The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson

Overview      Lansing Michigan in World War Two   The U.S. Auto Industry at the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944    The U.S. Auto Industry and the B-29 Bomber   U.S. Auto Industry Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   The Complete listing of All Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   Sherman Tanks of the American Auto Industry   Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry    M26 Pershing Tanks of the American Auto Industry   M36 Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry   Serial Numbers for WWII Tanks built by the American Auto Industry   Surviving LCVP Landing Craft    WWII Landing Craft Hull Numbers   Airborne Extra-Light Jeep Photos  The American Auto Industry vs. the German V-1 in WWII   American Auto Industry-Built Anti-Aircraft Guns in WWII   VT Proximity Manufacturers of WWII   World War One Era Motor Vehicles   National Museum of Military Vehicles  
Revisions   Links

 Automobile and Body Manufacturers:  American Bantam Car Company   Briggs Manufacturing Company   Checker Car Company   Chrysler Corporation   Crosley Corporation   Ford Motor Car Company   General Motors Corporation   Graham-Paige Motors Corporation   Hudson
Motor Car Company   Murray Corporation of America   Nash-Kelvinator   Packard Motor Car Company      Studebaker    Willys-Overland Motors

General Motors Divisions:  AC Spark Plug   Aeroproducts   Allison   Brown-Lipe-Chapin   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Cleveland Diesel   Delco Appliance   Delco Products   Delco Radio   Delco-Remy   Detroit Diesel   Detroit Transmission   Electro-Motive   Fisher Body   Frigidaire   GM Proving Grounds   GM of Canada   GMC   GMI   Guide Lamp   Harrison Radiator   Hyatt Bearings   Inland   Moraine Products   New Departure   Oldsmobile   Packard Electric   Pontiac   Saginaw Malleable Iron   Saginaw Steering Gear   Southern California Division   Rochester Products   Ternstedt Manufacturing Division   United Motors Service   Vauxhall Motors

 Indiana Companies:  Bailey Products Corporation   Chrysler Kokomo Plant   Continental Steel Corporation  Converto Manufacturing    Cummins Engine Company   Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company   Delta Electric Company   Durham Manufacturing Company   Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   J.D. Adams Company   Kokomo Spring Company   Magnavox  
Muncie Gear Works   Pierce Governor Company   Portland Forge and Foundry   Reliance Manufacturing Company   Republic Aviation Corporation - Indiana Division   Ross Gear and Tool Company   S.F. Bowser & Co.   Sherrill Research Corporation   Tokheim Oil Tank and Pump Company   Warner Gear   Wayne Pump Company   Wayne Works

Commercial Truck and Fire Apparatus Manufacturers:  American LaFrance   Autocar  
Biederman Motors Corporation   Brockway Motor Company   Detroit General   Diamond T   Duplex Truck Company   Federal Motor Truck   Four Wheel Drive Auto Company(FWD)   International Harvester   John Bean   Mack Truck   Marmon-Herrington Company   Michigan Power Shovel Company   Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation   Pacific Car and Foundry   "Quick-Way" Truck Shovel Company   Reo Motor Car Company  Seagrave Fire Apparatus   Sterling Motor Truck Company    Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation   White Motor Company

Aviation Companies:  Abrams Instrument Corporation   Hughes Aircraft Company   Kellett Aviation Corporation   Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation   Naval Aircraft Factory   P-V Engineering Forum, Inc.    Rudolf Wurlitzer Company-DeKalb Division  Schweizer Aircraft Corporation   Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation   St. Louis Aircraft Corporation   Timm Aircraft Corporation

