I could look at old truck pictures all day long, especially from the 1930s and 1940s. This was a time when big trucks still retained a lot of stylistic kinship with the cars of the time, or were just beautifully styled for their own sake, like this splendid 1936 Diamond T. What a gem.
The signpainter also did a beautiful job for Anderson Trucking. Judging by Google Streets, the picture is in the same area as 77 Fayette, but not exactly there. 76 Fayette is a garage that looks like it formerly held a trucking business.
Based on Google Maps/Streets sleuthing, I’m pretty sure that the truck is pulled into the driveway of 77 Fayette. The building behind the truck appears to be the side of 73 Fayette.
My guess is that Andrew Anderson Trucking & Rigging was less a trucking business and more one man with a truck. That address was likely his home.
… Back When Trucks Looked Like REO Speed Wagons …
Still hand-crank ready?
No RH mirror.
All spiffed up and ready for the new Motor Carrier Act of 1935. Salute!
Many of those trucks were built like luxury cars of the day. The cab was sheetmetal over wood framing (ash?). And in the case of Diamond T, just as good looking.
That is a beauty. Wonder what’s under that long hood – maybe a stout Hall Scott….
Maybe, but I think Diamond T favored Hercules engines. Some of their smaller trucks used the big Nash 6.
Is it my imagination, or is there a reflection of a guy in the driver’s side windscreen?
Super-crisp picture. Do any of our photo-savvy folk think this is a professionally lit set-up? Seems that way my untrained eyes.
Such calmly correct proportions on this elegant workman. I don’t imagine the driving is as suave, though, with no enormous amounts of fun steering those ship-bumper tyres at slow speeds.
Nice looking truck, even with the skinny tyres of the era that would have built shoulder muscles navigating town streets, glad somebody invented power steering and all the other niceties that come in modern trucks like air suspended seats and cabs retarders and jake brakes, air con and a myriad of other things modern trucks have to make them semi pleasant work places but they dont have the looks of the old gear
Just guessing the GVWR: The tires look like 11:00 x 20’s. So, the front and rear axles might be a 12,000-lb front and a 38,000-lb. rear for a GVWR of 50,000 pounds. That is a good hauler. The comment about steering those tires and steering mechanism at slow speed is accurate. That is why in those days a truck driver was burly. Warm weather was a sweaty experience to boot. You want tunes? SING, fella! Lovely truck with handsome styling.
From here I couldn’t tell 9.00 from 12.00, or 20 from 22 or 24. Lol
Certainly a stought truck. Must’ve pulled a serious wagon, it’s more truck than makes sense for the cargo body.
Salesman of the “Diamond T” hood emblems did a good job.
Seems like EVERY builder had a variation of that same emblem: Autocar, Diesel, Duplex…
Love the disc wheels on it. There was a solution for the heavy steering without power assist. An optional front axle had the king pin located very close to the centerline of the tire. A tanker fleet I worked for in the 70’s had this option. You just had to get the truck rolling and you good turn it pretty easily. I don’t know when it was first offered. I believe cast spoke wheels were a requirement and it was obvious on a truck once you knew what to look for. A good portion of the cast hub sat mostly outside of the rim. Lighter truck always a plus when hauling bulk tanker trailers and simpler, no power steering to repair.
Center Point Steering is the correct terminology.
Oh, good info, Mr 7.
That’s the same system used by Mercedes and VW in the ’70’s, if I recall for reasons of stability in a blowout particularly.
The ’75 Passat (Dasher) I drove a lot had it, and had an odd characteristic. The steering would sort-of lock on full lock, and that lightweight car had to be heaved off it, a product of the centrepoint geometry. Wonder if that happened in the big old trucks? Might get the driver pretty badly stuck trying a U-turn somewhere, or need one with bloody big arms!
If a guy had CenterPoint Steer, Tetrapoid gears, Velvetouch clutch, VelvetRide suspension… lol
Good time to mention air-assisted steering. Some had a switch on the dash to turn off assist when traveling down the road, turn it back on for intense maneuvering.
“Man, that truck just gave me a 500 mile workout!”
Didn’t you turn on the air steering?
It’s the 15th toggle switch from the left. lol