great thread everyone. It is interesting to note how the trend is now becoming for US makes to push their own engines rather than offer the choice of the trad Three. Daimler which owns Detroit will have the latest engine developments (and keenest pricing) in Freightliner/Western Star before offering it to others, Paccar (KW, Peterbuilt & DAF) are close (already have?) to launching their own in-house donk across all brands, Cat are selling the on-highway engine side of things to Navistar (a done deal by 2011) and the latest gen Mack motors are slightly mod Renaults.

Rob W

And then goes full circle again as Mercedes is now attempting to off load Detriot.

[V8Ian]

Funnily enough, Western Star seem to be pushing C13. Must be to do with the unique marketing arrangement they have in Australia.

[Stuck]

Stuck, if you dont mind me asking, why did you ask?I've just finished reading a book called Men and Machines, The Brambles story, and in it there is an old picture of a B61 coupled to the front of a Flintstone doing an oversize load. I've been around trucks in a small way for a large part of my life, Dad was an owner driver from the early 60's (Leylands) and retired 2001 (Mercedes) with a Perkins Commer, a 1980 Leyland 698 turbo :rocket: and a Volvo in between, plus I worked for a M.A.N. nut and then a Volvo fanatic when I left school so I haven't had much exposure to the U.S. stuff but I've always been curious as to what hp their engine models produced. I tried Googling for an answer to my question before I tried here, 98% nostalgia / trivia and 2% conflicting facts (about the same ratio as i got here but at least the facts here aren't conflicting :p:lol2:).
Anyway fellas, Thanks again and keep 'em coming. It's been a great read so far. I'll be back later, I'm going to suss out these old Rolls Royce Whites.

Cheers,
Anthony.

[Stuck]

The photo was at Halfway Creek back in the Good old days 1982- 83
1967 Flintstone 250 C motor Quad Box 44 rears
Dont worry i still have it Mark
I was doing Sydney Brisbane '84 to '85. I was thinking about starting a bus service at Halfway Creek. If you were northbound you had to park that far away some nights I would have made a killing. From (cloudy) memory there's "no stopping" signs on the northbound side now.
And while I think of it, wasn't it Macks Always Catch Kenworths?.

[Bearman]

somewhere in my old photo locker I have one of a B61 we used to cart D9's around the west scrub pulling in the late 60's. Grossly overloaded with float (no dolly) but there were few scalies around those days especially out west. It used to almost skin the drives when you took off in lo/lo. Great old machine.

[V8Ian]

I went to a historical commercial vehicle show a few years back, scary, I'd driven about 75% of them :o

[Sprint]

reminded you of how old you are? :P

[V8Ian]

reminded you of how old you are? :P
Thanks mate:p

[Sprint]

you're welcome!

[Tank]

Geez, they used put on some great meals there (Halfway Creek), steaks that hung over the ends of the plate and melted in your mouth, full pots of coffee or hot chocolate, yeh a good meal, a good crap and a shower and back to that stinking concrete road north of Grafton, oh the memories are great now, but in truth it was bloody hard work.
Stuck I was running Sydney to Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide for Road Freighters (Windsor NSW) at the same time as you, Sesame street was a joke back then, Regards Frank.

[V8Ian]

And the fog, narrow goat track, narrow bridges to call on 27 meg, no air con......yeah the good old days

[groucho]

Southbound sapling creek............... close eyes . all of that. you never forget it

[V8Ian]

Little Harbour, Macksville, Chinderah, Mororo and about four others; bus crashes, Sydney and Brisbane were much further apart in those days.

[groucho]

Try doing the putty in the ten mile with the Quickasair grey ghost with power divider screeming as they filcked the difflock in as they passed on three wheels classic

[V8Ian]

No, I'm not missing it one bit ;)

[groucho]

I was talking to the nice chap that drove his 80" up the hume highway
at the motorfest. he said he passed a B Double on a hill. I said you were game mixing it with the big bangers on that road. I said i bet he blew you upside down down the other side . He said yeh almost.