Other World War Two Manufacturers: 
Air King Products   Allis-Chalmers   American Car and Foundry   American Locomotive   American Stove Company   Annapolis Yacht Yard  
Andover Motors Company   B.F. Goodrich   Baker War Industries   Baldwin Locomotive Works   Blood Brothers Machine Company   Boyertown Auto Body Works   Briggs & Stratton   Caterpillar   Cheney Bigelow Wire Works   Centrifugal Fusing   Chris-Craft   Clark Equipment Company   Cleaver-Brooks Company   Cleveland Tractor Company   Continental Motors   Cushman Motor Works   Crocker-Wheeler   Dail Steel Products   Detroit Wax Paper Company   Detrola   Engineering & Research Corporation   Farrand Optical Company   Federal Telephone and Radio Corp.   Firestone Tire and Rubber Company   Fruehauf Trailer Company   Fuller Manufacturing   Galvin Manufacturing   Gemmer Manufacturing Company   General Railway Signal Company   Gibson Guitar   Gibson Refrigerator Company   Goodyear   Hall-Scott   Hanson Clutch and Machinery Company   Harley-Davidson   Harris-Seybold-Potter   Herreshoff Manufacturing Company   Higgins Industries    Highway Trailer   Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   John Deere   Johnson Automatics Manufacturing Company   Kimberly-Clark   Kohler Company   Kold-Hold Company   Landers, Frary & Clark  Lima Locomotive Works   Lundberg Screw Products   MacKenzie Muffler Company   Massey-Harris   Matthews Company   McCord Radiator & Mfg. Company   Metal Mouldings Corporation   Miller Printing Machinery Company   Morse Instrument Company   Motor Products Corporation   Motor Wheel Corporation   National Cash Resgister Company   Novo Engine Company   O'Keefe & Merritt Company   Olofsson Tool and Die Company   Oneida Ltd   Otis Elevator   Owens Yacht   Pressed Steel Car Company   Queen City Manufacturing Company   R.G. LeTourneau   R.L. Drake Company   St. Clair Rubber Company   Samson United Corporation   Shakespeare Company   Sight Feed Generator Company   Simplex Manufacturing Company   Steel Products Engineering Company   St. Louis Car Company   Twin Disc Company   Victor Adding Machine Company   Vilter Manufacturing Company   Wells-Gardner   W.L. Maxson Corporation   W.W. Boes Company   Westfield Manufacturing Company   York-Hoover Body Company   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

Brockway Motor Company in World War Two
Cortland, NY
1875-1977
Rest in Peace

This page updated 11-11-2023.

Brockway Motor Company was founded in 1875 by William Brockway, for the manufacturer of horse carriages.  The original name for the firm was the Brockway Carriage Works.  William Brockway's son George changed the course for the company in 1909 by going into the production of trucks.  In 1956, Mack purchased Brockway Motor Company and ran it as a separate division until it closed the Cortland, NY operation in 1977.

World War One:  Brockway was one of fifteen companies that made 9,364 standardized 4x2 Liberty trucks for the U.S. Army from 1917-1918.  Brockway built 589 trucks.  The company also produced a number of fire engines for the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps.


This image shows that Brockway built at least five fire trucks for the U.S. Army during World War One.  Photo courtesy of the National Archives via Jeff Lakaszcyck added 11-11-2023..

The two pages below are from the March 1918 issue of "The Motor Truck."  This provides invaluable information that reveals the types, numbers, and suppliers of motor vehicles and components that the U.S. Army Quartermaster contracted for in World War One.  The document shows that Brockway was originally contracted for 500 Liberty trucks.  However, by the end of the war in November 1919, Brockway had actually built 589 units.


Document courtesy of Warren Richardson added 11-11-2023.


Brockway is listed in the left column about three quarters of the way down the page.  Document courtesy of Warren Richardson added 11-11-2023.


At least 28 Brockway-built Liberty trucks are shown in this posed photo.  These trucks are of the first series because they have electrical lighting.  Wires for the electrical current have been routed from holes below the headlights.  The second series eliminated the electrical lighting and the associated battery, distributor, and generator.  Photo courtesy of the National Archives via Jeff Lakaszcyck added 11-11-2023.


In 2015 this World War One Liberty truck chassis and drive train were undergoing restoration at the First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.  This restoration is not specifically associated with any of the fifteen companies that built the Liberty truck because the parts are from various sources.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This completed Standard B Liberty truck is of the second series as photographed in 2019.  The electrical headlights have been replaced with oil wick lamps.  A carbide gas spot light used as a driving light is mounted on the top of the firewall.  This vehicle has been restored to operating condition and is driven around the First Division Museum complex on special occasions.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


The copper tube from the gas generator for the spot light can be seen coming out of the fire wall and being routed to the light.  A flexible rubber hose at the spot light allows it to be aimed by the assistant driver.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


The replica data plate shows the vehicle having chassis no. 14480 and a date of 7-27-1918.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.

