Going down memory lane: Diamond-T 5-ton?

[Robo McDuff]

Going down memory lane a it the last few months. I was looking for pics on my stay in Toad River Mile 422 Alaska Highway and suddenly found back this pic.

After finishing my study at the the University (1985), I was a bit lost and had enough of all the theoretical stuff. So I worked at a small Volvo garage of a friend of me for almost a year, doing welding work for him to earn space and material to restore my Volvo's and a Mercedes Postal Bus converted to camper.

On his terrain was also parked a truck that always made my mouth water. The truck was owned by a Dutch geological survey institute to do ground work, drilling etc. In all the time, I saw it being started up only a few times, but that was impressive. My friend told me it was a Diamond-T.

We lost contact and both of us have moved, but that truck came back to my mind several times, and now I found a picture of it back, did not know I had it.

So what are we looking at here, anybody can identify this more precise? Is this another surplus truck converted to civil use?




The yellow stuff behind the truck is the drilling trailer. I noticed on the picture that the truck has its main lights in the bumper. I now know that this is to comply with Dutch DoT laws that main lights have to be within 50 cm of the side of the truck. The original lights, as in my 5-ton, are too close to the center of the truck.

 

[5tonman1971]

It looks like an m55 maybe?

 

[Robo McDuff]

The truck was not that long, and from the original picture, it looks that the fuel tank and the middle axle are close together, so more a standard cargo wheelbase. The box on top was also as far as I remember just a simple box used as office-working space; it was not an expansible van. Don't know if it was original; it might have been made specially for the institute.

The exhaust goes up between the cabin and the box on the right side. The whole cabin is a bit different, more civilian and solid than my 1973 M51. The front window is an undivided window and cannot be folded down, same with the door.

Remembering that it was a Diamond-T, somehow I pictured in the older longer hood, but I now see it is a normal 5-ton w-w nose. The picture was probably taken in the late 1980s, but the truck has been there at least from the early 1980s. Question is if it really is a Diamond-T or maybe a different manufacturer.

 

[mcmullag]

It looks like a modified deuce and a half (M35). I slightly remember some thread on here where it was stated that some European regions or people referred to the deuce and a halfs generally as a Diamond T.

 

[KsM715]

Looks like an M39 series 5ton. Not a deuce, the deuce grill guard is angled to the side at the headlights. The older 5tons had the flat (straight across) grill guard on the front.

 

[Squirt-Truck]

Diamond T made some of the M39 series. Squirt is one of them...
This one looks like an arctic top conversion.

 

[Robo McDuff]

From my memory, its too big to be a Deuce, must be a 5-ton or similar.