ATHS NUTMEG CHAPTER STEERING COLUMN

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1 ATHS NUTMEG CHAPTER STEERING COLUMN SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2015 OUR THIRTY-SECOND YEAR DON ARNAUCKAS, EDITOR 14 AVALON AVENUE OAKVILLE, CT Next Meeting: September 20, 2015 CT Eastern Railroad Museum 55 Bridge St. Willimantic, CT Meeting at 2:00 PM ATHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Jonathan Yeomans 63 Bunker Hill Rd Andover, CT Vice President Peter Yeomans 63 Bunker Hill Rd Andover, CT Treasurer Thomas Bachand 108 Harrisville Rd. Woodstock, CT Secretary Betty Jay 12 East Main St. Brookfield, MA At-Large Harold Foskett 187 Peake Brook Rd. Woodstock, CT At-Large Colonel Arnold Briggs 175 Blackmore Pond Rd West Wareham, MA Membership Elizabeth Robertson P.O. Box 373 Willington, CT Editor Computer Asst. Don Arnauckas Kathy Arnauckas 14 Avalon Avenue Oakville, CT Show Chair John Raymond 27 Rixtown Rd Griswold, CT Webmaster Linda Raymond 27 Rixtown Rd Griswold, CT or

2 Dear Friends, At this time I would like to again convey my heartfelt thanks to the Nutmeg Chapter and beyond for the beautiful floral tributes, cards, letters, telephone calls, offers of help, and donations made in Bob s memory. We will always be grateful for all you did for our family at such a difficult time. I will always be ready to help the Club in any way I can. Sincerely, Bernice Thank you to Dorothy Yeomans for the photos of our June meeting honoring Bob West. 2

3 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE As I write this we are now into August, a little behind schedule so I apologize for that. This used to be my favorite month; after I turned 30 it is no longer my favorite which you can probably surmise is because it s my birthday month. Enjoy the warm weather while we still have it. Before you know it, we ll be cursing the white stuff making a mess on the roads. Speaking of warm weather, we had a good time at Mike Rondo s Ice Cream Shop for our July Meeting and the food and ice cream was delicious. It was a warm day, especially in a 1940 Ford with no AC but was worth it since Mike offered a free ice cream to anyone that came in an antique. Thank you to everyone who showed up and helped out at our Truck Show this year. It was not our best year as I m sure you all know, but I can t say enough good things to those that still came and showed their support. We have been blessed with so many years of great weather so it s understandable that every once in a while we are not so lucky. This was the first show that we had our current fleet in full attendance which was a lot of fun to see. I enlisted the help of a very good friend to help us in our truck convoy from Andover to Brooklyn. I made it clear to him that he should feel very privileged since we allowed him to pull my trailer with a Dodge. Believe it or not, I probably received about 150 phone calls from people asking if there was a rain date for our show. To my knowledge, we have never had one and I believe the cost associated with holding an extra date is cost prohibitive, but if you have a strong feeling about that possibility, we will discuss it at our next meeting for next year. I have been to 3 shows this summer where weather reports of potential rain scared off the majority of the typical attendance, a problem that s not easy to overcome. Not that I want to rush the fall, but the Woodstock Fair is right around the corner and our club is always invited to bring antique trucks to display. The fair is September 4 th thru the 7 th. Trucks are preferred to be brought on Thursday and left until at Sunday afternoon. Harold Foskett has more details if you are interested. Free Fair Admission comes with your truck entry. The Woodstock Fair makes a donation to the club for bringing trucks so your participation is very much appreciated. Keep an eye on the calendar of events in this newsletter as there are still many shows and events that are worth checking out! The November Annual Meeting will be on November 8 th at the Haul of Fame Museum in Canterbury. Ticket information is forthcoming but mark it on your calendar! We will be electing officers other than the President, so if you have an interest in serving on the board or another position, let me know and I will give you more details on that. This will be heavily discussed at the September meeting which is coming up next month so that would be a good time to see me. Finally in closing, I want to say that the Club suffered another loss of a longtime member and longtime friend to many. Reggie Phillips Sr. passed away on July 19 th. Reggie was a pleasure to have as a member of the Club and will be missed by many. I have not known Reggie as long as most, however in the time I have been with the Club, Reggie has been a great resource and a very helpful, contributing member to the Club with his knowledge and advice. He was never afraid to speak his mind and whenever he did speak, it was something worth listening to for sure. The family asks for any donations to be made to our Club. Services will be toward the end of August and that information is also forthcoming. I m sure Reggie would want everyone to reflect on his memory in a positive light, so think of him when you are behind the wheel of a truck and say a prayer that he is looking out for you on the road. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we ll see you soon! -Jonathan Yeomans NEXT MEETING Our September 20, 2015 meeting will be held at the CT Eastern Railroad Museum located at 55 Bridge Street (Route 289) in Willimantic, CT The phone number is A $3 donation from members will be appreciated to visit the Museum. You may visit their website at to preview what you will see there. DIRECTIONS: Going thru Willimantic on RT 66, look for the sign for RT 289 South. After the RR crossing, turn Right and follow the Railroad tracks down a dirt road for about 1/2 mile to the parking area and entrance gate. 3