Brockway Commercial Trucks:


This 1924 Brockway 1-1/2-ton truck is on display at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This 1949 Brockway 260-XW truck is on display at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum.  The wooden framed doors have exterior wood trim.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.

Brockway Motor Company World War Two Production:  Table 1 shows that during World War Two Brockway had eighteen major contracts worth $36,392,000.  Table 2 shows that the U.S. Army was Brockway's largest customer during the war and had 97% of the wartime contracts.  Table 3 shows that the U.S. Army accepted 2,953 trucks in the 2-1/2-ton, 6-ton, and 10-ton sizes built under wartime contracts.  Brockway also built an estimated 100 trucks for the U.S. Navy and another estimated 134 trucks under U.S. Treasury contracts for the United Kingdom.  

Table 1 - Brockway Motor Company's Major World War Two Contracts - Table added 11-11-2023.
The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945."  This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division. 
Product - Customer Contract Number Contract Amount Contract Awarded Completion Date
Tractors Trucks - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-29L $229,000 6-1941 8-1941
Motor Trucks - Navy 110-S-90030 $57,000 6-1941 8-1941
 Trucks Gasoline Tank - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-148L $420,000 10-1941 12-1941
 Trucks - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-00206L $171,000 12-1941 4-1942
 Trucks - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-13542 $3,570,000 1-1942 5-1943
Truck Chassis - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-2709 $7,452,000 1-1942 3-1943
Trucks - Navy 140-S-97178 $78,000 2-1942 3-1942
Trucks - U.S. Treasury TPS-27352L $519,000 5-1942 6-1942
Trucks - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-2709 $7,556,000 5-1942 1-1945
Trucks - U.S. Treasury TPS-17352L $95,000 9-1942 4-1943
Trucks - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-3552 $5,788,000 3-1943 7-1944
Truck Parts - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-3686 $1,225,000 5-1943 2-1945
Tractor Trucks - Navy NXS-36694 $320,000 10-1943 9-1944
Crane Chassis - Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-312 $6,963,000 10-1943 6-1945
Trucks - Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-1238 $1,340,000 6-1944 10-1945
Motor Truck Parts B666 -  Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-1330 $217,000 6-1944 5-1945
Motor Truck Parts B666 -  Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-1331 $78,000 6-1944 5-1945
Trucks - Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-1919 $314,000 1-1945 12-1945
Total   $36,392,000    

 

Table 2 - Brockway Motor Company's Major World War Two Contracts by Customer - Table added 11-11-2023.
Customer Total Contract Value Number of Contracts Percentage
U.S Army $35,323,000 13 97%
U.S. Treasury $614,000 2 1.7%
Navy $455,000 3 1.3%
Total $36,392,000 18 100%

 

 Table 3- Brockway Motor Company World War Two Trucks Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army
The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945."
Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch
January 21, 1946.

Type Brockway Model Purchase Order Number 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 Total
2 1/2-ton 4x2, Chassis, for 1000 gal gas tank ? 398-QM-148   50         50
6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for the Daybrook M-II-A Bridge Erector B-666 74-ORD-2709     384 271     655
6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for the Daybrook M-II-A Bridge Erector B-666 74-ORD-2710       370 141   511
Total         384 641 141   1,166
                   
6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for Quickway Crane C-666 74-ORD-3552       237 297   634
6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for Quickway Crane C-666 30115-ORD-312         312 318 630
6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for Quickway Crane C-666 30115-ORD-1238           148 148
Total           237 609 466 1,312
                   
6-ton 6x6 Chassis, Fire B-666, F-666 740-ORD-2710         174 26 200
6-ton 6x6 Chassis, Fire B-666, F-666 30115-ORD-312           36 36
6-ton 6x6 Chassis, Fire B-666, F-666 30115-ORD-1919           34 34
Total             174 96 270
                   
6-ton 4x2, Tank Chassis, Gas, 2000 gallons ? 398-QM-148   50         50
10-ton 6x4, Tractor ? 398-QM-29   50         50
10-ton 4x2, Hoist Dump ? 398-QM-00206L     25       25
Total       150 409 878 924 562 2,953

Author's Note and Disclaimer:  The Detroit Office of Ordnance of the U.S. Army was the primary purchasing entity for vehicles for the U.S. Army during World War Two.  It also purchased vehicles for the USMC, US Navy, and for Lend-Lease.  However, there were other organizations that also purchased vehicles including the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Army Signal Corps, Navy Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, and foreign countries making direct purchases.