[V8Ian]

I was talking to the nice chap that drove his 80" up the hume highway
at the motorfest. he said he passed a B Double on a hill. I said you were game mixing it with the big bangers on that road. I said i bet he blew you upside down down the other side . He said yeh almost.
:Rolling::Rolling::Rolling:

[Stuck]

Geez, they used put on some great meals there (Halfway Creek), steaks that hung over the ends of the plate and melted in your mouth, full pots of coffee or hot chocolate, yeh a good meal, a good crap and a shower and back to that stinking concrete road north of Grafton, oh the memories are great now, but in truth it was bloody hard work.
Stuck I was running Sydney to Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide for Road Freighters (Windsor NSW) at the same time as you, Sesame street was a joke back then, Regards Frank.
At the time it was a real eye opener coming from out in the bulldust (Broken Hill and NW NSW) with dad, you could count the days traffic on one hand (you got there when you got there), to my first night run in the old (ex IPEC) M.A.N. to Brisbane (It's gotta be there). I'd hardly ever seen double yellows let alone overtook on them :o. I live about 1/4 mile from what used to be the Swansea bends and I still shake my head. Sesame street..............:rulez::rocket:

[Stuck]

Try doing the putty in the ten mile with the Quickasair grey ghost with power divider screeming as they filcked the difflock in as they passed on three wheels classicAnd we won't even mention Ansett and Greyhound ............:wasntme:

[Phred]

[QUOTE=Stuck;917239]I was doing Sydney Brisbane '84 to '85. I was thinking about starting a bus service at Halfway Creek. If you were northbound you had to park that far away some nights I would have made a killing. From (cloudy) memory there's "no stopping" signs on the northbound side now.


It's 4 lane diveded past the creek now.... no hooking in through the corners going northbound any more

[Stuck]

And I wasn't sure about the no stopping signs :oops2:

[V8Ian]

And we won't even mention Ansett and Greyhound ............:wasntme:
and I Pass Every Car :o

[V8Ian]

[quote=Stuck;917239]I was doing Sydney Brisbane '84 to '85. I was thinking about starting a bus service at Halfway Creek. If you were northbound you had to park that far away some nights I would have made a killing. From (cloudy) memory there's "no stopping" signs on the northbound side now.


It's 4 lane diveded past the creek now.... no hooking in through the corners going northbound any more

I think there's a parking bay accross from the new plastic servo.

[Phred]

As Cummins marches on independantly; and remaining the creme de la creme

Have you had the joy of experiencing the latest ISX with the egr pollution control. 6mths, 135000 km, 3 turbo's 6 times back to Cummins issues are now resolved and it goes like a Cummins should. But I have to say I'm glad it's only been up and down the Hume and not stuck out on the paddock or up the bush

Peter

[Stuck]

and I Pass Every Car :oCar being the polite option.

[Phred]

And I wasn't sure about the no stopping signs :oops2:

My apologies they were there b4 the 4 lanes were done, I think most of them were parked on.

Peter

[Bigbjorn]

Caltex operated some Rolls Royce powered (250-290hp) Bosses in the early 70s. I think they were Allison autos

Chased up a few old White workers. Their memory of the RR powered Bosses is the same as mine. RT9509 Roadrangers. If any had Allisons then they were a retro-fit. Design draughtsman reckoned it was hard enough getting the engine into the chassis without having to engineer an Allison in as well. They were a lower rpm engine like a formula Cummins.

[groucho]

One for Brian

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/03/1005.jpg

[V8Ian]

Flash jigger in its day.

[UncleHo]

G'day Folks :)

Used to do the Sydney-Brisbane (NormanPark) trip every second weekend in the 60's when mother had the first of a series of heart attacks, and I never forget the first Katie Wapper that I saw, belonged to Camerons Tpt Vic, was coming back down to the toll bridge on the Newcastle Expressway, (near new then) in a Customline sedan, and got passed at 80mph :eek: and after being used to Leylands, Commer Knockers,Inters, and petrol Dodges, this was a real shock, later in the 60's it was a race to stay ahead of any J.N. Nicholson semi loaded with bagged Zircon when they were coming off the Nurribar hills north of Byron, they were hauling for Con-Zinc Rio Tinto, 90 mph down the hills in a drum braked Cusso with a KW on your boot lid sure improved your driving skills:D:eek: Yes, the Pacific is a dream now compared to what it was then, and Kempsey, the Plods had a Radar:o Friday night north, 56 in a 30 zone,:( Sunday 55 in a 30 zone:mad: and 2 weeks later Friday 63 in a 30 zone:mad: Sunday 24 in a 30 zone :angel:
thankfully it was before points:D and that wonderfull Telegraph point rail crossing:eek2: I put the Cusso into the river at Harwood, forgot about the ferry, that was the entertainment for the drinkers in the pub :D


cheers

[V8Ian]

The birth of the legends of the 70s eh :wasntme:

[Bigbjorn]

One for Brian

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/03/1005.jpg

A 4564, from before 1977. Probably 8V71T by the air cleaners, heavy spec. from the 6 spoke front spiders which usually inidcated SSHD's or Eaton 44's on the drive. Steel tanks date it to no later than 76.

[groucho]

A 4564, from before 1977. Probably 8V71T by the air cleaners, heavy spec. from the 6 spoke front spiders which usually inidcated SSHD's or Eaton 44's on the drive. Steel tanks date it to no later than 76.

