M62 wrecker was a gasser, and got the A2-rebuild treatment in the 1990's, unfortunately.. The only good part is it also received a new M809-series front axle with true power steering during the MWO... It was turned in Code-A Serviceable from its final Unit and transferred directly to the US Forest Service.. It still wears the tin inventory tag riveted inside the door... No idea of its history there but in time it was transferred under freebie loan directly to a small town (pop <1000) fire department on top of the northernmost hills of the Berkshire mountain range near its boundary with Vermont's Green Mountain range.. It's a logging and farming region, the majority of the town roads are "dirt" and negotiating steep rugged terrain.. It's a good thing the truck kept its 5th-direct tranny during the rebuild .. Having been there myself, i doubt it ever got into 5th gear high range
As desolate as that area is, the M62 certainly did not feel abandoned or alone because it had plenty of family to lounge with.. That particular little fire department with its "federal surplus freebie" status managed to amass almost a company-sized Combat Engineer motorpool of military dumps, tractor/trailers, D7 dozers, gravel screens, graders, etc. for free.. Of course the FD did not use most of this stuff thus it was "on loan" to their highway dept.. It sure would've been a great place for myself or other older vets to work with this "vintage" equipment.. Starting in 2013 or so they began to turn in the oldest equipment thus I purchased the M62 direct from the US General Services Administration but loadout was on town property.. I believe GSA is the only gov't-direct surplus vehicle sales venue since the days of the DRMO.
While on the town, the M62 was outfitted with triple-chains in winter and a set of singles on the front.. the chains are still in one of the bins.. It certainly performed recovery for snowplow and firetruck mishaps in winter and no doubt pulled out stuck dumptrucks and equip in other seasons.. It also worked year-round for removing/loading trees from roads during storms, and likely performed hoisting work to put up and maintain their equipment storage sheds.. The wrecker and the other 6x6 trucks in that town most-certainly performed crucial duty during the big ice storm of December 2008... It took a week or more for National Guard and other gov't support and FEMA to arrive to help towns hit hard in the mountains of western Mass, and the aftermath required months of cleanup in some areas. I recall the town bragged to be independently cleared and opened up by the time outside "help" arrived ..
On a lighter note, I heard a rumor the M62 out-pulled everything when hooked to the tractor-pull sled at the local fair. With its weight (>34000#) i do not doubt it... Although its LDS is getting tired (or maybe it's just because of its weight) , all of the mechanicals had always been kept up to snuff and the winch & hoist cables meticulously cared for, lubed, and covered.. The truck came with something I had never seen before on any wrecker, a top and bows from a 2-1/2T for protection.. Just a note, the "05A" USA number on hood is there only for a personal significance.. The truck is a 1953 thus it actually has numbers-only regis starting with a few zeros... For those very observant to detail, I painted the stars by hand , added a NOS surplus pre-cleaner, and installed a set of M809-series fender supports to fix the problem of air cleaner fender sag.. Other than some hose replacements done and regular maint, it needs nothing but paint ..
DRESSED FOR WINTER:
Next, a series of TASKS, starting with it's earliest days with me:
1st Day on Job .. Hmmm, will it reach high and far enough to build the other (missing) half?
"Maybe not, but it makes for an expensive swing!" she says
Roof Removal 101
Swing roof swing,
Yes, it even swings at night .. Just don't look into the boom disco balls or there goes the night vision !
Expensive post-setting apparatus,, that will...
...De-rock your world,
De-limb you,
Flip your lid,
Makes log entries for you, (btw, that's member "wreckclues" truck now)
Skins your cat ,
Yanks anybody's chain,
Helps a sick partner,
Quietly helps babysit,
Performs post-storm underbody car wash duty and heavy-duty garden hose hanger , not made in China,
Helps a jeep fly,
Sleeps around with friends,
Visits older IHC relatives on a regular basis,
Transforms into an 18-ton Austin-Western roller,
And is always first in line, ready for duty
In closing, this truck has performed many tasks too critical to stop for a photo op, and a bit requiring outriggers and cribbing.. It most-likely will be the last piece of heavy equipment I part with
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melted.
