Classic Refuse Trucks BOWLES DEALER ALBUM

S. Vincen Bowles Company
Dealer Album (Page Three)

A close up look at the FL-3 arms and how important they are to driver safety. They also eliminated the need for retractible mirrors!

One of a fleet of Bowles Partial Packer trucks operated by the Los Angeles City School District, all of which had model FL-3 over-the-cab arms. Bowles was instrumental in "winning the west" for the front loader, having several fleet buyers and at a time when the technology was mostly unknown in many other parts of the country. Also note the open-frame cab sheild.

An early customer in Colorado was Aurora and East Denver Trash Removal who had this Econ-O-Packer mounted on a 1958 Chevrolet Spartan series LCF. It was used for an extensive demonstration photo shoot for H.M. Rattle Company, the Rocky Mountain dealer for Bowles equipment. The photos from this group are identified only with the tag "Jake", who I believe may be the man in the photo and a probably a mechanic for the dealership. There were also some notes he apparently took at a type of "service seminar" at the Bowles Factory in Sun Valley.

Another Colorado hauler, with an ultra-rare combination: The Bowles 40 yard Full-Pack body with FL-4 over-cab arms and side forks owned by Denver Clean-Up Service. Very few of these of these full-packers seem to have been built by Bowles during the 1950's. Note the variation of the "bustle" tailgate with its forward slant. This was probably to shorten the length of travel for the packer blade during ejection, in relation to the overall body capacity. A neat trick and a classic example of Bowles innovation!

The Full-Pack on the job, showing outside controls, handling 5 cubic yard containers at the Gates Rubber Company. Note the closely-spaced twin packer blade cylinders, in front of the blade and pushing rearward. Truck is a classic White 3000 tandem tilt-cab, which was only a ten year old design in 1958, but looks ancient with this modern front loader on it !

9/3/06