Farms and Farm Machinery – September 2019

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FEATURE

Gilfillan, with a new batch expected to arrive from farms and

clearance sales soon after the time of writing. Both pick-ups and

deliveries can be organised via tilt tray or low loader.

John says nostalgia is a big factor in the antique trucks game,

and his favourite type of buyer motivation.

“If someone started driving a truck when they were 18 or

19, they want it in their backyard when they hit retirement age,”

he says.

“Another group are farmer’s sons who remember the truck on

the farm when they were growing up.”

However, there’s also a buying segment who just want a cheap

truck in running order to use on their current farm. I remember

seeing an old Bedford “fire tanker” on a farm which had just

enough boards left on the tray to support a massive water tank,

which was so heavy on the poor chassis rails that a clear bow

could be seen in the middle of the ancient unit. The seat was an

old milk crate.

On the supply side of things, John says a lot of older farmers

might have bought a truck new 50 years ago or more and

can’t part with it, whereas a lot of the younger generation

and corporate farmers are more likely to just want to clear

everything out of the shed.

John describes himself as an “artist at heart”, and enjoys what

he calls these “sculptural” objects. “A truck could be as ugly as

sin but sometimes they’re more beautiful when they’re ugly,”

he reckons.

GOOD PLACE FOR A SPELL

Uranquinty sits between Wagga and The Rock on the Olympic

Highway which runs for more than 300 kilometres from Cowra

in mid-western NSW to just short of Albury in the south. It’s a

popular route for trucks doing line-haul between Melbourne and

Brisbane, and Melbourne to Sydney via Wagga.

During the afternoon of Farms and Farm Machinery’s visit, we

saw many B-doubles belonging to big north-south refrigerated

players rumbling through Uranquinty – including Lindsays,

Nolans and Blenners rigs. Trucks from big line-haul players

with yards in Wagga – Crouch’s and Finemores – were also

well represented.

Uranquinty is a nice little town, and not a bad place for trucks

to pull up. The main street parking on the northbound side

opposite the shops is particularly good, and right next to 24-hour

public toilets.

Across the road is a Caltex which serves hot food from 4–8pm

on weeknights; the Uranquinty Hotel which puts on dinner

between 6 and 8.30pm Wednesday to Saturday; and the well-

known Quinty Bakehouse which is open Mondays to Saturdays

from 7am–4.30pm.

If someone started driving

a truck when they were 18

or 19, they want it in their

backyard when they hit

retirement age.

1. Vigilant: This 1940s jalopy keeps an eye
   out for its mates


2. Does anyone want me? This old Ford
   hasn’t moved far from its former home at
   Culcairn further down the highway


3. View from the highway: a reminder of rural
   trucking days long past.


4. Wish I was that young again: an old Fargo
   watches a modern grain carter


5. Rigid bench with coil springs in a rusty old
   International AB160


6. The famous International brand once
   dominated global truck and farm
   machinery manufacture.


7. L to R: an old Bedford, International, Ford,
   miniature Daihatsu; Austin, cabover Ford,
   cabover Dodge and cabover Bedford

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