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Friday, June 27, 2014

Freightliner & Western Star Trucks at the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum

IMG_2574 1942 Freightliner Conventional Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1942 Freightliner Conventional Tractor on August 3, 2008

In the mid-1930s Leland James, President of Consolidated Truck Lines in Portland, Oregon, set out to built a truck that was lightweight, durable and easy to maintain. He directed his mechanics to experiment with different designs and materials. James became interested in using a cab-over-engine design for an increased payload, and aluminum to reduce weight. A Portland CF Team built their first cab-over-engine model in 1937 and began working with aluminum. In 1940, James led Consolidated Freightways, Inc. (it had been renamed in 1939) and five other freight carriers to form Freightways Manufacturing Company, Inc., and early trucks bore the "Freightways" name. The Freightliner Corporation was started in 1942, with the first trucks being built at a Consolidated Freightways shop in Salt Lake City. Freightliner opened its first factory on NW Quimby Street in Portland, Oregon, in 1947.

IMG_2575 1942 Freightliner Conventional Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1942 Freightliner Conventional Tractor on August 3, 2008

This 1942 Freightliner Conventional Tractor, an early Freightliner product, was restored by Freightliner Corporation in 1992 to commemorate its 50th anniversary and is on loan from Freightliner Corporation.

IMG_2576 1942 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1942 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor on August 3, 2008

Freightliner also restored this 1942 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor to commemorate its 50th anniversary in 1992. Though almost to original specifications, it was dolled up some for the occasion. Trucks in those days were much plainer: one solid color, usually green, functional "leatherette" interior and not much chrome. It is on loan from Freightliner Corporation.

IMG_2594 1950 Freightliner Model 900 Tractor Model at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
2/3-Scale Model of 1950 Freightliner COE “Bubblenose” Tractor on August 3, 2008

This is a 2/3-scale replica of a 1950 Freightliner COE “Bubblenose” Tractor with a Sleeper Cab. This is a model of the first Freightliner truck sold to a private carrier: the Hyster Corporation of Portland, Oregon. The 1950 Freightliner COE “Bubblenose” Tractor could legally pull 35-foot trailers in states with 45-foot overall length limits. It logged over 4 million miles hauling parts and materials between Hyster plants in Oregon and Illinois. Freightliner bought the real truck in 1976 and restored and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution.

IMG_8694 1950 Freightliner Model 900 Tractor Model at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 1, 2009
2/3-Scale Model of 1950 Freightliner COE “Bubblenose” Tractor on August 1, 2009

This fully road-worthy model, built and donated by Ken Self, has a wheelbase of 93 inches and an overall length of 13'-3". It is powered by a 160-horsepower Cummins 6BT 6-cylinder engine with a 5-speed Fuller transmission.

IMG_2581 1950 Freightliner Model A64 at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1950 Freightliner Model A64 on August 3, 2008

Freightliner's 1950 Model A64 featured an all aluminum cab and aluminum axle housings, frame rails and cross-members, brake tubes, radiators, wheels, accelerator pedals and license plate hangers.

IMG_2582 1950 Freightliner Model A64 at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1950 Freightliner Model A64 on August 3, 2008

This 1950 Freightliner Model A64 originally carried a van body and pulled a full trailer for Consolidated Freightways. Ken Self restored the truck from blueprints and donated it. The original engine was a Buda 844 diesel, which has been replaced with a 210hp Cummins NH220.

IMG_5084 1950 Freightliner Model A64 at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on July 31, 2010
1950 Freightliner Model A64 on July 31, 2010

In 1951, Freightliner entered into an agreement with White Motor Company to sell Freightliner trucks through the White dealer network. These trucks were labeled “White Freightliner.” Sales increased and a new larger plant was opened on Swan Island in Portland in 1952, followed by a plant in Pomona, California, for the market in southern California.

IMG_2572 1952 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1952 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor on August 3, 2008

This 1952 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor cab is one of Freightliner's first all aluminum models. It was built in Portland, and started out in Consolidated Freightways fleet, somehow ending up in Canada's Yukon Territory. It is on a 1949 Freightliner chassis that retired as a mobile tractor for a towing company. It was restored by Freightliner of Canada retirees and is on loan from the Freightliner Corporation.

