The 1904 Knox-Martin tractor is quite the beast. Here’s what they had to say about it:
“Handling a big load with the Knox-Martin Tractor is a simple proposition. It will save you money and relieve you of a lot of worry. “
So is this the first semi-truck tractor? Maybe not, but more likely the first with three wheels. Here’s a shot of the major benefit of its fifth fourth wheel:
I drove a Pepsi truck and delivered to buildings designed for deliveries a century ago. This truck’s ability to fit perfectly within that store design is awesome. I am jealous. A 180 degree articulated loading truck – I really needed that for my daily deliveries.
The next time you are blocked by an enormous delivery truck in downtown traffic – please feel for us. We hate doing it too, but we do not have many realistic options.
I’m intrigued by the steering setup. I want to suspect it’s a bevel gear. Might be capable of turning 90 degrees – or even more.
Handy in tight situations, great for urban deliveries, I think Foden had something similar at some point.
The experienced Mack Bulldog wrangler could get a trailer wedged into the curb pretty tightly, too, even with four wheels on the tractor….
Scammell had the Mechanical Horse, and later Scarab, for use in yards originally designed for horses, though they were about 30 years later than the Mack.
Hi, Paul – Knox-Martin trikes are a real hoot, but this 1898 Thornycroft beats your example by a few years….
On a different tangent, it’d take until this century to see common photos that were as retouched as these. Whoever’s responsibility these pictures were, they made use of retouching the product to make up for the photos’ lack of inherent contrast. I don’t think they were actually altered much, just made to pop. I kind of like the photo/illustration look.
Agreed – I have always found it interesting that people insisted on using a photo in promotional material but retouched it so heavily that they may as well have just commissioned artwork.
You’ve obviously never tried mushrooms back in college, huh.
It seems that Knox was from Springfield, MA and that Martin was an employee who came up with the tractor concept. They seem to have built these things for a decade or so.