1956 Chevy 3600

   This truck, 1956 Chevy 3600, 3E56L006373, was found in 2000 listed on www.tractorshed.com.  It was located in Jacksonville, AR and owned by Scyrell New.  After our original conversation via email we worked out a deal.  I was able to purchase it on payments and he agreed to store it until such time I could make a trip to pick it up.  The “such time” took about three years.
   Since 9/11 I have preferred to not travel on commercial airlines, not wanting to become victim of a terrorist wanting to convert my airplane to a big lawn dart, something I would have very little control over, I have decided to ground myself, besides I like to drive and look at our country from ground level.  My air time is now limited to smaller air craft where I know and trust the pilot and everyone else on the aircraft.  Since that time I have driven to California a couple times.  Most recently my work took me to Orlando, FL to attend a workshop on Geographic Information System (GIS) database management, an area critical to management assets from a municipal standpoint. 
   Earlier this year while visiting www.tractorshed.com again I happened on to run across another tractor that would also match up and be a good addition to my fleet, a 1959 841 Ford.  It had power steering, something my 1957 871 Ford did not.  When it was puchased in 1998, it came with a Dual 100 loader.  The only problem was the power steering was limited to my arms.  After about running into a fence trying to turn while mowing the homestead, I decided to take the loader off.  It steered a lot easier.  The loader has sit in the yard since. 
   Banks, another whole new topic.  Locally, we once had a friendly local hometown bank.  In times of corporate merger, it went from Farmers State Bank of Mission to Norwest, the corporate bank only to be merged again into the Wells Fargo system.  It seemed they didn’t need me struggling to raise eight kids, three of our own and four nephews and a niece, in one of the poorest counties in the country.  After thirty plus years at the same bank and after a dispute over managing my money, I never did get my $100 back that fell into a black hole, I moved to another bank, Community First National Bank of Valentine, NE.  They helped me buy the 871, and now helping me buy the 841. 
   Now, to continue making a short story longer, we have made it to a point, with a truck in Jacksonville, AR, a Ford 841 in Barlowe, KY, the need to go to Orlando, FL, not particularly wanting to fly, an excellent road trip.  After costing out the cost of flying for two employees, driving  was cheaper, we could see some country neither of us had seen before, thus Chance and John’s excellent journey was born.  We both were aware of my assets in Kentucky, and Arkansas.  Logic set in and we decided to take a Dodge Cummins 3/4T Super Duty, the previous week it was on the west coast, and a trailer.  Chance’s parents, owners of the truck and his brother, Rob, made that trip, so Rob got to see California one week and Florida the next week.  On the way to Florida. we journeyed to Barlowe, KY and loaded the 841, detoured slightly back to Jacksonville. AR and loaded the 56 Chevy, then dollied down the trailer and headed for Florida.  We attended the two day workshop, which will be extremely helpful with what we are trying to do here on the Rosebud Reservation as far as GIS and managing Tribal assets.  On the way back we journeyed back to Jacksonville hooked up the trailer and head home.
   Why do I need another truck?  It joins my buck truck fleet, a 65 Willys J-10, an International HD 3/4 T 4X4, a 73 Jeep 4X4 pickup (all to be combined along with a 74 Chevelle Wagon, it has a kick butt 305 power plant, to become my Cheveep Binder Project), a 56 Willys CJ5, an 88 Chevy Silverado 4X4, and finally my 70 Chevy dually end dump (which created the need for a loader tractor).  The 56 Chevy 3600 has a 235 in line six engine with a granny four speed transmission and a rear gear to match the granny transmission, definitely not a road warrier for long trips but limited to short working trips on the Rosebud and I might add in a style that very few other could match..  The engine also has something my brother always dreamed about when we were growing up, a split exhaust manifold and dual exhausts.  Three cylinders per pipe has definitely a different sound and a little better performance.  I also have a 1974ish Chevy 1T frame with dual wheels and 10,000 # rear axle that I want to make a custom toter for my Ford tractors, I hate roading them from place to place, asphalt is hard on tires, time consuming and a little hazardous on well traveled highways.  The 56 Chevy has its work cut out.  Every since my high school days I always wanted a 55-56 Chevy truck, now I got one.