4 NUTMEG CHAPTER MINUTES OF MEETING July 12, 2015 Call to Order: 2:15 PM by Nutmeg Chapter President Jonathan (Jon) Yeomans. Opening: The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by the Chapter President. This meeting was held at Alvin Rondeau s Dairy Bar in Palmer, MA. Jonathan expressed the members appreciation to the Rondeau Family for hosting this summer meeting. Owners who brought their trucks were treated to a key clip and a Dairy Bar food certificate. Everyone present enjoyed the relaxed setting and the wide selection of food and ice cream. There were 13 members present. Ken Anderson introduced guest Dave Doyker from Somers. Dave drove his newly acquired 1957 FC150 Jeep to the meeting and has become the newest member of the Nutmeg Chapter of the ATHS. Secretary s Report: A motion was made to accept the Secretary s Report of the May 17, 2015 meeting as it appeared in the Newsletter. The motion was seconded and the members voted unanimously to approve the report. Treasurer Report of the period from May 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015: Tom Bachand 1. Regular Club Account Activity: Deposits of dues and the truck show seed money were made. Expenses for which checks were written included May/June Newsletter printing and postage, arrangement reimbursement, Staples printing for July/August Newsletter (reduction in fee if paid by check), and Show cash seed money reimbursement. 2. Show Account: A deposit of the income from the 2015 Brooklyn Show (vendors, general sales, gate admission and flea market) was made. There was discussion relating to the balance of this account with relation to the weather at the 2015 Show. Members discussed this further under Old Business and the Show Report. A motion was made and seconded and the vote was unanimous to accept the Treasurer s Report as read. The regular submission of the Membership Report and the Newsletter Report will return in September. OLD BUSINESS Nutmeg Chapter Show Brooklyn CT June 28, 2015: John Raymond, Chair There were 49 trucks at the show. 418 visitors came through the Spectator Gates The Brooklyn Fairgrounds Board of Directors is aware of the loss that the Club suffered due to the day long rain and will meet to discuss some degree of reimbursement to the Nutmeg Chapter for the 2016 Show Fairground rental fee. Peter Yeomans asked if it would be possible to set up a Rain Date agreement with the Fairgrounds. John said that he would pose that question to the Fairgrounds Board of Directors. There will no longer be Registration Forms to complete at the Brooklyn Truck Show. After owners park their trucks, they will be invited to come to the Registration Booth to pay the $5.00 for the featured truck dash plaque and to pick up their windshield truck identification card. There will be a poster board of club membership information and folks can still sign up it they are interested in joining the Club. Copies of the Newsletters will be available as they have been in past years. John mentioned that seed money will most likely be needed again next year. Upfront expenses include the tee shirts and dash plaques, as well as the flyer costs. Jon Yeomans expressed sincere appreciation to all the owners who ventured forth through the rains to bring their trucks to the 2015 Brooklyn Show. He also thanked all those who worked the Show, both on Saturday with the set up and again on Sunday before, during and after the Show to make it as successful as possible for the spectators who came to see the trucks and to shop at the vendors booths. 4

NEW BUSINESS 1. The Woodstock Fair will be held from September 4 7, 2015 and as always club members are invited to bring their trucks to the designated truck show area during that weekend.

