Tuesday Truck Pic

puzzle: https://jigex.com/xbxj

A pherd with a seven tractor load.

Green wheel Super 55's. 1954 to 1956 production.

Its actually a Canadian "Mercury" truck leaving a Ford of Canada dealership that musta sold Olivers on the side. The sign beside the ESSO placard reads "Lincoln,
Mercury, Meteor."

Looks like Oliver packed them on even tighter than Henry Ford did.

I bet it could burn some gas. Is that about 30,000 net on a single.

Also you can read the Mercury letters across the front of the truck, below the hood. I think I see a '53 Ford car in the background giving support for the '54-56 production timeline mentioned.

Rockefeller, Standard Oil, Esso, Humble, Exxon, how many more transitions? I think I'm missing one between Esso and Humble...Louisiana gas back in the late 50's.....John was it Esso or something close??????

Oh, now I get the connection- today (30 June) is National Meteor Observance Day!

Think the one you missed was Enco.

Super55, Dry shipping weight gas 3145# diesel 3245 X 6=- 18870 gas 19470 diesel

Also pre dates the invention of the headache rack on the back of cab. Any body know the horsepower available in that truck?.

Too much weight on a single axle truck. I
bet he'd be lucky to make 35 miles per hour
on a flat road!

Why are there 7 rear wheels and only 6 tractors? The rear wheels dont align correctly with any of the tractors. How are these these actually loaded. Just doesn't look right.

(quoted from post at 10:31:46 06/30/20) Why are there 7 rear wheels and only 6 tractors? The rear wheels dont align correctly with any of the tractors. How are these these actually loaded. Just doesn't look right.

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The front one is loaded nose down and the rest are loaded nose up.

Three engines were available in the Mercury M-series trucks for 1954:

100 hp 239 cu.in. flathead V8 (last year available in Canada, already phased out in the U.S. in 1953)

115 hp 223 cu.in. 6 cylinder

130 hp 239 cu.in. "Y" block

OK I see that now but still the rear wheels dont seem to align right. The 2nd rear wheel should then belong to the tractor with its first nose up then, right? It just looks too far back & high to me to go with that tractor. Maybe my picture is stretched or distorted or something. looks like its about a third of the wheel out of normal place.

I think it's a combination of the angle the tractors are loaded at and the angle that the trailer is parked in relation to the camera. The large gap you speak of seems to carry through on all of the tractors. Just more of an optical illusion, I think.

The last time I saw a picture like that the caption said they were hauled from the factory to Winston Salem NC. The front axle of the front
tractor was actually resting on 4 x 8 or 4 x 10 oak planks that overhang the front of the trailer. Oliver made the driver sign some waiver
accepting responsibility for the load before they would let him leave.

I think they took the steering wheels off so they would not be damaged.

And back then, I bet 35 mph was considered pretty good time for a truck. Remember, There are some pretty big hills between the factory and
central NC.

(quoted from post at 09:21:44 06/30/20) Three engines were available in the Mercury M-series trucks for 1954:

100 hp 239 cu.in. flathead V8 (last year available in Canada, already phased out in the U.S. in 1953)

115 hp 223 cu.in. 6 cylinder

130 hp 239 cu.in. "Y" block

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These appear to be the engines available for the Mercury pickups. The large Mercury trucks had access to "five v-8s" with HP from "106 to 155". So I'm going to guess that the largest engine was the 317cu. in. Y-block.

Similar load of Oliver Super 55's hauled probably in November 1957 by my brother:



Seven Oliver Super 55 Tractors, Loaded and Hauled by Charles in 1957 from the Charles City, Iowa factory to Leinbach Machinery, Winston-Salem , NC. Oliver S55 Tractors were made from 1954-1958.

Charles was sent to a local blacksmith in Charles City for some 5/8” rods bent to make an off-center “V” to clamp the Regis (Stay) and Steering Tie Rods so front wheels were locked from turning which would have resulted in damage on the oil pan on one tractor and steering shaft on other; steering wheels were removed on all but first and last tractor for this method of transport. Factory staff brought running tractors off the assembly/testing line to Charles who drove them on the trailer with use of two short boards to “piggy-back” the front wheels over the rear wheels. Front wheels of first tractor are resting on thick oak boards hanging over the front of the trailer. He had to sign waiver in case of damage or if anyone was hurt, that he would have been responsible.
B61 Mack road tractor w/673ci Mack engine, 175 hp; pneumatic starter; air brakes on trailer; 34’ single axle trailer.

Charles had loaded tractors in a similar manner at the Minneapolis Moline factory before.

Linebach’s took over the Oliver dealership for Winston-Salem area from Brown-Rogers-Dixon Hardware Co. in 1957.

At age 85, Charles headed to Iowa last week with his younger son for a load of grain headers!

Be a lot of gear stiring.

(quoted from post at 19:28:47 07/02/20) Be a lot of gear stiring.

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I'm going to guess at a 4 or 5 speed main and a 2 speed axle on the Mercury. In my youth, sign me up!! Use to love "rowing" those gears! As I have "matured?" A little less.