Table 4 below matches contract numbers with the number of trucks accepted by the U.S. Army as shown in Table 3.  With this information, in most cases for the U.S. Army trucks the unit cost can be calculated.  However, contracts 398-QM-13542 and 740-ORD-2710 both represent two different types of trucks, one of which can not be identified from the existing records.  These will be left uncalculated.

Table 4 - Brockway Motor Company World War Two Trucks Unit Costs - Table added 11-11-2023.

Product - Customer Contract Number Contract Amount Type Quantity Unit Cost Comments
Tractors Trucks - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-29L $229,000 10-ton 6x4, Tractor 50 $4,580  
Motor Trucks - Navy 110-S-90030 $57,000 ? ? ?  
 Trucks Gasoline Tank - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-148L $420,000 6-ton 4x2, Tank Chassis, Gas, 2000 gallons and
2 1/2-ton 4x2, Chassis, for 1000 gal gas tank
50 + 50 =100 $4,200  
 Trucks - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-00206L $171,000 10-ton 4x2, Hoist Dump 25 $6,840  
 Trucks - Army Quartermaster 398-QM-13542 $3,570,000 ?     Same as 740-ORD-2710
Truck Chassis - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-2709 $7,452,000 6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for the Daybrook M-II-A Bridge Erector 655 $11,377  
Trucks - Navy 140-S-97178 $78,000 ? ? ?  
Trucks - U.S. Treasury TPS-27352L $519,000 ? ? ?  
Trucks - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-2710 $7,556,000 6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for the Daybrook M-II-A Bridge Erector and
6-ton 6x6 Chassis, Fire
511+ 200=711   Same as 398-QM-13542
Trucks - U.S. Treasury TPS-17352L $95,000 ? ? ?  
Trucks - Army Ordnance 740-ORD-3552 $5,788,00 6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for Quickway Crane 634 $9,129  
Tractor Trucks - Navy NXS-36694 $320,000 ? ? ?  
Crane Chassis - Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-312 $6,963,000 6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for Quickway Crane and
6-ton 6x6 Chassis, Fire
630 and 36 ?  
Trucks - Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-1238 $1,340,000 6-ton 6x6 Chassis w/w for Quickway Crane 148 $9,054  
Trucks - Army Ordnance 30115-ORD-1919 $314,000 6-ton 6x6 Chassis, Fire

 

34 $9,325  

 

Table 4 - Brockway Motor Company B-666 Bridge Pontoon Truck and C666 Crane Truck Partial Serial and Registration Number Listing
From TM-1528 dated January 1, 1944 - Table added 1-15-2024.
Model Brockway Serial Number USA Registration Number Quantity  
B666 1 - 655 W-511955 - W-512609 655  
B666 656 - 1075 W-519666 - W-520085 420  
B666 1076 - 1132 W-544006 - W-54062 57  
B666 1133 - 1366 0077176 - 0077409 234  
Total B666     1,366  
C666 1 - 237 0050937 - 0051173 237  
C666 238 - 534 0079146 - 0079442 297  
Total C666     534  

There are also three U.S. Navy and two U.S. Treasury Department contracts in Table 4 for which the unit cost cannot be calculated as the trucks were not accepted by the U.S. Army.  However, I have made some assumptions and made my best attempt to estimate how many trucks Brockway produced for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Treasury.  With these calculations, I can then estimate the total number of trucks the Brockway Motor Company built to help win World War Two.


This 1943 photo of a Brockway indicates that the U.S. Navy purchased a number of 4x2 tractors for its use during World War Two.  In this particular case, it is being used to transport sailors in the attached semi-trailer bus.  While it may not appear that the bus could hold 100 sailors, I did have personal experience of riding in a similar bus during Army basic training.  We called them "cattle cars," and the drill sergeants were very adept at stuffing as many recruits into one of these as possible.  Historic photo courtesy of Dan Souday added 11-11-2023.