Jonathan has spoken to Denis and confirms that the November Thanks Giving Dinner and Annual Meeting will be held on November 8th at the Haul of Fame Museum in Canterbury.

There are several possible locations in addition to the Willimantic Rail Museum that was mentioned today. 4.

5 NEW BUSINESS 1. The Woodstock Fair will be held from September 4 7, 2015 and as always club members are invited to bring their trucks to the designated truck show area during that weekend. Admission is free with your truck. 2. Jonathan has spoken to Denis and confirms that the November Thanks Giving Dinner and Annual Meeting will be held on November 8th at the Haul of Fame Museum in Canterbury. The Matthew s Catering Company will once again be serving. 3. The location of the September meeting will be announced in the Newsletter. There are several possible locations in addition to the Willimantic Rail Museum that was mentioned today. 4. Jonathan would very much like to arrange a convoy or Fall Foliage Tour with interested members. Contact him. OTHER BUSINESS 1. Peter Yeomans is looking for a Ford Grey 9N Tractor with loader. 2. Tom Holcombe is selling a right hand steel door for a 1940 s-1950 s Autocar for $100 or best offer. 3. Tom Holcombe is looking for a left side wooden frame door for a 1946 Autocar. In Tribute to Bob West: As members pulled into the parking lot of the Rondeau Dairy Bar, they noticed something rather interesting and very familiar. It was one of Bob West s B Model Mack grills that Mike Rondeau had placed in the parking space clearly reserved, always in memory, for Bob West. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:45 PM Respectfully submitted, Betty Jay, Secretary Our Nutmeg Chapter Membership is growing We Welcome our Newest Members Paul Roswell of Salem, John Deluca of Woodstock, Frank McLean of Colbalt, David Doyker of Somers Colonel Arnold Briggs 175 Blackmore Pond Road West Wareham, MA Cell: Home : ColonelBriggs@aol.com MIKE S MYSTERY TRUCK????????? Visit our Nutmeg Chapter WEBSITE and FACEBOOK page for all the latest Chapter News! Be informed 5

A Tribute to Reginald Mackie Phillips, Sr. (1931-2015) The Nutmeg Chapter extends its sympathy to the family of Reggie Phillips.

Members should contact the Tillinghast Funeral Home at 860-774-3284 or visit the website listed in the obituary for more information.

Reggie was a familiar face at the show gate and could be spotted by his red plaid shirt and International hat.

in the area. He was married to Joyce Humes who passed away in 1966 and later married Patricia (McGrath) Phillips.

