I think I figured it out. That shovel is very detailed, down to the way the tracks sag off the edge of the matting board. So it must have been drawn from a photo. The operator actually sets on the other side anyway so this must have been the rig oiler and the shovel wasn't really dumping when the actual photo was taken.
For those of you who don't know what a rig oiler is, shovels, cranes and such had an extra man to just keep things grease and oiled while in operation. Big cranes still might, I know they did when I was on the Alaska pipeline in the 70s. He had a little corner back in there with a chair where he ate lunch and read funny books.

 

My grandfather was a building wrecker and quite successful back in the 40s and 50s. He bought a fleet of Fords mid 50s and a crane similar to this one. All are gone now except one slant cab ('53-'55) big dump truck, and the crane. I don't remember the engine in the crane, but will take some pics next time I'm up to the farm in Michigan. It has a big flathead six in it, don't know brand but don't think it's a Ford six.

My uncle sold a '56 Ford COE a couple of yrs ago and it took quite a bit just to get it rolling as all the brakes had froze up. The new owner had requested as part of the sale that he got to keep the painted advertising on the doors. I look for it online, but haven't as yet seen it.

Pics to follow when I can........

 

Pictures! We need pictures The crane is legal too because it has a Ford engine.

 

I don't think the crane has a Ford six, but will take pics when I get up there.

It will be another month or two at the minimum, and maybe as late as November deer season. I have to take a 4x4 truck up that will be left there and my plan was to do it while weather was warm so I could throw a motorcycle in the bed to ride back. I'll post pics when I have them.

 

Found a few to add to the thread.

 

 

Oh the humanity.....

 

And this is just so 'over the top' to me to see all this, but in that day it was just a bunch of wrecked jettas and corollas and impalas and hundais and focuses, and all the other stuff you see when you see a junkyard. Now where's that time machine?

 

If we only knew then what we know now....

 

We woulda bought real estate.....

 

Thats for sure Gary, lots of real estate & old trucks ........... thx again Scott

 

Didn't H.G. Wells develop some contraption for time travel? Surely the plans are floating around the net somewhere!

 

That picture hurts just lookin' at it!

 

And that explains a lot about why it is hard to find parts now. Those wrecks were alread picked over hard back then!

 

I've got some pics that would wring tears from a mummy....but OT for this site.

The local river banks contain hundreds of old cars from the thirties, forties and fifties. It was done to stop erosion I guess, neat to see, but a tragedy to an old car guy like me. Most are rusted now beyond saving, and stream protection laws prohibit removal.....