Thursday, March 21, 2019

94-day transcontinental truck trip in 1912 was nation’s first


“In 1912, Petaluma’s Carlson-Currier Silk Mill ordered three tons of soap, to wash the silk, from a Philadelphia company. How it was to be delivered is quite a story.


“The truck, stated Commercial Vehicle magazine, ‘is an Alco, built by the American Locomotive Company. It has a capacity of 3½ tons, is rated at 40 horsepower and is capable of an average speed of 12 mph. The weight of the chassis is 6,800 pounds; the body weight, 1,200 pounds. Platform measurements are 14 feet by 5 feet 6 inches. Besides the cargo, the usual equipment of planks, tackle, skidding boards, etc. will be carried. The front and rear tires measure 36 inches by 5 inches.’ Described by one source as ponderous, the Alco was wider and much heavier than an automobile.


“The route was ocean to ocean: Philadelphia to New York City, Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo; on to Cleveland and Toledo; through Indiana via South Bend; then Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. Denver was next, then Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco.


Link at maggiesfarm.



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