6 A Tribute to Reginald Mackie Phillips, Sr. ( ) The Nutmeg Chapter extends its sympathy to the family of Reggie Phillips. His daughter, Karen notified the Cub that Reggie passed away on July 19, Karen stated that graveside services will be held on Saturday, August 22. Details are not available at this time. Members should contact the Tillinghast Funeral Home at or visit the website listed in the obituary for more information. Reggie was honored at the 2012 Brooklyn Truck Show with his International Transtar II featured on the dash plaque. Reggie was a familiar face at the show gate and could be spotted by his red plaid shirt and International hat. Reggie s obituary from the Norwich Bulletin published July reads as follows: Reggie Phillips was born in Oneco, CT to the late Paul and Constance (Mackie) Phillips and lived his entire life in the area. He was married to Joyce Humes who passed away in 1966 and later married Patricia (McGrath) Phillips. Besides his wife, he is survived by his children, Marilyn (Nelson) Tripp, Cheryl Hull, Chester (Lynn) Phillips Sr., Karen Hoenig, Veronica (Neil) Moran and Shelia Ruth; sixteen grandchildren, eight stepchildren, Robert, Todd, Kevan and Maureen Rochette, Bonni Piccione, Carrie (Mark) Thurlow, Erin (Alan) O Brien and Valeri O Keefe; siblings Paul and Grace Phillips and Barbara Mella. Reggie was also predeceased by his sons, Reginald, Jr and infant Stuart and also siblings, William, Bruce, Gordon and sister Bernice Bassett. Reggie was an active member of the Plainfield Volunteer for Department for over 60 years (retired). He was an active member of the I.H. Tractor Club and the Nutmeg Chapter of the American Truck Historical Society. He was a trucker all his life and worked for Ed s Garage in Canterbury for over 36 years. A memorial service will be held at a date and time to be announced in August. In lieu of flowers, donations in Reggie s name may be made to the Nutmeg Chapter ATHS c/o Tom Banchand, 108 Harrisville Road, Woodstock, CT or NEIH Chapter 18 Collectors, c/o Donna Callahan 201 Oak Street, Franklin, MA To leave an online condolence, please visit 6

The Story Behind Mike s Mystery Trucks By Mike Pietraroia I was born July 1, 1933 to Italian immigrants and have lived in Windsor, CT ever since.

There have been many things that gave life to my interest; such as living next to a brick maker that had a 1935-36 International C-Series dump truck they used to draw clay from their clay bank to the

I would give great attention to any construction projects around town where equipment was working, digging house foundations, water and sewer pipe work to road building, you name it and I watched it

I would also draw pictures of truck and equipment, some from memory after traveling in the family car.

7 The Story Behind Mike s Mystery Trucks By Mike Pietraroia I was born July 1, 1933 to Italian immigrants and have lived in Windsor, CT ever since. As far back as I can recall, I ve had an interest in trucks and construction machinery. There have been many things that gave life to my interest; such as living next to a brick maker that had a International C-Series dump truck they used to draw clay from their clay bank to the brick forming machine. This brick manufacturer was not an up-to-date operation as there was a lot of hard hand labor involved including loading the clay into the truck by hand shovel. I would give great attention to any construction projects around town where equipment was working, digging house foundations, water and sewer pipe work to road building, you name it and I watched it happen. As a boy I would cut out magazine ads of trucks and equipment from any magazines that came into my house. I would also draw pictures of truck and equipment, some from memory after traveling in the family car. About the time I became a teenager, I acquired sales literature on construction machinery from a local dealer and that started a quest of letter writing to other local dealers and manufacturers for pictures and literature. My great aspiration was to become an operating engineer so when I graduated from high school, I got a job at a local equipment dealer in Hartford and worked there for two years in the parts department and helped in the repair shop, delivered rental equipment and other general chores. My desire to become an operating engineer never materialized and after floundering about working at various jobs for a year or so, I was blessed with a job as a draftsman at Combustion Engineering in Windsor where I became a Technical Illustrator and established my career as such for my working years. I married my wife, Beverly, in 1958 and joined the Windsor Volunteer Fire Company in I was active for 16 years operating fire apparatus, both pumpers and ladder trucks. I also worked as a part-time plow jockey for the Windsor Public Works Department for seven winters plowing snow. I have been a member of the Nutmeg Chapter and American Truck Historical Society since about 1983 and I am also a member of the Antique Truck Club of America. I started to draw my color profile drawings in earnest about five years ago. I have amassed a vast collection of sales literature on trucks, fire apparatus and construction equipment over the years. This collection also includes many magazines, trade journals, pictures, etc. 7

