The Blue Smoke Thread

[jeeper61]

Nice old "High Binder" Resto mod 

It's got a nice note 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/730922639571037

[mike newman]

....# 2   Daughter operates a big (!!) Komatsu dump truck in Western Australia...this is one of the 'face shovels ''  that load those Monster trucks..

Mike

[jeeper61]

944 M7 Allis Chalmers Snow Tractor

This vehicle is serial number 283 out of 291 built by Allis Chalmers in 1944.

The vehicle was used by the U.S. Army Air Corps and the 10th Mountain Division to haul material on sleds and to rescue downed pilots.

The drive train is a standard Willis MB with a 2 speed Allis Chalmers gear box. The body, track and under-carriage were made by Allis Chalmers. 

 

 

[TroyDairy]

I had a thought.  What did people do before mechanical plows?  Like were you honestly just "trapped" in the county or city even till thaw?

[oldscoutdiesel]

There is an Allis M7 in the inventory at the military museum at Lexington, Nebraska, which is right along the I-80 off ramp going in to Lexington.

[hillman]

9 hours ago, TroyDairy said:

I had a thought.  What did people do before mechanical plows?  Like were you honestly just "trapped" in the county or city even till thaw?

Sicard invented the snowblower 100 years ago . Snowplows were in use before that but I think before those days horse and cutter and roads deep in snow . Most people were on the farm back then so travel wasn't necessary like these days

 Even in my life time the roads didn't get cleared down to pavement and salt applied. My brother is/was a hay burner lover. He would hook up a nag and we could go up and down the road for days at a time

[TroyDairy]

1 hour ago, hillman said:

Sicard invented the snowblower 100 years ago . Snowplows were in use before that but I think before those days horse and cutter and roads deep in snow . Most people were on the farm back then so travel wasn't necessary like these days

 Even in my life time the roads didn't get cleared down to pavement and salt applied. My brother is/was a hay burner lover. He would hook up a nag and we could go up and down the road for days at a time

I understand ..   But what about 150 years ago?  Or in a city?  How did a city of million like NYC or Boston in the 1800s manage after 10" in a day? 

[hillman]

yeah , got me to thinking so I Goggled it manual labor and wagon loads of snow and a common machine was the snow roller LOL among others

[hillman]

 this is interesting link 

Takin’ It From the Streets: Snow Removal Through the Years | TIME.com

 

[jeeper61]

A Nash Trash Ad 1973

I have tinkered with a few of their V8s in Jeep CJs they are light weight and make good power 

[ray54]

11 hours ago, TroyDairy said:

I understand ..   But what about 150 years ago?  Or in a city?  How did a city of million like NYC or Boston in the 1800s manage after 10" in a day? 

Well documented story from the California gold rush/pony express days of a Swedish immigrant that delivered the mail across the Serries on snowshoes and skies for 20 or 30 years. Not a thing everybody could do, but still the weather did not stop everybody.

My great grandparent immigrated from Russia in the 1890's. My grandmother was 10 to 15 when they left. She told my dad stories of traveling with hoses and sleds. And of wolves trotting right behind the sleds. But anyway they traveled on top of the snow. 

[jeeper61]

Another from Cole's Museum 

Lombard was Maine's brand of half-track haulers, Linn was a customer and employee who latter went on to build his own machines in New York. 

 

[hardtail]

On 12/21/2025 at 5:10 PM, jeeper61 said:

A Nash Trash Ad 1973

I have tinkered with a few of their V8s in Jeep CJs they are light weight and make good power 

Didn't Mark Donahue win TransAm championship with an AMC one year?

[hardtail]

14 hours ago, jeeper61 said:

Another from Cole's Museum 

Lombard was Maine's brand of half-track haulers, Linn was a customer and employee who latter went on to build his own machines in New York. 

 

We've had some brutal long cold and snowy winters early 70s was the standout for me but the Northeastern seaboard and great lakes region has regular doozies where their early snow removal equipment was impressive, remember a year historically in the US where a lot of cattle starved to death

[jeeper61]

32 minutes ago, hardtail said:

Didn't Mark Donahue win TransAm championship with an AMC one year?

Yes he did and twice with a Camaro.

A acid dipped 67 body in 68 and again 69 and then in 71 with seven wins in a Javelin   

Good racing in street looking cars in those days 

 

[jeeper61]

[hardtail]

On 12/20/2025 at 6:22 PM, mike newman said:

....# 2   Daughter operates a big (!!) Komatsu dump truck in Western Australia...this is one of the 'face shovels ''  that load those Monster trucks..

Mike

Buddies son works up in the tar sands, I think they recently got the first Komatsu PC9000 and have 2 more ordered, new units are years away, apparently a joint venture with Germany 

[jeeper61]

[jeeper61]

Merry Christmas to all those who follow the Blue Smoke Thread with the random things that catch me eye 

[jeeper61]

[twostepn2001]

Milo harvest in Floyd County, Texas in 1954. Said the pic was taken for an ad for a aftermarket two-speed rear end.

[Gearclash]

On 12/25/2025 at 9:07 AM, jeeper61 said:

Very interesting to see the straw being blown into the hay loft.  Can't say I've heard of that being done before.  

[Rob30]

25 minutes ago, Gearclash said:

Very interesting to see the straw being blown into the hay loft.  Can't say I've heard of that being done before.  

That was normal around our place when I was a very young pup.  North west mow was for straw for bedding, the remainder for hay. Straw was blown in straight from the thrashing mill. When the binder and thrashing mill made way for a combine, it was the same except the straw was baled. 

[jeeper61]

A Case similar to Gary's back in the day 

[jeeper61]