I just revived a 2006 video i produced for Jim Mclure's blog York Town Square, Milkman's relic humming around York County today.
Jay Crist, of Manchester Township, let me drive the 73 year old Rutter's electric stand & drive he restored. The "Gasoline - Electric" brass logo catches your attention.
It has a fluidly like I would assume the large locomotives feel that use the same technology.
The truck was recently featured at the York Fair.
Crist said they were popular in areas where there were steep hills. The torque of an electric motor and not grinding away a clutch were a benefit.
It doesn't have batteries or computerized electrical controllers, just a simple gasoline motor with a generator attached that drives a motor on the differential.
Very few moving parts.
It wasn't designed to be green, but rather just innovative and used the resources of a company that built generators.
Bold stuff for a company surviving at the end of the depression.
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