8 FROM THE EDITOR S LOG BOOK 2015 Show Tee Shirts & Dash Plaques Now on Sale Due to the heavy rain on the date of the Nutmeg Chapter Annual Show, the following show items are for sale. You can support our Chapter by purchasing these items at future meetings Dash Plaques $ Tee Shirts $15 Keep in mind that our Annual Show is our major source of Income! Jon is looking for assistance in writing the Nutmeg Chapter s history for the website. If you are one of our long-time members, you can be of help. Contact Jon, he will be happy to hear from you. See Jon s interview with Wheels of Time editor Stormy Wylie about the Nutmeg Chapter s young leader. He represented the Club well in the article. Looking for any photos, short stories on your restoration project or road stories to share with fellow members. Please give the Editor a call or , if you prefer, and we can put something together for you. Everyone has a story that should be shared with your fellow truck enthusiasts! If you have any information for our Cares and Concerns column, we need to hear from you. Do you have something to sell, some part for your restoration project that you are looking for? Contact Don at or dwatrans@sbcglobal.net. You can advertise it for FREE in our newsletter! Did you know that the Nutmeg Chapter Newsletter is available via ? Photos will be in color in the version rather than black and white. Please contact Don Arnauckas to receive The Steering Column s version. Chapter Dues: Knowing that many Chapter members renew their Membership at the Brooklyn Truck Show and due to the inclement weather, we are enclosing a self-addressed envelope for those members who have not renewed their membership at the time this newsletter is being printed. Please send your $10 check to Elizabeth Robertson. The Nutmeg Chapter of The American Truck Historical Society Membership Application ***MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE UPDATED ON YOUR ADDRESS LABEL*** Renew for 2015 Now! $10 PER YEAR ~~~ SEND YOUR DUES TO MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON, ELIZABETH ROBERTSON, NUTMEG CHAPTER, ATHS, P.O. Box 373., WILLINGTON, CT 06279; Phone: OR Elizabeth at historiliz@aol.com IS THIS A NEW MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL NAME SPOUSE S NAME MAILING ADDRESS CITY State Zip/Postal Code (Only Used For Important Notification) In what form do you wish to receive The Steering Column? Hard Copy _ Phone Number ( ) Cell Phone ( ) Are you a Veteran? Yes No IF YOU OWN A TRUCK (S) ENTER INFO HERE AND ON AN ADDITIONAL SHEET: MAKE MODEL YEAR NUTMEG CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN TRUCK HISTORICAL ESTABLISHED IN 1983 PUBLISHES THIS NEWSLETTER, yeomansjon1@gmail.com. ATHS BYLAWS STATE THAT LOCAL MEMBERS MUST ALSO BE NATIONAL MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING. 8

Truck located in Hebron, CT For More Information Contact Lee Johnson at 860-617-6445 TRUCK PARTS FOR SALE One Aluminum Fuel Tank 100 GAL, Length 44 Diameter 28 with 2-5 Straps and 2 Aluminum Frame

9 FOR SALE 1966 Mack B-83SX Tractor NH-250 Cummins with Quad Box. 55,000 Rears 12x24 Radial Tires. All Tires in Good Condition. Truck Runs Great. $15,000. Call Bill Mitchell at FOR SALE 1950 IH L-160 PLATFORM DUMP Has not run in a while, Rough condition. Truck located in Hebron, CT For More Information Contact Lee Johnson at TRUCK PARTS FOR SALE One Aluminum Fuel Tank 100 GAL, Length 44 Diameter 28 with 2-5 Straps and 2 Aluminum Frame Hangers with Footstep. Two Dietz Chrome Steel Headlights, Round for a Peterbilt or Autocar. New in the Box. Never Mounted 4 ALCOA 8 Stud Aluminum 24.5x deg. Wheels 2 ALCOA 8 Stud Aluminum 22.5x deg. Wheels 1 Bostrom Taladega LSO Air Seat, Gray Leather. Call Ubald Saskal at FOR SALE Right-hand Steel door for a 1940 s-1950 s Autocar for $100 or best offer. Contact Tom WANTED: Looking for a left-side wooden frame door for a 1946 Autocar. Contact Tom WANTED: Looking for a Ford 9N Tractor with Loader. Contact Peter YOU can place your FREE AD Here. Contact Don At Mikes Mystery Truck? This month s truck is a 1936 Sterling owned by L. Suzio Construction Co. Meriden, CT 9

