Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Linn half track dumptrucks used to make damns in the Tennessee valleys in 1942



For nearly two decades the mighty Linn ‘HafTrak’ was without peer. Approximately 2,500 examples of the ‘torque monster from Morris’ were produced between 1917 and 1948

The Linn proved popular with loggers, miners, contractors and municipalities, serving double duty as a road-building machine during the summer months and a snowplow during the winter. Under ideal conditions company literature claimed the Linn could travel up a 50% incline and some customers, particularly Barrie, VT’s Vermont Marble Co. stated their Linns regularly carried a 20-ton load up a 22% grade.

When equipped with skis a snow-going Linn road train, (1 or 2 Linn tractors towing from 10 to 16 log sleds) could increase productivity 10-fold, with numerous North American logging and mining outfits testifying to their efficiency in Linn advertising. One Linn snow train, operated by the Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd., pulled a 120 ton load from their supply depot to its Flin Flon, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, outpost

Linns were also popular in warmer environs, a number of units were exported to the Middle East, as well as the Panama Canal Zone where they were used for canal, roadway and railway maintenance. During the 1930s Linns equipped with 5-10 ton rock bodies were used by contractors engaged in the construction of the Bonneville, Chickamauga, Guntersville and Grand Coulee Dams and helped construct the Canadian Oil (Canol) oil pipeline in Alaska.

From 1929-on Linn was owned by American LaFrance

2 comments:

  1. Well, shut my mouth! As a former truck salesperson, I admit that I have never heard of The Linn. I will do some research on this for further information. Thanks so much. I sold Light-duty GMC and International, Medium-duty GMC, International, Volvo and GMC-branded Isuzu, heavy-duty International, GMC, Volvo, White-GMC and Autocar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. well darn it, I tried. If you kids don't pay attention in class, you'll fail the test!
      Ha!
      Seriously I've only posted 4 or 5 ever.... until the 2 today. But, heck, I have posted a couple and they were neat! https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Linn

      Delete