But I digress.  Table 4 indicates that the U.S. Army purchased under contract 398-QM-29L fifty 10-ton 6x4 tractors for $4,580.  While the U.S. Navy tractor shown in the photo has been estimated to be more in the range of a five-ton tractor, I will still use the $4,580 to estimate how many trucks Brockway built for the Navy.

The total of the three Navy contracts is $455,000.  This number divided by $4,580 equals 99.34 which can be rounded up to 100. 

One source indicates that Brockway built a number of 4x2 trucks that were smaller than the 6-ton 6x6 trucks it built for cranes and bridging for the United Kingdom.  The U.S. Treasury did purchase equipment for foreign nations during World War Two.  Once again, I will assume that these were 4x2 tractors that cost $4,580.  Dividing this value into the total U.S. Treasury contract number of $614,000 gives 134 units.

While both the 100 and 134 numbers are gross estimates, they do show that the Brockway Motor Company built an estimated several hundred trucks beyond the 2,953 that the U.S. Army accepted and is normally given as what the company built during World War Two.

My analysis shows that the Brockway Motor Company built over 3,000 trucks to help win World War Two.

Bridging Trucks:  Brockway is best known for its construction of 1,166 6-ton 6x6 Model B-666 Bridge Erector Trucks. The 1,166 bridge erector trucks were 40% of the trucks the company built for the U.S. Army during World War Two.  The Brockway B-666 series of 6x6, 6-ton trucks was based on the Corbitt 50SD6.  Brockway was one of four manufacturers of this type of vehicle.  Corbitt, Ward LaFrance, and White Motor Company were the others.


Bridging equipment was extremely important to the mechanized American Army of World War Two.  Water obstacles consisted of rivers, streams, drainage ditches, gullies and canals.  In most cases, the retreating enemy would destroy any existing bridges as it fell back under the American advance.  In Europe, rivers wider than 75-100 yards were encountered on the average of every 45 to 50 miles.  Also, the tactical or strategic situation might demand a river crossing in some location where there was no existing bridge.  Brockway B-666 bridging trucks were an important tool of the Army Combat Engineers in keeping the American offense moving.


This 6-ton 6x6 Brockway Model B-666 chassis with installed bridge-erecting equipment is on display at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, WY.  B-666s had a 220-inch wheelbase and a 25,000-pound front winch.  The twin-boom 4-ton hydraulic crane could lift the 45-inch wide bridge treadways directly on and off the truck.  The vehicle had an oversize air brake system for filling the pontoons.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


I first published this page on Brockway in August 2018.  Since that time I have been looking to find a Brockway bridging truck to personally see and photograph.  The timing of my visit to the National Museum of Military Vehicles was excellent as this truck was placed on display just two months before I arrived.  I had canceled several attempts to visit the museum in previous years.  If I had gone through with one of my earlier trips, this vehicle would not have been on display.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


The open cab on this truck indicates it was built after mid-1943.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023. 


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This Brockway B-666 bridging truck is equipped with a Heil Company steel treadway bridge hydraulic crane, M-II-A.  The Daybrook Hydraulic Corporation was also a supplier of the steel treadway bridge hydraulic crane.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


The Brockway B-666 six-ton truck with either a Heil or Daybrook steel treadway bridge hydraulic crane was a vehicle that was unique to the Army Corps of Engineers.  It was no doubt a huge asset for the engineers as they set up treadway bridges during the war.  No other country had trucks and cranes to assist them like these used by the U.S. Army.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This image of the crane from the Heil technical manual shows a fully loaded vehicle.  Image added 11-11-2023. 


The hydraulic crane can lift two treadways out from the truck at a time.  Image added 11-11-2023.


By using the crane to set the treadways in a row, army engineers could bolt them together on land and then have the truck lift them out onto the pontoons.  Image added 11-11-2023.

75th D-Day Anniversary Special:
Below are two that were photographed at the 2019 D-Day activities in Normandy, France. 


This is the hard cab version of the Brockway B-666.  Photo added 6-19-2019 is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.


Note that there are treadway in the body of the truck just like they were shown in the technical manual photo above.  There appears to be deflated pontoons at the rear.  Photo added 6-19-2019 is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.


