1942 Federal Crane Truck

The Federal in the link is also a petrol engine.

Here it is.

Lang, Thank you for moving the video over here for me.. Your computer skills are a whole lot better than mine.

This Federal has the 855 cubic inch Hercules gas (petro) engine in it and also has the electric starter.

As USA news commentator Paul Harvey would say; "Here is the rest of the story"!! The whole story can be found here: forums.justoldtrucks.com/101293/1944-Federal-606-C2-6x6-Wrecker

This was mine back in the 80's. 6-71GM. It drove like a dream with gearbox that seemed almost synchro and steering no heavier than a small car. First gear was about 2mph with the engine on the red line but it cruised nicely 35-40mph. Turning circle required a three point turn to get around on a football field.

Lang




Front view with one of my workers

Hi,

the tangent posts about inertia starters have earned their own thread, www.hcvc.com.au/forum/oldjunk/17924-inertia-and-other-starters

Terry

Not 100% sure it a federal.




I've had this pic in an album for some time, just a great period photo.

It is either a Federal or a REO. They were identical and built to the same specs like the Ford and Willys jeeps.

It does say in the link in the next post that REO are only identified in producing an identical prime mover and tanker version but they have doubts about the wrecker.

Lang

If there is something about these trucks that is not on this link it probably does not matter. Lots of great photos.
www.twinbeech.com/federalc2wrecker.htm

Lang

Fascinating stuff, Lang! Interesting notes about Corbitt, Reo and Biederman also. I am assuming they would have all used common running gear,i.e. the 855 cu.in. Continental engine for ease of wartime maintenance and interchangeability??

The engine was a Hercules HXB or E?......sidevalve petrol................I saw one for sale years ago,which by coincidence belonged to Trevor E,who now is looking for another...........and it had fitted six Mack 70 gallon step tanks...........you can imagine the mileage it got...........I would think 2 mpg would be optimistic.....................incidentally,Fank Boyce had an all alloy version of one of these engines..........he said it may have come from a bus,but he didnt know..........Frank had a million ton of surplus parts and had been buying surplus since WW2..............most knew his house at Highgate Hill,and many have seen his yard at Underwood,which had a DC3 in the front for a long time.................he aslo had a mooring and riverbank yard at Hamilton,but the council grabbed that in the 70s.