Produced early in WWII, the 1/2 ton Dodge WC command car. The father of the SUV.
Last edition:
Showing posts with label 4x4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4x4. Show all posts
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Dodge WC Command Car. National Museum of Military Vehicles.
Produced early in WWII, the 1/2 ton Dodge WC command car. The father of the SUV.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
SPW 152 "Iron Pig" (BTR 152). National Museum of Military Vehicles.
This peculiar looking vehicle is an East German SPW 152 "Iron Pig", which was their variant of the Soviet BTR 152. The armored vehicle was designed as an armored personnel carrier, but utilized for other things as well. The gun in this one is likely an anti-aircraft gun.
This particular example bears the markings of the current Bundesherr and likely saw service in the reunited German Army after the country was reunited.
The Jeeps in these photographs are M151s, which will be dealt with elsewhere.
Last edition:
Friday, November 8, 2024
Saturday, November 2, 2024
The Work Truck Blog: The play truck. Dodge "Power Wagon".
The Work Truck Blog: The play truck. Dodge "Power Wagon".:
The play truck. Dodge "Power Wagon".
Something I've never really had is a vehicle just dedicated to hobbies or fun activities. My pickups have doubled for everything you can use a pickup for. My Jeep, which comes closest to this category, is a daily driver.
This out of state Dodge 4x4 was spotted in Jackson where its owner was no doubt elk hunting. It's set up with a camper for that sort of use.
The current "Power Wagon" model is called that as it is set up for offroad use, with locking axles and a winch.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Friday Farming. The vehicles that changed the West.
Oh, sure, there were snowplows that went out on the narrow two lane highways, but off the highways? Well, you better be pretty sure you could get back.
Now, my father only ever owned one 4x4 vehicle, and it was one he bought from me. But we didn't go up in the high country or into the foothills once winter started. That was out. You stuck to areas that were relatively near a county road or that were blown off, and probably down around 5,500 feet or less. Beyond that? Forget it.
And this was true for ranchers too. Some men stayed up in the high country, but they stayed there. . . all winter long. People often fed by horse drawn wagon (and in a few places, still do).
The Dodge Power Wagon changed that. And it was a creature of the Second World War.
Lex Anteinternet: World War Two U.S. Vehicle Livery: National Museum...:The father of the Dodge Power Wagon, the 1/2 ton truck, a fair number of examples of which can be found in the Rocky Mountain West in spite of the small number produced, was in addition to being too light, too top heavy.
With the Power Wagon, you could now get there in winter. Maybe not everywhere, but darned near everywhere, even up in the high country.
And that meant you didn't need to keep hired men up in the high country in line shacks all winter. For that matter, with a trailer, you could easily feed in a fraction of the time it had taken with a wagon. You probably didn't need hired men for that either, if you had them.
And while it would take awhile, really when NAPCO started converting Fords and Chevys into heavy duty 4x4s, it would also mean that sportsmen could get back there in the winter too.
Revolutionary.
Related threads:
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
World War Two U.S. Vehicle Livery: National Museum of Military Vehicles Dubois Wyoming.
The 6x6 2 1/2 ton truck was, in my view, the greatest military implement of World War Two. It's role in supply troops and logistical support was so significant that it cannot be overestimated, and proved more decisive in the Allied victory than any weapon or weapons system that a person can name.
The General Motors Corporation CCKW, depicted above, was the most common 2 1/2 truck used by the Western Allies.
The American made Studebaker was another example of a 6x6 2 1/2 ton truck, but it was rarely used by the Western Allies. It was primarily used by the Soviets, without which they frankly would have been significantly horse drawn.
The father of the Dodge Power Wagon, the 1/2 ton truck, a fair number of examples of which can be found in the Rocky Mountain West in spite of the small number produced, was in addition to being too light, too top heavy.
The 3/4 ton WC 52 replaced the WC 40 fairly rapidly in terms of production. A great 4x4 pickup, it's the direct progenitor of the post war Dodge Power Wagon and the post war M-37, the latter of which remains the best 4x4 truck the U.S. military has every fielded, outside of the HumVee.
The US military fielded an entire series of 6x6 trucks that were heavier than 2 1/2 tons, making the 6x6 picture somewhat confusing. 4 ton and 6 ton examples are depicted above. Good trucks, there were too many types and after the war the Army settled on 5 ton 6x6 trucks, which were used well into the 2000s.
The WC-63 wsa frankly not a successful truck. The engine was the same as the WC-52, that being a high compression flat head 6 cyl. While a good engine in its own right, that would be used for decades by Dodge, it was underpowered for this application.
In spite of this, after the war, Dodge made a small number of 6x6 civilian Power Wagons that utilized the same engine. The Army variant was rapidly phased out of service.
An example of a 6x6 that I didn't know even existed.
The 3/4 ton version of the command car.
This photo features a 3/4 ton Dodge Carryall, a vehicle that would also see a civilian variant after the war. Also depicted is a M3 half track, which we'll deal with separately, and a Willys MB Jeep, which we will also deal with separately.
Last edition:
Monday, October 28, 2024
World War Two Vehicles in Marine Corps use: National Museum of Military Vehicles Dubois Wyoming.
This is a vehicle we don't think much about, in comparison to the Dodge 4x4 trucks of the Second World War. The Marine Corps, which had to turn to many alternative suppliers early in the war, made use of International 4x4 pickups which are much like the Dodge ones. Rates at 1/2 ton, it was clearly a very stout vehicle.
This is the only one I've ever seen.
The VC-1 was used by all of the services. This is an early war design which very rapidly changed.
The classic Dodge ambulance, part of its series of trucks, which was also used by all of the services.
Last edition:
The Work Truck Blog: International Scouts are back.
The Work Truck Blog: International Scouts are back.:
On the occasion of the reintroduction of the Scout, an example of their very first model, which was manufactured from 1965 to 1970. They were somewhat smaller than the Jeep CJ-5 of the same vintage.
First Model (Scout 80) International Scout.
On the occasion of the reintroduction of the Scout, an example of their very first model, which was manufactured from 1965 to 1970. They were somewhat smaller than the Jeep CJ-5 of the same vintage.
Friday, October 11, 2024
Saturday, August 3, 2024
But isn't that socialism?
Socialism is when the government does stuff. And it's more socialism the more stuff it does. And if it does a real lot of stuff, it's communism.
Richard D. Wolff
Let me know that this isn't a shot at Congressman Hageman.
This is, rather, an observation.
Dave Simpson: Harriet Delivered When No One Else Could (Or Cared)
It's interesting how the far right opposes the government doing stuff, except when it benefits them personally.
No place exhibits this more than Wyoming. We're really fine with the government paying for stuff we used. Highways? The Feds should fund them, doggone it. Why? Well, because they ought to.
The above is a road story. The author notes that he could not get to this spot in his car.
Couldn't get there in a car?
Well, that's probably because if you were from Wyoming, which the author isn't, you'd know that you need to go there in a truck.
Getting the road smoothed out on the government dime is a bit Socialist. . . and very soft and East Coasty.
But then we all like the government to spend if it benefits us, don't we?
Massive state funded shooter's complex anyone?
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
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