I'm starting this thread for my 1944 Federal Model 606 C2 Army Air Force wrecker. The first C2 wreckers were built by Corbitt around 1936-38, and during the war were built by Biederman and Federal. The chassis were rated at 7-1/2 tons, or 15 tons on the pavement. Every Army Air Force base in the U.S. and overseas had at least one C2, and the larger bases had more. A single C2 could lift most of the aircraft  in the AAF inventory, and two C2's could raise a B-17. After the war the C2's found a new life with heavy civilian tow truck companies, and some were still in service into the 1980's. My C2 was bought by Myroncuk House Movers of New Egypt, New Jersey sometime after the war. Myroncuk used the truck for many years, and kept it inside while they owned it. It appears that they took very good care of it. Sometime around 2008 the truck ended up in a junkyard in New Jersey. Matt Picaro saved the truck from being scrapped, and drove it home ! Matt sold the truck to Jeff Chester in Ohio, who planned to open a military museum. Jeff never had the truck running. He covered the cab with a tarp and parked the truck in his yard. The museum idea didn't work out for Jeff, and most everything he had collected was sold at auction. This is where I bought the truck on July 2nd.

At Matt Picaro's in New Jersey in 2008:


In storage in Ohio:


Sinking into the ground a few weeks before the auction.


Here is the thread Dan Cornett started where I first learned about the auction.
http://forums.justoldtrucks.com/98492/What-is-it


Jeff

I had wanted to buy the truck from Matt Picaro back in 2008-2009, but I didn't have the funds, or a place to keep it inside. The Federal C2's have a wood frame cab, and I knew that the humid Florida climate would ruin the cab in a short time if I kept it outside. While I missed out on the truck, I did build a garage, and made sure it was big enough for a C2 or something like it. However I was always sorry that I missed out on the Myroncuk truck, and always hoped I would have another opportunity to buy it. When I found out about the auction I was pretty excited. I wasn't sure if I could afford to buy the truck and transport it from Ohio to Florida, but Ken Ochenkowski and John Gott were very supportive and gave me the confidence I needed to go through with it. I won the auction, and today the truck was delivered by Steve Hunter of Hot Shot Express.

Backing down the driveway.


My friend Bud stopped cutting hay long enough to come over with his 100 hp Valtra tractor to pull the C2 off the trailer and up to the shop. We were too high on the trailer to unload in the yard so we had to unload on the driveway.

Pulling the C2 off the trailer. Even with a couple flats it rolled easy.


Safe on the ground:


Headed to the shop:


Nearly there:




Fits Perfect !


Jeff

Great truck Jeff, we are going to know where to find you for the next few years.

Murray

Proud to be South Australian

Interests are Kenworth W, Foden White, Inter, GMC, Diamond T 950

Very nice.  Jeff C saved a lot of stuff that might otherwise have been melted.  He even found time to pick up and deliver a set of Hyrail gear for my Dodge on one of his trips.

Just remember that good things happen if you paint these things in the original OD   8-)

Too many Dodges and Dodge-powered things...

That's a great find Jeff. Now remember you have to finish the WB28T before you start on this project.


Tony

Excellent!   Great to have a story about the one that almost got away.


Jim

      All brands of turbochargers professionally rewound and synchronized.
                                         ------------------------
                        No one ever said "My garage is just too big".
                                          ----------------------
           Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you are right.

Great Save, and an interesting story!!!
Just do NOT let the number of projects overwhelm you..
Looking forward to seeing both the W28 and the C2 finished..
Then you will have to buy a road tractor and step deck to take them to shows.
And Maybe an A/C bedroom in the garage????
Tell your wife we all love her!!!

Brocky

Thanks for all the nice comments. Brocky, you have me going down a slippery slope LOL !

I think the C2 is going to be my retirement project. My plan right now is to get it running and stopping so I can move it in and out of the garage when I need to. It would be handy to have the boom working as well. Then I plan to get back to work on the WB28. Today I will try to determine the condition of the engine.

Here are some pictures I took out in the yard yesterday.








.









Jeff

I see a lot of lug nuts there, do you have a big air gun to get six tires on the ground ?    :unsure:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
PROGRESS WAS ALRIGHT ONCE, BUT IT HAS GONE ON TOO LONG

Something tells me that Jeff is not going to wait until retirement to start digging into this truck...........................
And if the WAI's  start showing up late, we all know where Jeff is!



John G

"The impossible will take a little longer" The sign posted above the entrance to the machine shop on the USS Yorktown
1942 Diamond T 969A
1942 Ward LaFrance M1 series 2
1944 Ward LaFrance M1A1 series 5
1940 Chevy G7112 cargo /dump
1944 Sterling HC 165 tractor (1 of 5)
1945 Autocar U7144T w/ 10 ton trailer
1945 Mack NO7

1 understanding wife