IMG_2529 1954 Freightliner Model 900 Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1954 Freightliner Model 900 Tractor on August 3, 2008

This 1954 Freightliner Model 900 "BubbleNose" Tractor with de-lux sleeper cab is powered by a Cummins 220-horsepower NH220 engine. The truck was restored in 1989 with the help of Ken Self and many others. It is on loan from Market Transport Ltd. of Portland, Oregon.

IMG_2592 1960 Freightliner Tractor Model at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
2/3-Scale Model of a 1960 Freightliner Model 8164T Tilt-Cab COE Tractor on August 3, 2008

This is a 2/3 scale replica of a 1960 Freightliner Model 8164T Tilt-Cab COE Tractor. The cab-over-engine design allowed truckers to pull longer loads and still meet length laws, but getting to the engine for service was difficult. In 1960, Freightliner introduced with a cab that tilted 90 degrees in only 38 seconds. Ken Self played a major role in that design and went on to become president, and then chairman, of Freightliner.

IMG_8711 1960 Freightliner Tractor Model at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 1, 2009
2/3-Scale Model of a 1960 Freightliner Model 8164T Tilt-Cab COE Tractor on August 1, 2009

After his retirement in the mid 1960s, Self built this 2/3 scale model of the Freightliner Model 8164T 81-inch cab, 3-axle, 2-axle drive. Some parts were fabricated at local machine shops but, for the most part, the scale model was built in Self's Lake Oswego, Oregon 2-car garage. This fully road-worthy model has a 108-inch wheelbase and is powered by a Cummins 6BT turbocharged diesel engine with a 5-speed Fuller transmission. It was donated to the museum by Ken Self.

IMG_2527 1960 Freightliner Fireliner Aerial Ladder Truck at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1960 Freightliner Fireliner Aerial Ladder Truck on August 3, 2008

This 1960 Freightliner Fireliner Aerial Ladder Truck with Trump Snorkel is powered by a Hall Scott Model 177 engine. It was built for Renton, Washington and was last used by the Depot Bay, Oregon, Fire Department. It is owned by the Freightliner Corporation.

IMG_2578 1982 Freightliner Conventional Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1982 Freightliner Conventional Tractor on August 3, 2008

This 1982 Freightliner Conventional Tractor was the first conventional line tractor Consolidated Freightways placed into service.

IMG_2579 1982 Freightliner Conventional Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1982 Freightliner Conventional Tractor on August 3, 2008

After running up 2,000,000 miles in service, the truck was brought back to Portland, refurbished and placed in the lobby of Consolidated Freightways' world headquarters in Vancouver, Washington. It was donated to the museum by Consolidated Freightways.

IMG_8679 1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 1, 2009
1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor on August 1, 2009

This 1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor with a 300-horsepower Cummins engine and 7-speed Spicer transmission was built in Portland in February 1983 and was put into service when Conway started the Western Express Division.

IMG_5063 1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on July 31, 2010
1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor on July 31, 2010

This was the first tractor in the Con-Way Western Express fleet. It was based out of Los Angles, California, and has 360,336 miles on the odometer.

IMG_5065 1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on July 31, 2010
1983 Freightliner Cab-Over-Engine Tractor on July 31, 2010

The trucks was donated to the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum by Con-Way Freight on November 8, 2008.

IMG_2569 1984 Freightliner Conventional Tractor with Mercedes V8 Diesel Engine at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1984 Freightliner Conventional Tractor on August 3, 2008

Mercedes-Benz AG of Germany purchased Freightliner from Consolidated Freightways, Inc. in 1981.

IMG_2571 1984 Freightliner Conventional Tractor with Mercedes V8 Diesel Engine at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
1984 Freightliner Conventional Tractor on August 3, 2008

This 1984 Freightliner Conventional Tractor was the only one built with a Mercedes V8 Diesel Engine.

IMG_2537 2004 Western Star Low-Max Tractor Prototype at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 3, 2008
2004 Western Star Low-Max Prototype Tractor on August 3, 2008

Freightliner acquired Western Star Trucks of Canada in 2000, and Western Star’s engineering and production were moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2002.

IMG_5061 2004 Western Star Low-Max Tractor Prototype at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on July 31, 2010
2004 Western Star Low-Max Prototype Tractor on July 31, 2010

This is a 2004 Western Star Low-Max Prototype Tractor.

IMG_5062 2004 Western Star Low-Max Tractor Prototype at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on July 31, 2010
2004 Western Star Low-Max Prototype Tractor on July 31, 2010

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