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History Any idea about those trailers ? Circa 1950/55.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by nali, Mar 1, 2015.

  1. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    I hope it's not off topic, but I'd like to know where and when a picture comes from.
    The picture is probably from circa 1950 / 1955 WW2.
    This forum is the best place I could ask, since I'm not a member of many US forum.
    Thanks a lot !!!

    Phil

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2015
  2. All the same color....some type of military encampment?
     
  3. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,671

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    I'm also thinking military housing. Possibly WWII era as most of the cars look to be late 30's.
    Utility poles and sidewalks still being worked on (Icehouse indicates non electric refrigeration).
    Looks to be more than a short term "camp" as the trailers are up on jacks and the wheels/axles aren't in play...
     
  4. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Right ... I though 50/55, but if we look closer it seems most of the cars are from late 30"s.
    Maybe one or two Buick 38.
     

  5. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member



    about 50 seconds in
     
  6. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

  7. They've come to start exporting hot rods to another planet.
     
    kiwijeff likes this.
  8. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    I don't see any transformer on the poles ...
    Shouldn't we see some ?
    So the picture may come from Europe, as they use 220 volts directly ...
     
  9. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    Huh? transformers on power poles get the voltage down to 240/120v....
     
  10. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    In North America, yes, but in Europe the voltage at the pole is already 220 volt, so you don't see any transformers like here.
     
  11. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    This was in Iowa....1947


    [​IMG]
     
  12. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Nice find !
    Sames trailers .
    And no transformers ...
    Thanks, it may help.
     
  13. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Trailer park in France in 1956.
    They are not the same kind.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    The picture is definitely US trailers, the type used for WWII housing, and later used for other things like college campus housing.

    Could be from lots of different places across the US. But the alien thing makes it so fun!
     
  15. ems customer service
    Joined: Nov 15, 2006
    Posts: 2,634

    ems customer service
    Member

    i think it was yucca flats
     
  16. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    Yucca Flats was used starting in the early 50s, I doubt there would only be prewar cars...and the scenery doesn't look right, either.
     
  17. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Yes, the alien thing is the funny part :)
    I love those kind of things and pseudo-history.
    In case you are interested, I made some researches about an "OOPart" (Out Of Place Artefact), the "Dorchester Pot", and I think my conclusion is better than some you can read somewhere else :)
    You can read it there, at least my english version will be useful ... :
    http://irna.lautre.net/OOPArt-The-Dorchester-Pot.html

    Thanks for the help ems !
     
  18. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Here s an idea from another forum (AOMCI, antique outboards) I also asked :

    I'll bet it's goverment housing for defense factory workers during WWII. I just finished reading a book about the development of the famous Ford Motor Co. Willow Run B-24 bomber plant in Michigan just west of Detroit. A major problem was providing the housing for the 16,000 or so workers that flodded in from all over the country to work at the plant. After the new arrivals stayed in tents, campers and tar paper shacks for the first year, the government finally ended up building a temporary "city" to house many of the folks. As a aside, that plant ended up producing one B-24 every 50 minutes at it's peak production in early 1945, some 430 bombers per month.
     
  19. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,671

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    Not Willow Run as that was nearly 1000 trailers.

    "Circle the wagons" type of courtyard layout vs. stacked in rows possibly indicates a more private and spacious arrangement for superintendant's or low level officers families?

    An arborist could ID those odd shaped conifer trees to help narrow down the region.

    Maybe send the photo to ww II museum or FEMA for help.

    Trailers were made under Government contract by Alma in Michigan for troops and defense plants including shipyards, etc. Contact them if they're still around.

    Pic from Erie Pa. GE WW @ plant housing complex.
    trailer alma.jpg
     
  20. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    Since the trailers are all painted OD, it makes me think it's a military installation...as opposed to civilian housing set up for civilians working for a contractor.

    But I could be wrong.
     
  21. eaglebeak
    Joined: Sep 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,271

    eaglebeak
    Member

    Going by the size of the trees, it looks like it could be up north, somewhere.
    Could it be the camp for the start of the AlCan hiway?
    1942.
     
  22. 327Eric
    Joined: May 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,121

    327Eric
    Member

    Housing at one of the Manhatten Project sites comes to mind. started in 1939 I believe.
     
  23. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,659

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    During WW2 the government set up trailer camps for emergency housing for war workers. One givaway was the lack of tires, when the trailer was delivered it was set up on wooden trestles and the wheels taken off and reused.

    Some of the trailers in the first picture look like this Travelo
    http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com/html/html/1942_travelo_defense_033004.htm

    There was a great series of photos of the Western Trailer Company assembly line turning out trailers in 1942, showing everything from bare chassis to delivery at the trailer park. I tried to find it but didn't have much luck, I turned up a million 1942 cowboy movie trailers though.

    http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b03285/

    Later...................

    Found it! Photo series about production and use of wartime trailers from 1942.
    http://www.pddoc.com/reflets/fsa_rv-00.htm
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2015
    stillrunners likes this.
  24. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    Nice research Rusty !
    It seems that finding the real location in the picture is difficult ...
     
  25. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,659

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Other trailers in the picture appear to be the Palace Expando.
    http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com/html/html/1942_palace_expando_041004.htm

    Alma trailer resembles the Travelo
    http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com/html/1945_alma_8x50.htm

    Travelo, Alma and Palace trailers were made in Michigan. This may mean something or nothing, as trailers are portable.

    Other pictures I have seen indicate the same khaki or olive drab color was used for all government trailers whether for civilian or military use. They were also equipped with blackout curtains. It could have been a matter of standardization, or camouflage, or that color paint used less scarce materials.

    Do you know where the Rays lived and what they were doing during WW2?

    The site in the picture looks very raw, newly built, not even completed yet. As if it was taken in 1942 or 1943 when the government was setting up these camps.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2015
  26. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,659

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    The more I think about it the more I think the 400 Ray pictures are authentic but the 2 alien pictures are fake. Just by the way they are presented in the video.
    Will be interested to see the final documentary or mocumentary .
     
  27. nali
    Joined: Sep 15, 2009
    Posts: 828

    nali
    Member

    I think quite the same, Rusty.
    It may be funny debunking this :D
     
    squirrel likes this.
  28. spooler41
    Joined: Feb 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,099

    spooler41
    Member

    Thank you Rusty, Great links to follow, I especially enjoyed the link to trailer
    production and trailer camps.

    ........................... Jack
     
  29. Just a guess on my part but the photo is reminiscent of the early Army Corps of Engineers encampments to house the works building projects like the TVA. HRP
     
  30. THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 5,408

    THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER
    Member
    from FRENCHTOWN

    That's what I was thinking. Somewhere near Oakridge TN where they developed the A-bomb. Very hush hush.
     

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