Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show 2014 - British, European, Japanese Trucks and historic fire engines and police cars

John and I drove up to Penrith to take a look at this show held at the Museum of Fire at Penrith on Sunday June 15 2014. There was around 150 vehicles on display - this post shows most of the British, European and Japanese trucks, plus some historic fire engines and police cars. To see the American trucks such as Inters, Dodges, Chevs, Kenworths, Macks and Whites, click here.

Arnott's Albion and seen below with it's matching Ford

An assembly of Atkinsons

Amazing Austins

A bunch of Bedfords of all models and years

J-model Bedford

This is a Faun (above and below)  They are made in Germany - FAUN comes from 'Fahrzeugfabriken Ansbach und Nurnberg'  The Company came into being in 1918 with the merger of two companies - Ansbach and Braun. In 1926 the two firms went their separate ways, only to re-merge in 1930. They seemed to have specialised in rubbish trucks - street sweepers, rotating drum refuse collectors etc.

A Fiat -  not often that you see one of these.

A fabulous Foden with  a Rolls Royce engine.

A neat Honda

Two Leylands - above and below

A 1418 Mercedes Benz

A 1626 Benz - because we love it and this is the first time we have seen it - here's a shot of the back as well.

A Toyota

There were three Volvos on display - that's a  rare sight! A G88 Volvo

N1215 Volvo

An N12 Volvo - same colour as ours but it's not ours

This show was held at the Museum of Fire so here are some of the fire engines that were on display. That's a Bedford, above, and an Austin, below.

A Dennis fire engine. John Dennis (1871-1939)  started as a bicycle manufacturer in 1885 in Guildford in England and was soon joined by his brother Raymond (1878-1939)  then moved onto motor cycles and in 1904 Dennis Brothers produced their first commercial vehicle - this vehicle had the patented 'worm gear rear axel' - they built their first fire engine in 1908. Here's an interesting website on the Dennis Brothers www.dennissociety.org.uk

Another Dennis - two shots of it.

This is another Dennis

A 1942 Ford Fire Brigade canteen truck

Two Internationals

A Mack 

Chev Blitz

There was an interesting display of historic police patrol cars - as John (like all old interstate truckies) has been pulled up once or twice by the local policeman, they brought back a few memories

This post shows most of the British, European and Japanese trucks, plus some historic fire trucks and police cars. To see the American trucks such as Inters, Dodges, Chevs, Kenworths, Macks and Whites, click here.

Theodore Alfred Peterman - founder of Peterbilt trucks

Theodore Alfred Peterman, the founder of Peterbilt trucks died 70 years ago this year (November 1944) so I thought I would try to find out some information about him on the Ancestry Family History database. So here's what I know.

Washington State, Department of Health Birth index. 

This is hard to read (click on all images to enlarge them) but this is a record of his birth from the Washington State, Department of Health Birth index. It lists Theodore Alfred born March 22, 1893 and his sister Gladys born March 25, 1891. They were born in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. Their parents are Theodore Frederick Peterman and Katherine Corcoran, who had married in 1887.  The father, Theodore Frederick is listed on a United States Census as a 'manufacturer of sashes and doors'. He was born in Germany on December 25,  1857 and immigrated to America in 1873 and was naturalised as an American citizen in 1879. He died on June 16, 1920. Katherine Corcoran was born on February 27, 1866 in Tacoma Washington - her father was born in Ireland and her mother in Russia (although in one Census Katherine's  mother was listed as being born in Canada)  so in that sense the family is a good example of the 'melting pot' that the United States was in the 1800s and early 1900s. Katherine died (I believe) on  June 15, 1950.

New York Passenger lists

In 1906 the family took a trip to Germany. On their return in May 1906 the family appear on a 'List of alien passengers' required for the United States Immigration Department. Presumably this was because the father was born in Germany, even though he had applied for an American passport in March 1906.

Washington Marriage records

Theodore Alfred married  Lida Hannah (sometimes listed as Ida) on July 10 1915. This is their marriage certificate - they were married in  Seattle and he signed his certificate as T. Alfred Peterman. Lida is listed on a Census as being born in Washington and both her parents were American born (Tennessee).  They are listed on the 1930 Census as living in Tacoma with a  servant but no children, so I wonder if they had any?.

United States Draft Registration card

This is Theodore's Draft Registration card from 1917. He is described as tall, blue eyes, dark hair, not bald and of medium (as opposed to slender or stout) build. His year of birth is incorrectly listed as 1892.

1935 Tacoma, Washington City  Directory

This is the entry, under Peterman,  from the 1935 Tacoma, Washington City  Directory and shows Theodore's and Lida's business, Peterman Manufacturing Company, where he was the President and the Manager of the company that made doors and veneers this was  before they began Peterbilt trucks in 1939. It also lists his sister Gladys and his mother Kath T as the widow of Theo F -  obviously privacy wasn't an issue in 1935!

Find a Grave www.findagrave.com

This is Theodore's grave at  the Tacoma Mausoleum. He died on November 16 1944 in Vancouver, Washington and Lida died on July 11,1967. The last member of his family, his sister Gladys, died at the age of 93 in August 1984 in Seattle.