1929 Moreland Truck - Hopper Draw-Works - Oil Rig

[caterpillarnut]

Also, you said it's still operational. It's obvious that it runs. I'm guessing that Mel still uses it on well #9? It seems like it to me, considering where it's parked. If so, that is too cool (although I'd be doing the exact same thing if I was in his shoes).

[caterpillarnut]

Now that's what I call a truck. It's got the best of both worlds, a straight-six Herc and a Chrysler hemi. I've driven a 1934 Euclid dump truck that (I think) has that same model engine. Same tires too. It looks just about as ancient as this one.

I'd sure love to see that beast in person. Chain drive trucks are great by themselves, but put a huge draw works on them and a large derrick and they only get better.

As a side note, the BFG Silvertown tires on the drive wheels are on backwards.

[californiacrude]

the drive tires are probably put on backwards because this truck has to back in to oilfield locations and needs its best traction backing up. Thanks for the comment ;-)

[caterpillarnut]

Well, I just rewatched the video and noticed that only one of the tires is reversed. Seeing as the truck would need traction both ways that makes sense.

Did Mel piece this rig together himself in the early '50s? Actually, if you could do a brief video on how this monster came to be that would be interesting. Being a southern California resident and a oilfield/antique machinery enthusiast, your videos really fascinate me. Keep up the good work!

[slarsen00]

Holly Crap! After watching the video on the old truck it dawned on me what it is. I grew up in an oilfield around Huntington and Utica street. The guy had a couple dozen wells right around there he would pull with that thing.

I watched that truck used to pull down a wooden derrick about 40 years ago. The thing was an antique back then :)

[californiacrude]

Yep that's the one! Still operational. We have a film of it pulling down the wooden derrick too. I was just a kid then must have been around 1969.

Where do you live now?

[slarsen00]

Near Denver via Montana, Northern Idaho and Phoenix. I got around :)

I figured 68 or 69. They had a big push to rip out the wooden one about that time. I grew up in a house that was in the middle of the field. Hard to pin down the exact dates.