Splendid old Mack. I do love these pre-B Series trucks, which I would still see on the road occasionally in the Maryland-PA area after we moved there in 1965.
I’m fascinated by how many examples of well-kept older trucks you manage to find in The Netherlands. Even more impressive is seeing them put to their original intended use even if such use is intermittent.
Any trucks like this still in the US usually look beaten to death if still working. You do see an occasional restored example, but I’ve never seen a restored one actually being worked.
Rob, it does work alright, but only at truck shows and such, giving demonstrations.
Around 1,000 of these military Macks NR stayed in NL once WW2 was over. They were put to work -civilian jobs only- and many of them were still working hard in the sixties (that’s way into the sixties).
The Mack in the picture is fully restored and is basically a replica of the rig the current owner -the Gaffert company from Veghel- once had for hauling long logs.
A Google video search pulled up this very Mack NR truck as the first result. Pretty cool! A clever way to load and unload heavy logs with what appears to be an electric winch and lots of steel cable running through multiple pulleys.
Regarding older trucks still working for a living, there’s one I saw regularly until the past couple of years, and I still see it occasionally, that must be at least 40 years old, if not more. Probably more, it might be 60+. I don’t even recall the make, it might be Mack though, but it’s very distinctive. Usually hauls a flatbed, lumber I think. Black cab, if it’s restored it’s a very old restoration, it’s no beauty queen.
I suspect there’s an age cutoff, but I believe engines past a certain date are not allowed in heavy trucks here in California, which would prevent trucks without a cost prohibitive expense from being on the road.
Same here, yet on a micro-scale. Many cities don’t allow old, diesel powered vehicles on their roads. See signs below, the numbers refer to the Euro emission standards (like Euro 3). Toegestaan means allowed, en hoger = and higher.
Those who can afford to restore these trucks are hauling companies or the former owner(s) of said hauling companies.
Often such projects are done in the company’s own work shop and take a long time to finish, say several years.
Below a modern heavy dude, also owned by Gaffert. Same color scheme as the Mack, orange and black. As mentioned above, it’s a tribute to a combination of yore they once had. BTW, the logging trailer is a DIY-job.
Here is an example of just that. The restoration / conversion apparently cost well over $500,000 Canadian. It’s a Pacific P16 logging truck converted to this flat deck. The P16’s never came from the factory with two steering axes, so a lot of engineering and effort went into this. And it’s working hard in its second career.
Splendid old Mack. I do love these pre-B Series trucks, which I would still see on the road occasionally in the Maryland-PA area after we moved there in 1965.
I’m fascinated by how many examples of well-kept older trucks you manage to find in The Netherlands. Even more impressive is seeing them put to their original intended use even if such use is intermittent.
Any trucks like this still in the US usually look beaten to death if still working. You do see an occasional restored example, but I’ve never seen a restored one actually being worked.
Rob, it does work alright, but only at truck shows and such, giving demonstrations.
Around 1,000 of these military Macks NR stayed in NL once WW2 was over. They were put to work -civilian jobs only- and many of them were still working hard in the sixties (that’s way into the sixties).
The Mack in the picture is fully restored and is basically a replica of the rig the current owner -the Gaffert company from Veghel- once had for hauling long logs.
Have a look here for more pictures:
https://truckstar.nl/amerikaans-brabantse-mack-historie/
Oh yes, a more modern and powerful FTF tractor (as seen in the background) is used to haul that massive load of logs back home…
Great looking truck! It looks like it just drove out of this ad scene:
Perfect! And certainly a more natural habitat.
What a great old ad! Mack actually had some really nice ads in popular magazines.
Yes – in the late 1950s and early ’60s, Mack ads featured just about the best illustrations I can think of.
Great ad find. That really is, an extremely well-done, and effective, illustration.
A Google video search pulled up this very Mack NR truck as the first result. Pretty cool! A clever way to load and unload heavy logs with what appears to be an electric winch and lots of steel cable running through multiple pulleys.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D4KU5vUeuxmk&ved=2ahUKEwjLjdGPpY-AAxXCRzABHQkFChcQo7QBegQIChAG&usg=AOvVaw3F_MD7tmGdbwy1qg3GqFf6
Great, you found a much better video than I did. GIS “mack nr gaffert” and the whole sky will light up with images of the ol’ logging rig.
Regarding older trucks still working for a living, there’s one I saw regularly until the past couple of years, and I still see it occasionally, that must be at least 40 years old, if not more. Probably more, it might be 60+. I don’t even recall the make, it might be Mack though, but it’s very distinctive. Usually hauls a flatbed, lumber I think. Black cab, if it’s restored it’s a very old restoration, it’s no beauty queen.
I suspect there’s an age cutoff, but I believe engines past a certain date are not allowed in heavy trucks here in California, which would prevent trucks without a cost prohibitive expense from being on the road.
Same here, yet on a micro-scale. Many cities don’t allow old, diesel powered vehicles on their roads. See signs below, the numbers refer to the Euro emission standards (like Euro 3). Toegestaan means allowed, en hoger = and higher.
Looks terrific! Three cheers to those who can afford to restore these trucks and are willing to do so.
Those who can afford to restore these trucks are hauling companies or the former owner(s) of said hauling companies.
Often such projects are done in the company’s own work shop and take a long time to finish, say several years.
Below a modern heavy dude, also owned by Gaffert. Same color scheme as the Mack, orange and black. As mentioned above, it’s a tribute to a combination of yore they once had. BTW, the logging trailer is a DIY-job.
Here is an example of just that. The restoration / conversion apparently cost well over $500,000 Canadian. It’s a Pacific P16 logging truck converted to this flat deck. The P16’s never came from the factory with two steering axes, so a lot of engineering and effort went into this. And it’s working hard in its second career.
DIY-job 2.0
This sort of recalibrates my meter for what is an “old” Mack truck. I do love these.