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BEFORE & AFTER

RESTORATION OF THE MONTH

Heavyweight Contenders:

Industrial-strength trucks restored to original glory

By Leslie C. McDaniel

Photos by G. Wayne Walker Jr. and Lawrence Herrs

Tractors weren't the only workhorses manufactured for farm use in the early years of this century: Industrial-weight trucks, for use on the farm and in industrial settings, also rumbled across the landscape. Two classic examples have been restored by Lawrence Herrs, Washington, Kan.

Lawrence's projects include two Internationals: a 3-ton model 63 flat bed, and a 2-ton model 61 wrecker. The 63 was produced from 1924-27 (his is a '25); the 61 from 1915-23 (his is a '21). Despite their age, and years of deterioration, the trucks were built to last, he said.

"They were made so heavy that they are just about indestructible," he said. "Most of them were sold to the logging and mining industry, and they're really heavy. The top speed on the 63 is 15 miles an hour, so they could gear down for heavy loads, and climp steep hills."

Lawrence grew up on International equipment.

"I was raised on a farm, and we always had Internationals," he said. "After I got back from the Army, I was a mechanic and shop foreman for an International dealer for 17 years."

Since 1978, he's been in business for himself at Herrs Machine, rebuilding hydrostat transmissions, large diesel engines and pumps, and turbochargers for all brands of farm equipment.

"The type of work we do, we're talking millionths of an inch tolerance," he said.

That emphasis on precision and perfection is apparent in the high quality of Lawrence's restoration projects. Extensive research, he said, also makes a difference.

"I do a lot of research before I start a project," he said. "I have a lot of old books and advertisements, and when I'm done with a project, I'm completely satisfied that it's as it should be."


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