Charlie Pack’s Hook and Ladder Truck
Charlie Pack writes: This model is similar to the one illustrated in the manual for the No. 7 1/2 White Truck set. I obtained the model assembled but unfinished from an eBay seller. It had been assembled incorrectly and with a variety of different hardware so I took it apart and reassembled it with stainless steel screws and original nickel plated square nuts. I then added a hose reel of my own design, and installed a set of ladders. An unknown previous owner had done a nice job of re-painting the truck body, hood, fenders and reproduction wheels in the proper fire-engine red color. He also did a nice job of adding appropriate decals.
Charlie Pack’s Kelmet Dump Truck
Charlie Pack writes: The Kelmet White Truck is the forerunner of the Gilbert Erector “White Truck”.
In 1926, Gilbert added the basic parts of the Kelmet White Truck to the Erector system. This particular Kelmet pressed steel toy dump truck was probably made between 1926 and 1932 and is believed to be completely original except for reproduction rubber tires. It came from an antique store in Idaho and I bought it at a toy show in California on Dec. 30, 1993. More information can be found in Greenberg’s Guide to Gilbert Erector Sets, Volume One 1913-1932, by Bill Bean and Al Sternagle.