alsfarms

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy new Year. This season always gets me to thinking about and appreciating the sacrifices made by our fore fathers to preserve what we now enjoy in this modern world. Those winter times, during WW-1 must have been brutal. God bless those who made the supreme sacrifice. Let us all do the best we can to make sure they are never forgotten. Our interest in militaria, VIA this forum, is one small way we can keep the legacy and memory alive. Al

Here is a picture of the manufacturing of the frame for a Riker truck. Most assuredly not modern mass production technology! Al

It just goes to show and prove that not all the world dances to the same music! Al

WOW, if that bottom picture is for real, that truck is seriously top heavy! Al

Here is another picture of a "loaded" Riker truck. We don't even load modern trucks like this!!!! Al

Here is another early Andrew Riker development advertisement for his electric automobile. Al

Back to Riker. Here is some information about the Brains of Locomobile and Riker trucks. Some early interesting information about Riker, the man.

More....

I couldn't resist. here is a bit of information about the Big Boy spoken of above. This picture doesn't not show the real giant size of it. It needs a man standing by one of the drive wheels.

PS: All the Big Boy's hauled much heavy iron during WW-2 all over America and destined to help our Allied partners over seas. Al

I admit, I am an antique car guy, really appreciate old trucks and machinery also. But one thing that stands my hair on end is to see a true early work hose huffing and puffing. The Case clip, above, just simply does it for me, in a way that no antique automobile can. Also, I watched as Union Pacific moved one of the last surviving "Big Boy" Locomotives from Southern Cal. to Cheyenne Wyoming. the engine had be dormant and on static display for many years. The rail route is within one mile of my home. In my area, they made a whistle stop so the public could see and appreciate the magnificent size of that engine. It is simply amazing! Well five years later, I took all my family, married lids and grand kids to the "Golden Spike" commemoration in northern Utah. The Golden Spike was the last spike driven that joined both sides of America together. It was and still is a big deal. Well Union Pacific had fully restored the Big Boy mentioned above and it made its maiden trip as part of the Golden Spike celebration. (side trivia) The Big Boy was engineered for the rail run between Ogden Utah and Cheyenne Wyoming as it is a heavy climb over many miles to get from Ogden to Cheyenne. Talk about making my hair stand on end was to see an original steamer on the same track many years later and grunting, puffing steaming into Utah. To see that train run is an experience to savor. If you haven't, do a google and You Tube search of the steam train "Bog Boy". Lots to see, learn and appreciate. Al

Wouldn't it be nice if we could step back in time and pick up a few brand new parts for our current restorations.... If I could pick up a few items at the factory my Riker project would sure move on at a quicker pace. Al

Surely pre WW-1. What a brute these early steam engines were. I thought to share the You Tube link for those steam enthusiasts among us. Enjoy! Al

Riker and Locomobile did have the "top of the line" engineering for the time. The aspect of manganese bronze for the crankcase, five main bearings and pressurized oiling system....hmmmmm.. Al

Here is another interesting page with Riker information.... Al

Thanks for posting. How many Fowler unit exist today? Al

What a nice documentary. Are there many "drag lines" in the UK? Al

What heavy wood fello bands these wheels have! Undoubtedly these are for a large wight capacity application. Al

Here is a bit of good trivia I ran across regarding Riker trucks and other....... Al

DT... What a lucky fellow you are to be working on, and own, a steam traction engine. The front wheels are particularly a "showy" piece of the unit. Have you made first steam yet? That armor plate must have made for oven like conditions for the crew! I suppose if the unit was used in a very hostile area, you would consider it a blessing to sweat it out and live to see another day! These Fowler units have huge flywheels, very impressive. There must be an engineering point, to the large flywheels, as even the high Horse Power Case units, here in the US, do not have that large rotating mass. What Horse power rating do the Fowler 4 and 5 have? Al

Kevin and Chris, Thanks for posting this machine gun information. I wonder just how forgiving the "Potato Digger" was when it came to fouling and less than clean conditions? I have an SKS that would probably shoot half full of mud! The internet is an amazing place when used correctly, a wealth of information is available at our finger tips. I am lucky that a good share of the "Browning" family was Utah based and was located just north of me 200 miles. At that location, the Brownings have several real nice museums, both gun, automobile. and in conjunction with a rail museum. I just wish they were a bit broader based to include trucks and military. Al

I will share a nice Riker advertisement from 1918, for sale on EBAY.. This forum is dedicated to "historical military" for sure. However, I noted this nice EBAY ad from the same time frame that Locomobile and Riker were working during the great war to this subject Riker that was bought to haul coal for the Lackawanna Coal company here in the US. If you like ads, check this one out and purchase for your collection. Al

Does someone have a good picture of a "Potato Digger" they could post so those of us that are less informed, have an idea what this gun looks like? Al

Here is another Military question that I am not real familiar with. My wife, whose mothers family is Australian, had a Grandad and Great Uncle leave from Oz and serve England during the Borer Wars in SA. How much motorized equipment was used during the second conflict? Most of what I have seen is certainly Infantry and lots of Calvary. My only hold on that conflict is a couple of Martini rifles in my gun case. Al