Some odd n ends
Top is a tractor my Dad made about 57-59 from an old grader of unknown origin. When the wrecker hauled it home, it was just the belly casting, engine, and rear. He had the blade made, arms are old truck frame rails, hoist is an old steering box with the round drums up front. Front axle is a 36? Ford "Takes 40 acres to turn it around", said Dad My little and brother and sister on it here, March? In Idaho
Next is our Farmall Regular which we got around 58--60. It had "nothing but a crank." My Dad later adapted a starter, generator and lights, added hydraulics, and the same blade from the old one above. This is a "man's" tractor in rough fields
(If you look close, you can see the additions. Lamp up on top, an old oil filter can on your right is the hydraulics tank, and a couple of hoses sticking out. Also, if you look at both photos, you can see in the top one, on the front are some old "knee action" shocks. These are the cylindrical things up on the front support. Dad mounted them there in an effort to help controlling it on rough ground, which we had plenty of. On GREAT feature of these old trikes is that they have a cable system hooked to the steering. When you turn the wheel hard over, the cables brake the inside rear wheel. You can spin it right around on one rear tire, with no foot brakes.
Below it, the day we sold it, around 2002? I DROVE it onto the trailer. Wish I'd kept it, but don't have the room
Below the Farmall, the "Doodlebug" possibly before I was born, or at least very young. Dad and "Gramps" both now gone. Gramps, here, about 50, is at least 15 years younger than I am now. The Doodlebug is a Ford Model A front, frame, engine, with a big truck 4 speed behind the original A trans, for more gear. I can no longer remember what the truck rear axle, Diamond Reo, IHC, or what. Dad "rigged" a snow blade on this the first winter we moved in, had been Gramps house, and Dad had helped built the house in 38. The "A" threw one rod, and Dad actually used it awhile on 3 holes, until one night.....ker--freekin--balooey. It was all over.
Sitting on the old truck is a VERY sad and confused young 440roadrunner. Gramps, little sister, Me, and Dad. If you look at the closeup below, you'll see why The near side headlight is broken and 440roadrunner DID that. I believe I had asked Dad "how do those work" and he told me "there's a little man in there with a lantern." So I took my carpenter set which had a REAL (but small) hammer and broke that light. I got caught, and tried it again sometime later. I don't remember if this is the first or second time.
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Some Navy days
The very first actual tower I ever climbed, as opposed to trees. This was the 120 footer at Navy Electronics "A" school, Treasure, Island, San Francisco, way out on the corner of the island, facing the Golden Gate and Alcatraz. Young myself is on the bottom of the tower
Next we have GCA/ RADAR school at the hated Glynco Georgia. This is a complete, working "student" AN/CPN4-A, you can google that. Consisted of a 30 mile search RADAR, 10 mile precision (GCA) and 3 UHF and 3 VHF radios, and 3 operators postions, all jam packed into the rear trailer. The front trailer was workbenches, spares storage, and the huge A/C unit, flex ducted to the rear. The truck, the "Prime Mover" was more parts storage, and was used (on some airfields) to move the unit to different runways upon a wind shift.
Inside one of the NAS Glynco hangers, now all gone. There were/ are several twins of these around the US, some are still standing at Tustin, CA, and somewhere in Oregon. These were disintegrating, and leaked. One more reason to hate Glynco, Georgia
Next, overhauling the two AN/FPN-36 "QUAD" RADARS at miramar, early 70's. These were meant for mobile use, and never intended for 24hr a day ops, at which they held up very very well.
Last, yours truely allegedly making adjustments in the then brand new FPN-52, which was the precision only (GCA) in the rear trailer van of the truck pictured above. The radios and all but one scope were removed, as well as the search RADAR. They had moved the huge AC unit into this trailer, and we never got what is called MTI (moving target indicator) to work. The AC controllers didn't need it, so we just disabled it. That system entailed mercury delay lines, and the vibration of the AC unit "upset" them.
