Austin’s Collection

Time for some vintage metal! There’s a number of brutish beasts here, work trucks, the stuff we like, all of it big, one over the top BIG, and all of it old. Show us something rugged and non nonsense and we’re in happy land. All but one of the trucks here is in retirement, with plans to resurrect a couple. Of the the one that runs, it’s no show piece, nor parking lot queen, but day to day earns its keep. There’s work to be done, hard and challenging, and it’s on the job! Incredibly, the truck’s forty six and its driver half that. File that under AWESOME! We’ll come back to that incredible angle in a future post.

Seen first is a Pacific P10. This one dates from 1974 and come from Pacific Truck and Trailer out of North Vancouver BC. They were a specialized maker of severe duty trucks, catering to mostly to the off road market, you know logging, mining, oilfield work and things like that. Still, they did make some relative lightweight (by their standards) over-the-road trucks, but it’s their “extreme” vehicles of which they’re best known. They were in business from the 1940s-1990s. Out on west coast logging roads, one can still find some in service. They are that tough.

A P10 was about mid-range in their line at time it was made, the sequence being P9, P10 (plus P5xx highway trucks), P12 and finally P16. The last two were generally too big to be used on public roads. Yes, this monster is by no means the biggest they made. Inside, it’s all business with a simple layout, and few creature comforts.

This truck spent most of it’s working career hauling coal at mines just across the BC border in the Sparwood and Elkford areas. It was one of a large fleet of Pacifics belonging to a contractor there, perhaps forty or so in number, some P9s, most P10s, with some P12s. BTW, there’s a link below to a P12 we found from this same fleet! It’s not said, but this P10 was probably able to haul thirty or so tonnes. This one carried #35 and was called “Coal Fever”. Your author has seen photos of it working hard at the mine and new at the factory.

It’s not clear when the truck was retired but the fleet there was remarkably long lived. Suspect it minimally lasted into the late 1990s, perhaps beyond. For a time after it found work at a sawmill on the Alberta side, hauling woodchips about the property. The current owner picked it up recently (we saw it back when for sale here: Pacific vs Hayes) and while not running, it’s hoped it can be made to live again. And put to work in the bush. The owner here has the ways and means to do just that and I don’t think for a second it’s the blowing of smoke.

The owner makes a living in trucking, moving heavy equipment about, and his day to day ride is a 1973 Kenworth W925. It’s got a twin stick transmission that is sure to challenge all but the most competent of drivers today (remember, he’s 23!). It’s not shiny, but a working truck. Showroom is nice, but one that’s out there getting dirty is so much better. It’s used to haul earth moving or logging machines on back roads in the area. Some of these cow paths are little suited for such a rig and more mountain goat territory. We’ve seen footage of this truck, loaded to the max with a log sorter or something, going places a jeep would fear to tread. That takes some big brass ones. The W925 appears to be a heavy duty off-highway variant of the more common W900 over the road tractor. We found little online about the model.

We’re already planning to pay this truck a revisit, out in the bush, come next season. We have these grand plans and the owner is on board. Stay tuned.

And in the back forty, it’s a couple old International R series trucks, one a 1954 R185 and the other a 1965 R220. These have a family connection – long time truckers are they – and we’re used in hauling stuff up in the bush. One runs, the other not. The R series was in production, in various incarnations and sizes, for the better part of a decade. The ’54 model is an early one, the ’65 from what could be the last year (one report says ’72 but we think that’s in error). Note the different sheet metal on the hoods and fenders, but a similar cab.

One’s Big John, the other Puffy. Ah duct tape, is there nothing it can’t do? Had a few cars of our own, back starting out, so upholstered. And there’s the iconic pine tree air freshener!

Joining us this trip was a friend from Monochrome Guild of Edmonton. You’ve seen us hanging with those crazy weirdos that shoot film. Yeah, those guys.

If you own some interesting old metal you think we should see, please message away. Be it stuff that’s restored or long parked or anything in between. Be cars, trucks, mining or logging machinery, old farm equipment, whatever…we love it all and await your call.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure!

They’re saying…

”I enjoy your posts very much….Please keep on doing your great posts. Thanks!” Katherine Hocking.

A P12 coal truck!
A rugged Pacific Truck.

And another make…
Autocar Coal Hauler.

In the area…
Crowsnest Collection – Round 1.
Crowsnest Collection – Second Helping.
Crowsnest Collection – Finale.
Crowsnest Collection – Reprise.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: June, 2019.
Location: Crowsnest Pass, Alberta
Article references and thanks: Austin Linderman, PacificTruckClub.org, Hank Rabe, Hank’s Truck Forums, Red Power Magazine.

A brutish Pacific P10 from the 1970s.

One heck of a power plant.

They built them on the West Coast.

So much yellow…

Not a common make, these were extreme duty trucks.

Honk! This one worked across the border in BC.

Utilitarian and no nonsense.

One of their “modest-sized” trucks.

it’s a coal hauling monster.

Still on the job, this old Kenworth W925.

Twin sticks of fun!

A blue sky kind of day.

Big John’s a 50s International R185.

And beside, this ’65 R220.

Two old timers.

Little in the way of creature comforts…

Puffy!

Is there nothing duct tape can’t do?