This soft top version of the B-666 has its Daybrook Bridge Erector unit in the upright position.  As the unit started to rise, a pontoon located on it would slide into the water.  Photo added 6-19-2019 is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.


Photo added 6-19-2019 is courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Buan.

Crane Trucks:  Another important truck that the Brockway Motor Company built for use by the Army Corps of Engineers was the C-666 crane truck for the mounting of a Quick-Way crane on the body.  Brockway produced 1,312 of these to help win World War Two.  The 1,312 units were 44% of the total trucks Brockway produced during World War Two for the U.S. Army.


This is a Brockway C-666 6-ton 6x6 Chassis with/winch with a Quick-Way Crane.  Quick-Way Power Shovel was located in Denver, CO.  It is unknown whether the truck chassis were shipped to Denver, or the cranes were shipped to Cortland, NY for final assembly.


It turns out that this "Quick-Way" Model E on a Brockway chassis is located 16 miles from the World War II American Experience Museum in Gettysburg, PA.  I was unaware it was there during my September 2022 trip to the area.  There are several collections of World War Two vehicles in the Gettysburg, PA area.  John Gott photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.


John Gott photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.


John Gott photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

While I missed personally seeing the vehicle shown above while in the Gettysburg, PA area during my September 2022 trip, I was able to see the unrestored Brockway crane truck at the World War II American Experience Museum.  It is my understanding that the volunteers at the museum have been able to get the truck shown below running in 2023.  This is the first step in the restoration process.


This "Quick-Way" crane mounted on a Brockway chassis is awaiting restoration at the World War II American Experience Museum in Gettysburg, PA.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


The standard crane length for the Model E was 25 feet.  Two five-foot sections could be added for a 35-foot total length.  The one at the museum has the two five-foot extensions added.  There are nut plates on the boom where the sections join together.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This Brockway chassis is equipped with a Heil 12,000 pound front winch.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This image shows the right hand side of the Hercules 202HP HXD engine.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023. 


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


This view shows the left hand side of the engine.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023. 


The Brockway bridging truck had a half cab which allowed the crane to rest where the assistant driver would normally sit.  Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.


Author's photo added 11-11-2023.

Class 155 Fire Trucks:  In late 1943 the Army Corps of Engineers had redesigned the Class 155 Fire Truck.  Contracts were secured with Kenworth and Brockway.  Both Mack and American LaFrance produced the bodies for these vehicles.  Each fire truck had a 1,000-gallon water tank and two high pressure turrets on the top of the body.  Brockway built 270 fire trucks which was 9% of the vehicles it built for the U.S. Army.



Brockway B-666 or F-666 Chassis with an American LaFrance body in 1944.  American LaFrance installed a model 155, 2-stage high speed centrifugal pump rated at 250 gallons per minute at 600 psi that was powered by an American LaFrance 12-cylinder engine. 


Only the Brockway B-666 Chassis was built with the Mack body.  They came with Hale Model ZEY, 325 gallon per minute, 600 psi high pressure pumps.  Power for the pump was provided by a Continental 6-cyliner engine.

The Brockway Motor Company Factory:  The Brockway Motor Company factory continued to operate in Cortland, NY under Mack ownership until 1977.  Currently, the former truck plant in Cortland is still in use by new owners.

|
Image courtesy of Google Maps added 11-11-2023.


This image is looking east along Court Street.  Like many older factories, the outside walls have been recovered with sheet metal which gives the plant a modern looking exterior.  Image courtesy of Google Maps added 11-11-2023.

1924 LaFrance Brockway Torpedo Fire Truck:  I photographed the vehicle shown below in August 2018 at Vic's Antiques and Uniques in Edinburgh, IN.  This was one of four pieces of equipment that were not at the store in March 2018 when I was there last.  It is really a shame to display this piece outside in the elements, when it should be stored inside. 

11-11-2018 Update:  As of this date, this vehicle is no longer outside in the elements at Vic's.  Hopefully the vehicle was purchased.


The LaFrance Brockway Torpedo was built between 1920 and 1924.  It was targeted at small, volunteer fire departments with limited budgets.  American LaFrance and Brockway would team up again in World War Two to produce Class 155 fire trucks for the U.S. Army.  Author's photo. 


 Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Author's photo.


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Author's photo.

 

 

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