There is a link below to a reenactment of a WW 1 Steam convoy I thought I might share. This has to do with the Model T because the first vehicle shown is, you guessed it, a Model T.
Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huQhqXiB8O0&feature=youtu.be
Nice. There is nothing like Steam. Imagine being there.
Thanks
Rich
That is fantastic. Looks like a Pierce truck next to last.
I cannot fathom the amount of restoration work that it took for all those.
Fabulous stuff...
More of the same here-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huQhqXiB8O0&feature=youtu.be
The Caterpillar tractor on the low boy (low loader) is a Holt 75 Gun Tractor, I believe several thousand were ordered by the British War Department during WW 1 and the US Army brought over many more. Recently there was a picture on the Forum showing 2 similar early Holt tractors in Montana, Stan spotted the second one right in the background.
that is so cool. Thanks.
Cool steam Tractors that was great!!
First time I have ever seen steam tractors with rubber tires. The standard steam tractor wheels I've seen in the past would have made a mess out of that pavement. I wonder if those were special made for the equipment, or standard issue?
What a nice way to stop and pause and enjoy the view passing you by.
Thanks Steve.
John
I love steam, Someday when I hit the lottery I'm going to have a traction engine.
Very cool! Thanks for posting.
An interesting aside is how Holt's contribution to the WWI Tractor business, depicted by the Holt 75, in this wonderful reenactment, ultimately led to Holt's downfall.
In the book; "Making Tracks" by Ed Claessen and Sue Claessen, it is explained how Holt's dominance of War Contracts, because of shenanigans at the war office where a Holt relative made certain that contracts went to Holt and not Best, ultimately resulted in the final Holt, Best merger, that put C.L. Best in control of the Caterpillar Tractor Co. once and for all.
Because of Holt's government contracts all his manufacturing capacity was committed to the war effort, where as Best, having been locked out of any significant participation, was left with the growing domestic agricultural market, which became loyal to C.L. Best's products. So when Holt came marching home again, he found he had lost his once rich domestic market share to his rival Best. A market which Holt was never again to recapture.
Thanks John. I always enjoy learning a new history tidbit.
Great Dorset Steam Fair, either a dustbowl or a swamp, this year it was a swamp. Not that I was there, was invited to take part in the Great War display but it meant committing to be there 5 days+ ,then I had my heart attack, so I wasn't up to it.
If you are a steam nut, it is the ultimate event, if you're planning a European trip, factor it in. Holt: circa 1970 I drove down to Kent in a Model Y Ford with John Carter to photograph one for Three on the Floor magazine. It was on a farm where the farmer had never let a scrapman on his land, and never thrown anything away - I must have the photos somewhere, I need to organise the archive :^)
Jem,
I had a friend in England who told me of Fred Dibna. He later sent me a book and a pair of DVD's with his TV shows on them. That was really a great series of shows.
Fred Dibnah did quite a few TV series - I really enjoyed the ones about Victorian engineering, I loved the beautiful technical drawings he produced on camera to illustrate how things were made.
He also didn't use a transporter to attend events, he would set off in his steam road-roller with period living van behind and spend several days on the road.