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| Dear Old Friends of Ancient Road Transportation Societies: | |||
 We recently managed a short visit to
Bennington, Vermont's Hemmings Motor News and
beyond. |
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| On the way up Thursday we stopped at The Golden Age of Trucking Museum in Middlebury, CT. Opening in 2002, this relatively new museum, right off I-84 at Exit 16 truly is an example of restoration at a different level with 30 plus quality models on display. If you are an old friend of ancient road transportation, this is a delightful new facility founded by the late Richard J. Guerrera, Sr. a New England liquid transportation trucking business owner. He had a passion for old trucks, and I share those sentiments. The museum even has a reduced admission fee for big rigs and offered it to us without asking. Our Freightliner came to the rescue again. | |||
| In the lobby on loan is this 1947 Crosley Pickup Truck, a compact that was 40 years ahead of it's time. More Crosley & the Crosley IceBall Machine. | |||
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| Less than 10 minutes after we entered my wife knocked over the sign explaining the Crosley IceBall, shown above on the edge of the pick-up bed. Miraculously the glass did not break. She pointed to it and accidentially touched it. Boing! | |||
 This Yellow model is a 1953 International Fageol moving van
with a gas 6 cylinder Red Diamond engine. (Fageol is the predecessor of
Peterbilt.) I saw one of these for sale in HMN in the last few years. |
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 This 1922
Mack dump truck is better than new. You could never tell this
vehicle worked in a stone quarry. Note the chain drive. |
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 1929 Chevy 1 1/2
ton International Stake Truck. I can't tell
you how many times I could have used a beauty like this. Elliot Ness and
Al Capone would not be out of place. |
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 There have been over 2500 different auto
brands manufactured in the USA. Few remain today. This is a 1914 Trumbull that was made in Trumbull,
CT between 1914-1916. |
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 A Black 80K mile un- restored Packard,
a 1940 D*dge 1938 D*dge 1940
D*dge |
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 This 1941
Federal Model 25K was purchased new by the American Thermos
Bottle Co. of Norwich, CT. |
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1943 F*rd M20 Armored Car (six wheels and a 50 caliber Browning). |
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 1952 White WC 22 (purchased Autocar, Reo, Diamond T, Sterling, before they were
gobbled up by Volvo, which also gobbled up GMC Heavy Trucks.) White also
made sewing machines (at the left). |
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 A 1952 GMC model 450
3 cylinder diesel aka the GMC 3-71. This was built for the military to
haul avgas in a small tanker at military airports. Plain white grill. |
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 This 1952
GMC Model 950 is the big brother of the above model 450. This
is a 6-71 GMC 6 cylinder diesel, 5 speed. I love this impressive chrome
grill. |
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 1955
GMC model 860 COE (cab over engine) 6-71
GMC 6 cylinder diesel 5 speed. One of the early models with a small sleeper.
This was nicknamed the Cannonball because of their long runs. |
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 This 1912
Barker Vegetable and Fruit Delivery Truck that really seemed
pretty un- remarkable until you see the product label from one of the cases
of fruit and vegetables that it carried in it's working life. |
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 There are two old restored boats on display.
This 1955 Chris Craft 19 ft. Continental Runabout with an
Olds Rocket V8. The
other was a 1947 Higgins 19 ft. Deluxe Runabout with a Gray
Marine engine shown below. |
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 Notice the similarity of this Higgins
steering wheel and those on the 53-55 C1's. I like those chrome horn rings. |
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| Andrew Jackson Higgins famous for inventing the LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) used as an invasion landing craft in almost every WWII beachhead aka the Higgins Boat. And if that wasn’t significant, he also built the 80 foot PT boats, like PT 109. | |||
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