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M26 Dragon Wagon

m1010plowboy

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Old threads with a perfect title need some pictures so I schpeculated you folks would like to see some color.

I was going to wait until family hit the river valley to see if she's still there but let's jump the gun and get her up here. Maybe others can climb on and we can fill this thread with Dragon Wagon info. A recent picture I spotted got me going.

geraldlapointedrgnwgn.jpg

I'm going to do my best to prompt the fine fellow that put this photo up to dig deep for more pictures. Gerald was working with "Mike the Mover" when the Boyle grain elevator needed to be moved and they happened to have the truck to do it. The M26 Dragon Wagon. I'm sure glad Gerald had a camera.

As a kid, we saw the M26 parked next to Jasper Auto parts along St Albert trail and it always left an impression. I had no idea what it was at the time but bought all the books and manuals for it anyway.

2012_02_414_Jasper_Auto_Parts_on_St_141.jpg

In the late 80's I spotted something red sitting near a tree nursery I was hauling out of and ten years ago it was still there. I eventually met Brad who's father owned the truck and the land it sat on. I left my number so they knew someone would take it when they decided it was time.

The most recent google photo still shows it there so I asked some locals to see if that's the case. I'll find out tomorrow. When I saw it personally 7 years ago, the Hall Scott engine was out of it and the owner said the engine sat in a barn for a long time. Even having the engine on a stand to run at shows would have been a groovy goal but without it, only the shell and a resemblance of how the truck might have looked is left behind. Critical thinking would reason that there's not enough left of the truck to create a display that might represent her use here in Canada,.....but at the same time creating a display with the only remaining pieces of history that are left, could entertain others for centuries. This is the latest sat view. The red bushes cover the back but one can make out the roofless cab to the left of the bush. I should have never crawled on that truck.

drgnwagn.png
 

m1010plowboy

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Happy Anniversary! """"""" The M26 first saw action on the Italian Front of 1943 """""""

Great history write up over here...... https://sites.rootsweb.com/~mtygf/county/m26.htm

The truck is still there and it's kindled a fire in me loins to look at bustin' her out. She's described as the later M26A1 and not the armoured M26 with around 1270 manufactured.....but we're not exactly sure, if you read the above site.

P3150236.JPG P3150237.JPG P3150239.JPG P3150240.JPG

The fellas and ladies that kept these rolling saved a rare piece of history. Happy 80th!


 

Darylfraser

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That
Happy Anniversary! """"""" The M26 first saw action on the Italian Front of 1943 """""""

Great history write up over here...... https://sites.rootsweb.com/~mtygf/county/m26.htm

The truck is still there and it's kindled a fire in me loins to look at bustin' her out. She's described as the later M26A1 and not the armoured M26 with around 1270 manufactured.....but we're not exactly sure, if you read the above site.

View attachment 893195 View attachment 893196 View attachment 893197 View attachment 893198

The fellas and ladies that kept these rolling saved a rare piece of history. Happy 80th!


That truck needs a rescue. I understand there is only 1 or 2 complete running A12 kicking around. The Cheiftain just did a nice 2 parter for World Of Tanks on YouTube featuring the M26A1 at the museum of American Armor in New York. On my bucket list.
 

WW2Chevy

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Years ago there was a house moving company located near Hastings Nebraska. Drove by the place several times a year to visit family. The company was neat as a pin! Everything nicely painted and very neat rows of the beams and blocking that they used to raise and transport buildings. They also happened to have a complete, running M26 tractor, and M15A1 tank transport trailer parked next to the shop. I was contacted by a collector looking for a tractor, so I put the two parties together. Turns out the family patriarch had passed away, and the family was looking to sell a few things off. The tractor, trailer and spares were purchased by Kevin Kronlund and restored by him as well. Kevin was tragically killed a few years later, and I am not sure what became of the military vehcle collection he had assembled...

Watch for it at 0:39 mark - Kronlund Collection
 
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Jeff Lakaszcyck

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Plowboy, that M26A1 does not look all that bad, especially if it comes with the Hall Scott. I would guess there are at least a dozen of these in the US, and more in Europe. I know of two collectors here that each have three, and three of the six run. The article you posted is pretty good but they are way off on the top speed. A Dragon Wagon is good for about 25 mph, not the 45 mph they quote. The gentleman who was a former driver who said he was able to tune up the engine and it would run "80 mph" must have fallen on his noggin !

This is probably my favorite Dragon Wagon photo, taken in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in 1968. That is the Apollo 8 Saturn V first stage. I added a couple more.

Pacific 1945 M26A1 1968 Apollo_8_first_stage_in_the_Vehicle_Assembly_Building.jpg Pacific M26A1 6x6 with Saturn V 1st stage on barge Houston.jpg Pacific M26A1 towing Saturn 5 transporter.jpg
 

m1010plowboy

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Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Just heard through the ether vine that 3 (maybe 6) M26 Dragon Wagons were procured through the Canadian Army to haul Centurian tanks by these folks https://rcemecorpsgemrc.ca/. That important detail and the sad little hunk of remaining metal may be enough to keep this Daisy out of the flower dump. It's closer than ever to having a flower bed to rest in as an alternative to ripping her petals off and thrashing it. Good things do come to those who wait and continuously moan about Daisy's rotting in the field. She's one step closer to a new home and I'm real confident we're going to get to play on it.

dragonwgnfrnt.jpg392715460_6712408272205594_3496938624218388829_n.jpg
 

Joe Bertram

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I realize that there aren't very many of these trucks around however I have located an old FWD snowblower that has one of these hall Scott engines in the rear of it driving the snow blower section. Is there any market for these? Hoping to keep it out of the scrap yard
 

m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
I realize that there aren't very many of these trucks around however I have located an old FWD snowblower that has one of these hall Scott engines in the rear of it driving the snow blower section. Is there any market for these? Hoping to keep it out of the scrap yard
I swear I saw a Hall Scott museum but can't find it right now. Maybe it was part of the Pacific truck gang I talked to a decade ago that needed Hall Scott but I still see some enthusiasts around. Getting the word out there about an engine could be started here maybe....https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563110327265979/....... I wish I could say I'll drive down with a trailer and grab it for the Cando M26 project. Several MV guru's have said it's not 'worth' saving in part because the engine is gone. I'm still sitting on a fence waiting for someone to bump me on my head hard enough to send the wreckers to pick it up. Meanwhile, we can watch this video that has a Hall Scott M26 and a bunch of other heavies running around.
 

m1010plowboy

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Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Edmonton, Canada
I realize that there aren't very many of these trucks around however I have located an old FWD snowblower that has one of these hall Scott engines in the rear of it driving the snow blower section. Is there any market for these? Hoping to keep it out of the scrap yard
This might be another contact to make to salvage a Hall Scott. https://www.hall-scottengines.com/ Not sure how current this is but let us know what you find out. It sure looks like there's a decent Hall-Scott fan club market out there.
 
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