  Fleet of 46 Heil Colecto-Pak units purchased by the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in early 1949. Note the GMC trucks featuring modified wide cabs to accommodate loading crews. CRT News Update, Winter 2009 HEIL COLECTO-PAK Our cover truck in this issue comes courtesy of Bruce Polit of Chicago, Illinois. The folks at Heil Environmental were kind enough to forward this image to Bruce a few years back. He also sent a copy to the Commissioner of the Deptartment of Streets & Sanitation, and the image of this classic Colecto-Pak now hangs on the wall at City Hall. 
Walter Lewellen, from the Tampa area, contacted CRT in late December with news of a first-ever release of a classic refuse truck replica from First Gear Inc., which is none other than a vintage Heil Colecto-Pak announced for January delivery. There has been a lot of discussion of a FG replica classic truck on the CRT message board for a while, with many members posting their ideas for what would they consider their favorite choices. Unfortunately, what actually gets built is determined mostly by the willingness to purchase expensive molds, and commitment to by minimum copies from First Gear. Most of us (individually) just can't afford that kind of scratch for the privilege of seeing our favorite truck reproduced
in 1/34 scale.
Fortunately, some of the larger waste hauling conglomerates have slightly larger budgets for such promotional items. It would seem that Allied Waste Industries was most likely responsible for this new replica, since theirs are the first colors to grace this particular model. I don't have confirmation of this, but there is precedent in that at least one Allied division (Salt Lake City, Utah) has a preserved Gar Wood Load Packer on display at their yard: 
Ron Keshishian also saw a restored Mack Bulldog dump truck wearing Allied Colors at Waste Expo 2005. That particular truck lives at Allieds headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. (The Allied Mack AK dump truck is also available in miniature from First Gear, sold as item # 19-3654) Clearly, Allied has an appreciation for classics, and the commissioning of a classic First Gear replica would seem to be right down their alley. In any event, it's good to see FG has finally made a true classic, and the Colecto-Pak was probably a good choice for many reasons. Chief among them is that it "looks" classic, but also it is a relatively uncomplicated design that is not too difficult to replicate. Consider how difficult it would be to build a 1/34 scale Load-Packer or Standard Packmaster that actually worked. This Heil model (according to the press release) will feature a working bucket lift/packer panel, a rear door that opens and a body that hoists. Time will tell, but I predict that First Gear will be pleased with sales of this model. Look for many more variations of this one in the future. These are available through First Gear directly, and through independent sellers. To order direct, go to the First Gear website and see item number 18-3764. HEIL COLECTO-PAK: A BRIEF HISTORY Heil began building building bucket loaders under contract for Colection Equipment Corporation in the late 1920s. These were not actually badged as Heil product, but sold as Colecto. Early Colecto models included side bucket loaders very similar to modern recycling trucks. However, these were used primarily for the collection of dense wastes such as ash and garbage. The extent of Heils involvement with Colecto into the later 1930's is not entirely clear, and by that time Colectos were being sold by Municipal Sanitation Corporation of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Municipal improved the rear and side bucket Colecto loaders, added a side load packer body (with mechanically driven packer plate) and even a screw-auger loader, very similar to the German Krupp models. Heil had still kept a hand in the refuse body market. Heil was one of at least three contractors who built the Kurtz conveyor bodies for the City of New York, supplying most on Autocar cabover chassis. By 1939, Heil was building their own patented variation of the NYC loader, but with a unique dual side opening hopper. Milwaukee and Chicago were among the bigger users of the Heil Conveyor, with some models being constructed as semi-trailers. Auxiliary compaction was even offered on the Conveyo-Pak model. As novel as they were in their time, conveyor loaders were complex and noisy machines, prone to wear and in need of frequent maintenance. The cost and complexity undoubtedly prevented many cash-strapped communities from buying these beasts. 
1942 Heil Conveyor 21 cubic yard semi-tailer used by Milwaukee, Wisconsin Meanwhile, the basic bucket-type loaders were the least expensive mechanical loading refuse trucks on the market, and were popular choices with cities and towns of all sizes. They were particularly well suited for the collection of wrapped and unwrapped garbage, which was often collected separately. Putriscible garbage, by nature is dense and requires virtually no compaction. Fully enclosed bucket loader bodies also helped to contain the strong odors that accompany garbage. However, due to the increasing use of disposable packaging for consumer goods, the composition of dry household refuse began to change, increasing in bulk and decreasing in density. Separate collection of garbage, ash and rubbish began to give way to mixed collection in many cities. Refuse collection equipment began to change as well. Leach was selling a companion model to their Refuse Getter bucket loader dubbed the Compactor, which added a compression plate inside the front of the body. The plate was operated to periodically push refuse rearward into the body and thus increasing capacity. Sometime during the early-to-mid 1940's, Heil bought out Municipal (and with it the Colecto trade name), and in 1945 began to market the Heil Colecto, a fully enclosed, rear-bucket loader featuring hydraulic lift arms. These lightweight, non-compaction loaders were direct competitors with Leach, as well as the Galion and Gar Wood bucket loaders. 
1945 Heil Colecto non-compressing bucket loader
Workman loads the trough of a 1949 Colecto-Pak from South Pasadena, California. Note the custom riding steps below the bucket
1954 is the last year the Colecto-Pak was advertised in American City Magazine, though it reasonable to assume that it remained in production for some years after that date. The "bulking up" of American refuse probably led to the eventual demise of the Colecto-Pak rather than any flaw in this simple, rugged design. Many of these were exported abroad, and that market may have been more receptive to this style of loader even into the 1960's. Heil company went on to become one of the worlds leading producers of refuse bodies, contributing many advances to the industry. Most notable was the 1960 Colectomatic Mark II, the worlds first rear load packer with full telescopic ejection. 
This Colecto-Pak from Waukegan, Illinois was featured in a 1951 advertisement
Built in March, 1951 this Colecto-Pak was still working and for sale in 2006! Related Articles at CRT: Heil Leach Refuse Getter Preserved 1951 Colecto-Pak Gar Wood Continued... 
© 2009 Eric Voytko All Rights Reserved Logos shown are the trademarks of respective manufacturers Photos from factory brochures/trade advertisements except as noted |