Abandoned 1970's era Mack garbage truck. Cherokee North Carolina. May 1990.
Originally uploaded by Eddie from Chicago
An unplanned part of the trip, was My discovering this old early 1970's era abandoned Mack garbage truck rusting away in a field behind some storefront buildings, in the town of Cherokee North Carolina.
This truck brought back many happy childhood memorys for Me, of seeing simular small garbage trucks from the City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation when I was growing up in the Windy City during the 1960's and 70's. Chicago had pretty much standardized on the White Compact Cabover for this kind of garbage truck back then, but the Garwood disposal body was the same.
During most of the 1960's, the Chicago garbage trucks were painted orange with maroon wheels and grills. By 1967, the City of Chicago Department of Streets and sanitation adopted todays light blue with copper wheels, grills and fuel tanks color scheme.
This old relic of a garbage truck appears to have been canibalized for parts by the time I found it in Cherokee North Carolina back in May of 1990.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
1 comment:
Hi!
Bob from Rogers Park, in Chicago, here. Imagine my joy when seeing this; I too have memories of actually... following the garbage men around in the 70s, as a little kid (and they remember me as well)! I am in my 40s now, but have vivid memories of them, and those eerie-sounding trucks.
There was a 300 & 400 series; and also, ones with 500 and 700 stamped on them, but the latter had a louder, constant sound. And those blades in the hopper... that had so much trouble trying to take away/chop up objects! It really did create some drama to watch all this.
In my neighborhood here, by the police station, there is a parking area for some- as was true then. And once, after I was in college, I asked an older guy there about these trucks, who remembered them as "The sweeper blades".
Unfortunately, he said... "Oh no, they scrapped those years ago."
I was discouraged by this. And just wish that I could find some around as relics... somewhere here, that are still operational.
It would be fun to one more time... "Hit 'em up" (LOL)
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