I was digging in some of my Talbert literature. Their hydraulic neck was introduced in 1970. I'll have to get a scanner, so that I can post some of the old literature that I do have.

The Hendrickson style pictured was used through the 1969 models. They were not an assembly line truck but the company rather used a cell building concept.

So that's where Otillio's trailer went. Was wondering about that. He had a ton of great equipment, trucks, trailers. What ever happened to his Michigan 275's? Or were they 475's?.

Hello Chris, Ken must be out of town ,but until he is back to answer your questions on how the rear axles are attached, go back to page one, and look again at his model of this trailer. The main beams extend back under the axles, and with large wrench and breaker bar, the threaded rods are turned to lower the beams down to blocking, and taking the weight off the axles. They are then rolled back either by hand or other means to clear for loading or unloading, and then reversed. As for detaching the gooseneck, the tractor has ramps behind the 5th wheel, and with the winch cable attached to the front of the G/N, you detach from the 5th wheel, and slide down the ramps till the trailer is on the ground. Pins are placed in the ramps ahead of teh G/N, and the cable is attached to the "A" frame on top of the G/N, which can then raise the G/N and the tractor is pulled forward. take a look at the Talbert brouchure on page one showing this proceedure. The Rogers Bros. rear axle was about the same as the Talbert. I am sure Ken will correct any part I tried to explain that is incorrect. Interesting history for all of us lowboy enthusiast. DanielD

Thank you Daniel, I could not have explained it any better. Here are a few pictures of White Brothers Talbert trailers. Ken

This one is of a L Mack with a Talbert beam trailer hauling a Manitowoc crane in the area of Lake In The Hills and Algonquin, IL. This was used in a Talbert advertisement, "our three axle trailer soon to be available" The crane is lettered: Canes Incorporated, New York. Permit? permit, I don need no stinkin permit!



These pics are of Interntional tractors with 2 lowboys and a spread axle flatbed.



The last picture is a Talbert with an interchangeable deck for hauling concrete pipe. White Bros. had Michigan loaders with fork lift attachments, hauled and strung out pipe for contrators through out the midwest and south. They had yards near Price Brothers pipe plants in South Beloit, Illinois - Dayton, Ohio and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Chris, the picture you copied is of the trailer called "No. 1", as being the first removable gooseneck Talbert built. It was rated at 60 ton, but at that time, it had ( I think) about a 50% overload factor built into it (so think of 90 tons!!!!)
Ken, you must have a load of Talbert literature/brochures! Love it! DanielD

Is that a concrete paver being hauled in the top photo you posted? Those kinds of loads with an old binder for power reminded me of the days, late fifties and early sixties, when I drove for a contractor out of Toledo, Ohio and we used White 22s for power. They were old ready mix trucks converted to tractors and dumps. Air over hyd. for brakes. Those were the good old days???

Dain, a trailer you mentioned that comes to mind is the Witzco Challenger. They have a cylinder mounted vertically in the neck, and you would extend the cylinder to the ground pushing the deck up. Next you would turn the deck blocks up. Next you retract the cylinder and lower the deck to the ground, block the neck and the truck frame and drive away. I had some bad experiances with this system, as you had to block the landing pad very well on asphalt and dirt, as you are lifting the entire load and trailer deck weight on this single pad. Muddy or soft soil it was a disaster (in my opinion). Here is a picture of a neck cylinder taken from the Truck Paper.

Ken, I believe this style was also used by Rogers Trailers first time around too. I recall seeing this on a customers Rogers back when I was a kid. This style is why everyone points out their's is a "NON-GROUND BEARING" now I guess. I also ran across an article in a Enginerring News-Records magazine (April 1954) of a Rogers "Power-Lift" gooseneck that was a cable operated ram which looks like it was mounted vertically in the Joe-Dog. Seems like pushing up on the center of the goosencek with the 5th wheel forward and the load of the trailer behind would be really hard on the G/N. Also another in the April 1955 issue of ENR, of a LaCross Trailer co. of a hydraulic G/N that has an angular ramp built in, that slides "up & down' for height change. Hmm. What ever happened to that???? Enjoying this. DanielD