Smarty pants. Your good. built 6/76 registered 1/77 8V71T OD 12515
SSHD 44's had a autocar HD front axle, had it for 8 years
1.3 mill k's 1 in chassis rebuild hardly spent a brass razoo
on that truck. Ended up with N80 injectors in it.
It would give the small cam cummins 400's a workout

[Bigbjorn]

G'day Folks :)

Used to do the Sydney-Brisbane (NormanPark) trip every second weekend in the 60's when mother had the first of a series of heart attacks, and I never forget the first Katie Wapper that I saw, belonged to Camerons Tpt Vic, was coming back down to the toll bridge on the Newcastle Expressway, (near new then) in a Customline sedan, and got passed at 80mph :eek: and after being used to Leylands, Commer Knockers,Inters, and petrol Dodges, this was a real shock, later in the 60's it was a race to stay ahead of a J.N. Nicholson semi loaded with bagged Zircon when they were coming off the Nurribar hills north of Byron, they were hauling for Con-Zinc Rio Tinto, 90 mph down the hills in a drum braked Cusso with a KW on your boot lid sure improved your driving skills:D:eek: Yes, the Pacific is a dream now compared to what it was then, and Kempsey, they had a Radar:o Friday night north, 56 in a 30 zone,:( sunday 55 in a 30 zone:mad: and 2 weeks later Friday 63 in a 30 zone:mad: Sunday 24 in a 30 zone :angel:
thankfully it was before points:D and that wonderfull Telegraph point rail crossing:eek2: I put the Cusso into the river at Harwood, forgot about the ferry, that was the entertainment for the drinkers in the pub :D


cheers

Hi Ho. Harwood Hotel, "travellers served every day". Used to cart Kellogs out of Botany in a Knocker. 145 horse power and 17 tons on a 32' bogie trailer and single drive. Breakfast cereal cartons on top of pelletised chook food (reject corn flakes) in fibre drums. Used to drop some off in Grafton. Not interstate freight but if you won't tell, neither will I. If it was not for the Grafton drop I would never have gone near the mongrel Pacific Highway. Still only use it on sufferance. Can you remember those wonderful NSW bridges, one lane wide and shared with the railway and signs that said "Trains have right of way" !!!!!! Longitudinal wooden deck planks soaked with oil. A delight in the wet. Trying to hit the bottom of the Burringbar flat out to get up in high second, but being baulked by some bloody caravanner dawdling along looking at the view so it was down into the bottom of the box and a long slow hot pull to the top. That inexplicable dip in the road near Bulahdelah. For no obvious reason the road dropped down sharply about 5' for a couple of hundred feet and the a similar sharp rise back up. That woke you up if you were daydreaming.

[V8Ian]

Hi Ho. Harwood Hotel, "travellers served every day". Used to cart Kellogs out of Botany in a Knocker. 145 horse power and 17 tons on a 32' bogie trailer and single drive. Breakfast cereal cartons on top of pelletised chook food (reject corn flakes) in fibre drums. Used to drop some off in Grafton. Not interstate freight but if you won't tell, neither will I. If it was not for the Grafton drop I would never have gone near the mongrel Pacific Highway. Still only use it on sufferance. Can you remember those wonderful NSW bridges, one lane wide and shared with the railway. Signs that said "Trains have right of way" !!!!!! Longitudinal wooden deck planks soaked with oil. A delight in the wet. Trying to hit the bottom of the Burringbar flat out to get up in high second, but being baulked by some bloody caravanner dawdling along looking at the view so it was down into the bottom of the box and a long slow hot pull to the top. That inexplicable dip in the road near Bulahdelah. For no obvious reason the road dropped down sharply about 5' for a couple of hundred feet and the a similar sharp rise back up. That woke you up if you were daydreaming.

Memory lane

'Southbound little harbour'

[UncleHo]

G'day Brian Hjelm :)

Yeah! that's right the Burringbar, and those wonderful corners in and around Bulahdelah what was it advisory speed signs 15 mph and 15 1/2 you were over the side:( had to back up for the milk tanker to get round one of them one night, just preyed that no tourist coach or the interstate taxi (Ramblers) came up behind us:(

Almost got cleaned up at Telegraph Point (could have been Coramba) at that rail crossing on an angle, could see this light coming, thought it was a one-eyed car/truck, -----it was the loco on dipped beam 50yds away I realised what it was, Agh! unboosted drum brakes:eek: but I am still here, I worked at White at Archerfieldfor a few months in 67/68 when I returned to Qld after my marrige broke up waiting for the transfer to Annand & Thompson,while the custody case was on, and can remember the Road Bosses being built, the first of the custom trucks, customer would order from the options list and vehicle built to order,can't remember what the Cab Over was called, and can remember taking Terex's to Clapham rail yards up Beaudesert road,:D bound for Mt Tom Price, they had garden settings on the front guards above the wheel, escort vehicle??? what escort vehicle.

