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1906 Trentham Road
KYNETON 3444 VIC AUSTRALIA |
NO SUBSTITUTE FOR POWER
HALL-SCOTT
BY IAN LEE
Today large and small trucks are diesel powered with every day names like Mack, Caterpillar, Cummins and GM just to name a few, but this has not always been the case, n the period following World War 11 most were powered by petrol motors. Here in Australia we did have diesel powered trucks from the UK, their performance generally did not build a lot of confidence in the average Aussie trucker. Generally with very low gearing many only did 25 mph when petrol trucks would do 50 mph, so even in the 1960’s most trucks still were low cost petrol powered mostly of American origin.
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Axle weights were 8 ton on single axle and 13 ton on a tandem axle, so most long distance operators had a legal pay load of 15 tons.
One of the most popular petrol trucks was the 6 cylinder International 190 or the smaller V8 180 or the Dodge. Some operators started to switch to the Perkins 6354 diesel, which would pull a tandem trailer, and by the end of the 1960’s diesel had over taken the petrol in the larger powered trucks.
The outcome was similar in the USA, petrol was cheap and power and speed were king.
One of the big petrol motor makers to hold out against the diesel option on the West Coast was the Hall-Scott, a large displacement high output sophisticated petrol motor.
First built for aircraft, the Fageol truck manufacturer approached Hall-Scott in the twenties for a motor for its trail blazing buses, also in the twenties, Hall-Scott was to built a large number of engines for International. This agreement prohibited Hall-Scott from selling motors to other manufacturers over the following years.
During the depression of the 1930’s few big trucks were built, however Kenworth did offer a Hall-Scott option, but sales of motors was as low as 1000 per year, often used in specialised fields such as fire trucks, long distance buses etc.
In 1940 a new model 400 overhead camshaft, hemi head, twin ignition and long wearing semi steel block with a 7” stroke and bore of 5 ¾” to a displacement of 1090”, the base 400 in 1940 produced 295hp at 2000 RPM, and an astounding 940lb/ft of torque. Over the next decade the 400 could produce up to 450hp and over 1000 lb/ft torque, finding drive line components strong enough to handle so much power was a challenge as either Timken or Spicer had strong enough components.
With the USA entering the war in December 1941, Hall-Scott had all but ceased civillian production, also Hudson built 5000 v-12 motors for marine use and some 1700 Hall-Scott 400 motors were used in the US army massive tow truck the M26.
Some of the drive line problems were overcome by using chain drive.
One of the most popular petrol trucks was the 6 cylinder International 190 or the smaller V8 180 or the Dodge. Some operators started to switch to the Perkins 6354 diesel, which would pull a tandem trailer, and by the end of the 1960’s diesel had over taken the petrol in the larger powered trucks.
The outcome was similar in the USA, petrol was cheap and power and speed were king.
One of the big petrol motor makers to hold out against the diesel option on the West Coast was the Hall-Scott, a large displacement high output sophisticated petrol motor.
First built for aircraft, the Fageol truck manufacturer approached Hall-Scott in the twenties for a motor for its trail blazing buses, also in the twenties, Hall-Scott was to built a large number of engines for International. This agreement prohibited Hall-Scott from selling motors to other manufacturers over the following years.
During the depression of the 1930’s few big trucks were built, however Kenworth did offer a Hall-Scott option, but sales of motors was as low as 1000 per year, often used in specialised fields such as fire trucks, long distance buses etc.
In 1940 a new model 400 overhead camshaft, hemi head, twin ignition and long wearing semi steel block with a 7” stroke and bore of 5 ¾” to a displacement of 1090”, the base 400 in 1940 produced 295hp at 2000 RPM, and an astounding 940lb/ft of torque. Over the next decade the 400 could produce up to 450hp and over 1000 lb/ft torque, finding drive line components strong enough to handle so much power was a challenge as either Timken or Spicer had strong enough components.
With the USA entering the war in December 1941, Hall-Scott had all but ceased civillian production, also Hudson built 5000 v-12 motors for marine use and some 1700 Hall-Scott 400 motors were used in the US army massive tow truck the M26.
Some of the drive line problems were overcome by using chain drive.
With the end of World War 11 in 1945 the 400 motor had a proven record with very favourable press reports with engines ranging from 107 to 900hp, the largest a super charged V12. However the 400 was to prove the big seller and quickly established a name for itself in the trucking industry as it could out pull just about anything on the road. Hall-Scott sponsored articles in 1945 in a truck magazine with the title “Save eight hours on the LA to Salt Lake City run”. With sales of 749 units in 1947, but that was the peak year and sales dropped off. 1954 saw a complete new model 590 with up to 250hp and 500lbs/ft torque and 2800 RPM and only 1400 pounds. The 590 was a “square” motor but sales did not improve and the parent company was to make Hall-Scott an independent firm. |
The new company lacked the capital to develop a diesel option motor and by 1957 the company could only offer 6 cylinder models based on the 400 and its 12 cylinder cousin and the horizontal 779 bus motor and sales dropped. A 1957 report showed mechanics and drivers swear by Hall-Scott but the management could not afford them at 2 to 3 mpg and too expensive for long hauls with diesel running at half the fuel cost.
In May 1958 months after Hall-Scott had closed its doors at its Berkeley plant it was sold to Hercules for 1.8 million dollars, records were to show that 27,000 were still in service in 1957 and would need spare parts back up.
After months of moving the plant and parts from California to Ohio the first new Hall-Scott was installed in a new Crown bus, Hercules sales of Hall-Scott numbers is unknown and the model was a poor cousin to the Hercules range and Hercules too was losing popularity and sold to Hupp in 1961, and then White in 1966, and by 1977 sales were almost zero, even Crown coach had only purchased 10 motors in 1969.
After 60 years Hall-Scott ended, however the fondness of drivers and mechanics for the maker of big spark ignition engines made Hall-Scott legacy a success story rather than a failure and it established a permanent place in trucking history.
A serious Mack collector in Queensland has a Mack LTL with a 400 Hall-Scott motor and the word is
In May 1958 months after Hall-Scott had closed its doors at its Berkeley plant it was sold to Hercules for 1.8 million dollars, records were to show that 27,000 were still in service in 1957 and would need spare parts back up.
After months of moving the plant and parts from California to Ohio the first new Hall-Scott was installed in a new Crown bus, Hercules sales of Hall-Scott numbers is unknown and the model was a poor cousin to the Hercules range and Hercules too was losing popularity and sold to Hupp in 1961, and then White in 1966, and by 1977 sales were almost zero, even Crown coach had only purchased 10 motors in 1969.
After 60 years Hall-Scott ended, however the fondness of drivers and mechanics for the maker of big spark ignition engines made Hall-Scott legacy a success story rather than a failure and it established a permanent place in trucking history.
A serious Mack collector in Queensland has a Mack LTL with a 400 Hall-Scott motor and the word is
"It's Awesome”
Hall-Scott engines were later fitted to Mack, Diamond T, International, Kenworth and Peterbuilt to name a few.
Hall-Scott engines were later fitted to Mack, Diamond T, International, Kenworth and Peterbuilt to name a few.
Lee No.3 Pty Ltd
Trading since 1961 ACN: 005 204 599 ABN: 40 005 204 599 |
For more information please contact Ian Lee on 0428 507 408 [email protected] |
PO Box 614
KYNETON 3444 VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA |