Sights from America's Highways

Post by **Vista52** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:32 pm

Hello All,

This is Hwy 58, Tehachapi, California. Just 60 miles north of Downtown LA, at an elevation of 4000 ft. Bert, those things on the hill are Windmills!!

Post by **Vista52** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:43 pm

This is the same place, just in the next field. I wonder if this is the very rare 'flammenwerfer' variant of the halftrack with the super-duper high capacity fuel tank --- well probably not??!!

Note how the halftrack blends in very well with the color of the tumbleweeds

Post by **Vista52** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:13 pm

Another Halftrack. This time along the frontage road Interstate 10, Quartzsite, Arizona. In the summer, tempertures of 110-115F are common and it rains (maybe) 3 times a year. Canadians love it!! In the desert this qualifies as a Garden Ornament.

Post by **wc 9 and 12 owner** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:44 pm

It is amazing what you still can find. In my area Camp Roberts sold of hundreds of half tracks and you still can find them on peoples ranches. There is also plenty of dodges around if you know the right place to look.

Post by **Vista52** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:52 pm

This International sat in a field near where I live. When the land was sold for development, I contacted the owner to see if I could take some parts off it. Oh, "no" said he, "It's a perfectly good spray rig and has years more service in it". Well, there was still air in the tires!

Post by **wc 9 and 12 owner** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:56 pm

Well I hope he owned another farm and it didn't get turned to scrap before someone salvaged every usable part

Post by **Vista52** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:04 pm

wc9 & 12

Do you recognize this little beauty? Estrella Field Paso Robles. I was there Sat for the fly-in.

Post by **wc 9 and 12 owner** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:10 pm

Yeah I have been there a few times. If you go into the museum I have a few things on display. I have a m20 bazooka, a Jap spotting scope and a few other things.

Post by **Vista52** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:20 pm

Estrella Field, Paso Robles, California. Another WC 4 (?) in the workshop.

Post by **wc 9 and 12 owner** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:23 pm

This one was a rust bucket when they got it and have done some really nice work repairing holes. also someone welded a winch to the front and modified the frame a little in the front if I remember correct.

Post by **Vista52** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:37 pm

International M5-6. I wonder why they all get a coat of yellow paint over the green??

Post by **Vista52** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:46 pm

USMC International M-2-4. My favorite as I have a couple of these in my backyard.

Oh, by the way WC 9. I did see your bazooka and scope, very nice. When I was being shown around, a gentleman told me a funny story about the Japanese Flag. He said one day he noticed a group a Japanese Tourist smiling at the Flag. When he asked why, they told him the flag (writing) was up-sidedown!!

Post by **Vista52** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:32 pm

This is what I saw one day when I stopped for fuel in a little town in Arizona. It took me another 2 years to contact the owner. I took the photo with a zoom lens. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see any more of the truck and Arizona is still very much part of the 'Wild West' and no place to be jumping over gates or fences!

Post by **Vista52** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:22 am

Thought you may like to see how they move these things around. The driver thought this was a Bradley but I think it is more likely to be a 155mm Howitzer. The bill of lading said it weighed 58,600 lbs. The driver had just stopped to tighten-up the chains holding this thing down.

Post by **Vista52** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:36 am

The Golden Hills of California......no wonder its always catching fire. This rig is doing 65 mph and I was lucky to get the shot.