cheers

[Bigbjorn]

Terex's to Clapham rail yards up Beaudesert road,:D bound for Mt Tom Price, they had garden settings on the front guards above the wheel, escort vehicle??? what escort vehicle.

cheers

A transport operator in Fortitude Valley, about that time, won the job of hauling a Euclid rear dump and a Cedar Rapids mobile crushing and screening plant from Brisbane to Inverell. Freddie decided the costs of permits, escorts, etc. was far too much, and simply hooked the crusher on the back of the Euc, and set off driving the Euclid after midnight , when the Qld. Police those days went to sleep, up Robinson and Martin Sts. barely wide enough for the Euclid, over the Story Bridge and on to Inverell. Told me he never saw a copper the whole way.

[td express]

the coolpower was forced air...shutters on the grill used to open and shut horizontally. This was on my F model, which was a 320.
They also had different colored bulldogs on the front, from memory the maxidyne was the chrome one and the thermodyne was a gold one or vice versa.

[td express]

My R model was a 237 with a 5 speed....great little truck,
my Superliner was a v8 400 and it used to sound awsome out on the nullabor in the middle of the night just chuggin away., but the best mack i ever drove was a cruiseliner with a 3406 A cat engine. Best sounding air start eva and went like a rocket.
The best truck i eva drove for comfort was a w924 kw with a silver 92.

[Disco_ute84]

I see there is a couple of guys on here that know their stuff about White trucks....

For those who are interested there is a White truck muster being held in Kyabram Vic on the 21st and 22nd of march. There will be a gala dinner Saturday night with guest speakers.

PM me for further details.

I will have to post some photos of my fathers collectiont of old Macks. We have the following AC (January in last years Mack callender), AB, B613S all compleate, with several EH/G/Ds in varrious states.

Cheers, Tim

[AKW]

Hi all
I'm not as old as some here only born in the 60s
but have been driving just on 20 years now.
started out in a louisville pt320 cummins & 9spd
Now run NE vic to Brisbane every week in a
t404s 500 cat & 13spd 1 trailer at the same weights
as the ford much easer now.
my grandfather use to run commers when i was little there
was all these engine parts lying around. Inow know they were knocker
bits all long gone wish i could get them now.

Andrew.

[groucho]

Traded the White on a new Mack. if you like macks.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/03/993.jpg

[Disco_ute84]

Here is a couple of pics of our old dogs.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2567/74/120/612654116/n612654116_1576349_2081998.jpg

The one on the left is a 1923 AC Mack.
4 cylinder petrol engine 5" bore 6" stroke
idle 50rpm max 900rpm (governed)
3 speed gearbox (it came off the production line with a 4 speed were 1st was a lower ratio, we have one to go in it)
Max speed........its coming............12mph
Chain drive
Cranck handle start
flywheel assmbley weight 80kg (you can take off in top gear)

It took 17 years to get the truck to this state, 3 years was spent on the engine alone. Apart from the drive chains (SAE 2" pitch) and the front king pins every other component has been fully rebuilt.

It was purcased by Vacuum oil co (now mobil) in New York, it was then shipped to melbourne were it spent its working life delivering oil. It was then bought by a sawmill opperator near marysvile. It was stationed on a landing were a winch drum was fitted to the chassi and was driven from the chains. It was used like this to drag logs up 3 miles of train track to the landing. At some stage (early 50's) one of the pistons parted from the conecting rod and became stuck at the top of the cylinder. The engine continued to run in this state (yes with the conecting rod flogging up and down) for a few more years, untill it was dragged away and left in the bush for vandals. Dad bought it in early 1985, 3 months after i was born.

The truck one the right is a B613S Mack. Thermodyne turbo Desiel (one of the first turbo desiel macks) 215Hp. 5 speed main box 3 speed auxilary. 44000lbs camelback sus.

All I know about this truck is that it was sold out of brisbane, Worked in the middle of NSW, and we bought it off another bloke from west wylong. Its had a very hard life.

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2567/74/120/612654116/n612654116_1576348_1634600.jpg

Loaded and ready to go to a show.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2567/74/120/612654116/n612654116_1576350_7073942.jpg

The AB (1929) and the AC in the gararge at the farm. The gararge was built in the mid 20's also.

Hope you all enjoy.

Cheers,
Tim