10 ATHS CT Nutmeg Chapter Steering Column Calendar of Events for 2015 Aug Aug 23 Aug 23 Sept 4-7 Sept Sept 12 Sept 13 Sept 19 Sept ATHS Classic White IOWA 80 Truck Stop, Walcott, IA. Contact Bruce ATCA Granite State Chapter Show for Vehicles 1960 or Older-NEW LOCATION is Epping New Hampshire Speedway, 15 miles south of previous location, RT 27 (a mile from RT 125). Contact Marilyn Smith at Antique Truck Show & Fundraiser for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank at the RIConn Historical Airfield located at 2357 Plainfield Pike (Rte. 14) Coventry, RI Contact Roger or Jackie at or Walter or Jean at Entry fee $10 plus canned food. Woodstock Fair, County Fairgrounds, Woodstock, CT. (Always Labor Day Weekend) Nutmeg members are invited to bring your antique truck, get free admission and earn money for the Nutmeg Chapter. Contact Cal Neely at or Harold Foskett at HECA International Convention & Show, Washington County Fairgrounds, Route 112, Richmond, RI Contact: Info@heca.net 2015 Mack TrucktoberFest, Mack Service Center Museum, Allentown, PA - Contact or macktruckhistoricalmuseum.org for details Wishes on Wheels, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT - Registration at 6:30 am; Convoy at 9:30 am. Information at US Diesel Truckin Nationals, Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ. Phone or visit website for details at Bennington Antique and Classic Car Show and Swap Meet (Always the second week after Labor Day) RT 7, Powmat, VT. Sept 20 Sept Sept 26 Sept Oct 2-3 Oct 3-4 Oct 3-4 Oct 11 NOV 8 ATHS Nutmeg Chapter Meeting at CT Eastern Railroad Museum, 55 Bridge Street, Willimantic, CT Business meeting at 2 P.M. Contact the Museum at or Jonathan at ATHS Hudson Mohawk Chapter Antique Truck Show and Flea Market (Always the third week after Labor Day) Ballson Spa, NY. Contact Dick Linstead at Friends of Autocar Annual Show & Luncheon at Goshen Fire Co., West Chester, PA. Contact Ed or goldsborough@gmail.com CT Antique Machinery Association Fall Festival (Always the last weekend of September), RT 7 One mile north of Kent, CT. Gerhart s Mack Day, Lititz, PA. Contact for more information. QVEA-Zagray Farm Fall Show, Route 85, Colchester, CT 8:00 am 3:00 pm. Contact or Old Time Fair, Blue Slope Museum, Inc., 135 Blue Hill Road, Franklin, CT. Contact Ernest Staebauer at , or cell ATHS Pioneer Valley Chapter Annual Truck Show (Always Columbus Day weekend), Mestek Field, RT 10 & 202, North Elm St, Westfield, MA. Contact Don or Nancy Prifti at ATHS Nutmeg Chapter Thanks-Giving Dinner and Annual Meeting at the Haul of Fame Museum in Canterbury, CT. Dinner will be served at 1:00 PM; Business Meeting with Elections will follow dessert. Contact Jonathan at Please call the contact number(s) before traveling to a listed event to verify that the information contained in this list is correct. Refer to WHEELS OF TIME- THE ROUTE GUIDE for other ATHS events 10

ATHS NUTMEG CHAPTER STEERING COLUMN

ATHS NUTMEG CHAPTER STEERING COLUMN MAY JUNE 2015 OUR THIRTY-SECOND YEAR DON ARNAUCKAS, EDITOR 14 AVALON AVENUE OAKVILLE, CT 06779 Next Meeting: May 17, 2015 Bob & Bernice West s Garage 425 Turnpike Road