05-26-2010, 11:39 PM
It looks like the outline of an Autocar emblem on the front of the radiator. Lester, I would look at trucks from the 1930's for your layout. They really didn't change much until the late 1950's or early 1960's with the advent of bigger turbocharged diesels that required bigger radiators for cooling. The GMC trucks of the early 1950's and beyond were different from prewar since GM probably led the industry in styling trucks. Most of the rest of the industry put a big old radiator in front and that kind of determined the width and height of the front of the hood. The length of the engine determined the length of the hood and then they put a two passenger cab behind the hood, usually with a big air cleaner or oil filter hanging off the side of the hood. White had the round nose cab over that Ulrich used to make and I think is now back in production but pricey, but those were not designed for off road use. Most of the more "stylish" trucks would not have been used for off road dirt hauling or mining. Walther's carries a number of trucks from the 1930's including Autocar and Mack that would be appropriate for late 1940's to mid 1950's at least. The "B" model Mack would be appropriate well into the 1960's. If I remember correctly when I started in the transport refrigeration repair business in the early 1970's Mack was still producing the "B" model. Look also at WW2 vintage military trucks. Many dump trucks in service after WW2 were ex-military. When the war ended, the Army had a lot of excess trucks, many not put into service, yet to get rid of, and they sold them off at surplus prices. A lot of ex-GI's looking to start a trucking business bought Army surplus trucks and trailers.