Airport Machinery Company, Anchorage, Alaska

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=90 BGCOLOR="#003366" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="008005a0dkcfqa.png"> <div> <A HREF="http://willysdealershipproject.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://willysdealershipproject.com/"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Willys De</B><B>alership Project</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>             Back to: </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Alaska"><U><B>Alaska</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Use your browser's Back button for best results</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Airport Machinery Company</div> <div> Address Unknown</div> <div> Anchorage, Alaska</div> <bR> <div> Submitted by Forward Control guru <A HREF="http://www.thefcconnection.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thefcconnection.com/"><U>Craig Brockhaus</U></A>, from the May 1957 issue of "Willys News":</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="928f85b0.jpg" border=0 width="504" height="603" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Note the neon sign in the first picture above.  The first word is unreadable, but the second appears to be "Willys".  "Airport Machinery" can be seen on the front of the flatbed truck and on the building behind the crane boom.</div> <bR> <div> The mine, which closed in 1971, was at the community of <A HREF="http://www.explorenorth.com/library/communities/alaska/bl-RedDevil.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.explorenorth.com/library/comm"><U>Red Devil</U></A> which is approximately 200 miles downriver from <A HREF="http://www.explorenorth.com/library/communities/alaska/bl-McGrath.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.explorenorth.com/library/comm"><U>McGrath</U></A>.  Considering that McGrath had a former military airstrip, it was probably the closest field at the time capable of handling the cargo plane.  Most likely the truck completed its journey via barge, despite the article stating "Within hours it was again unloaded, reassembled and in service at the mine location."  From what I understand, Red Devil is an isolated community and none of the roads connect with the rest of the state.  Motorized access is via air or river only.  While this particular truck was probably worked hard and eventually scrapped, if it still exists it likely has never left the area.  Hmm, how much is a ticket to Red Devil?...</div> <bR> <div> The site of the former mine is heavily contaminated.  More details about the clean-up, with present-day pictures, can be seen <A HREF="http://www.anchorage.ak.blm.gov/redevl-c.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.anchorage.ak.blm.gov/redevl-c"><U>here</U></A> and <A HREF="http://www.ak.blm.gov/ak940/solids/aml/redevl/redevl-p.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ak.blm.gov/ak940/solids/aml/r"><U>here</U></A>.  The latter link includes a <A HREF="http://www.ak.blm.gov/ak940/solids/aml/redevl/images/rdhst1-2.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ak.blm.gov/ak940/solids/aml/r"><U>1958 picture</U></A> with what is possibly the FC-150 truck in the dead center, facing the camera.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Also, circa 1954: <A HREF="http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/pnwkfoci/dealers/ak.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/pnwk"><U>K-F Dealer List</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>