Classic Refuse Trucks NEWS

Civic pride: A spring clean-up display in Richmond, Virginia, from 1950. In foreground is a Dempster Dumpster unit, followed by a Gar Wood Load-Packer, a trash can display truck and street flusher
APRIL, 2006 UPDATE

For those of you who search for information and pictures of refuse equipment on the net, I have added a new site to the links page at CRT, called Salvage Sale. This web site, which Zachary Geroux first mentioned over at the CRT Members Area, is a clearinghouse for all manner of derelict equipment from across North America. There is wide variety of equipment depicted there, most of it is from Waste Management regional divisions and is typically sold in lots. The big difference with the site is that much of what is offered is at or near the end of its working life, and thus the chances of finding unusual equipment are very good. Some of the trucks appear to have been obtained when WM bought out local haulers, and were probably never used by their new owners. Others, like some older Gar Wood LP900 packers found in California, have survived well past their expected life and are almost never seen in service anymore. Often the images are not of the highest quality, but this is mostly inconsequential considering the variety of equipment to be found.

The California WM divisions in particular possess a virtual gold mine of neo-classic equipment, primarily front loaders. These include many regional brands which are seldom seen east of the Rocky Mountains, and it is a real treat to see so many of them at the Salvage Sale site. California, as well as Oregon and Washington, are home to an interesting variety of equipment built by small to mid-size independents, and in some cases custom bodies are made in-house by individual hauling companies. These micro-builders have survived, and in some cases thrived, while most of the world is coming to be dominated by a handful of large manufacturers. The majority of these micro-builders have been clustered in Los Angeles metropolitan area, though a few have also come out of San Francisco. Their close proximity to the most populous areas in the western United States has undoubtedly contributed to their survival. Not surprisingly, this area was home to the S. Vincen Bowles Company, which may arguably be credited with inventing the front load refuse truck, and dominated the southern California market for years.

Some of the trucks pictured are not identified or mis-identified, and some are virtually unknown. Zach found some 1980's and 1990's front and side loaders by a company called Stagg. So far I can find nothing else about this company, though in checking around I did manage to fill in the blanks on a newer company called Smart Truck Sytems (STS), who make front and side loaders in a facility in Riverside County. The STS shop was obtained from one Kosti Shirvanian, who became a mult-millionaire hauling refuse in the Los Angeles area. In 1996, Shirvanian's sold his Western Waste Industries hauling company to USA Waste, and the acquisition instantly made USA Waste the third largest hauler in America. Two years later, USA Waste actually acquired the colossal Waste Management, combining worldwide operations and adopting the former name and colors after the merger.

Now, going back in time about twenty years, it seems that in addition to hauling, Shirvanian's Western Waste Industries actually manufactured refuse trucks at their shop in Moreno Valley. Indeed several patents have been issued to Shirvanian and/or Western. They reportedly have been making these bodies for themselves as well as outside buyers. The exact trade name, if any, and type of trucks built by Western Waste is not certain at this time. This manufacturing and repairing facility was retained by Shirvanian after the sale of his hauling business. In 2004, he sold the manufacturing facility and designs to Smart Truck Systems Inc. At that time, production had already ceased, but the new owners have resumed building refuse trucks at Moreno Valley under the STS name. The star attraction is the K7000 front loader, a 1998 Shirvanian design which is a quarter-pack style with electronic lift controls. An example pre-dating the STS era (circa 2001) may seen above in service with Waste Management of Orange County, California.

As a refuse truck enthusiast, I sincerely hope that STS is successful in their venture, as it is refreshing to see another independent builder establishing itself in these days of growing industry consolodation. I'm still seeking information on the elusive Stagg brand, and hopefully will be able to find out more about them in the future. There are some highlights from the Salvage Sale site in an album at the CRT-MSN Archive. To view current and upcoming listings directly, go to the Salvage Sale home page and click on the Transportation & Parts category on the left side of the page. However, the majority of the photos exist in the history section; click on the Market Place tab at the top of the home page. You will then see a Transportation & Parts category at the bottom of the page. Click on that link, which will further sub-divide the listings and allow you to view just the refuse equipment. There are currently 483 items in the history!

CRT MEMBERS AREA AT MSN GROUPS:
There are no new features at the CRT Collectors Corner this month, however collectors should note that Tim Byrne has recently had some Alan Smith models custom built in various combinations and colors. Tim has posted some pictures of these replicas, as well as some interesting Tekno models in the ASAM Models album at the CRT Members Area.

And by the way, Tim has also made the news yet again. He is featured, along with his fantastic collection, in the May 2006 issue of Model Collector Magazine, which is published in the UK.

A long standing entry in the Unsolved Mysteries section was solved this month by Dana Gregory, who wrote in to identify #17 as a Dempster Royal Dumpmaster, a short-lived and very rare truck from the most famous name in front loaders. In light of this information, I have identified two patents for this truck dating to the mid 1980's, and will post more photos of this wild-looking truck if they become available.

There were a lot of great pictures contributed by members last month, including a look inside of some incinerator plants, and several excellent new albums of European equipment. Despite a relatively small membership, our group ranks very high on activity levels within the MSN family. That means that our members contribute and post frequently, and there are currently a group-record total of 586 pictures posted by members. I once again thank all of you who have contributed to the Members Area for always keeping it interesting.

REFUSE TRUCKS ON FILM
Some more new titles have been added to the CRT Films page this month, including several more factory promotional films from the 1950's and 1960's. None of these old films have been reviewed, an chances are that no copies still exist. However, I am posting them to make people aware of their existence; finding one of these would be a real prize, since it is quite possible that some early model trucks may now only exist on film.

A new feature film from 1973 called Steelyard Blues was submitted by Ken Wright, which features an extended scene of a front loader used as an escape vehicle. This one could probably be had relatively cheap if you can find it, and it may also surface on cable at some point as well.

Mark McKeon dropped an email mentioning that a couple of Leach 2R Packmasters were featured in a recent episode of The Sopranos, a popular comedy on the HBO cable network. The show centers around an organized crime family in the sanitation business, so I've added the series to the films list since refuse trucks are likely to be seen, at least occasionally.

And finally, another new TV episode by way of my brother Paul Voytko who happened to notice a refuse truck in a rerun of the detective show Harry O has also been added to the list. It features a large front loader, most likely a Bemars-Maxon in a preposterous race with a Porche 911! This is America's TV at its silliest, but at least we have another vintage truck preserved on film.

All new entries to the CRT Films List will feature a the

icon for about a month after posting

Eric Voytko,
April 9, 2006