RE: [ihc] stars

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

i didn't have time to get to this last night, and Ryan covered it pretty
well.  just a couple quick comments to throw into the mix, mostly
information direct from the Crismon book.  probably way more information and
detail than was asked for, but i'm like that a lot.

## >> >Fleetstar,
## >>
## >> Think bigger loadstar, they pretty much look the same, just bigger.

Fleetstar was indeed a larger truck, with a wider flatter grille and
slightly higher cab than the Loadstar.  they do look remarkably similar,
though.  where the Loadstar was a medium truck in the 1600 to 1800 range,
the Fleetstar was IH's entry-level "heavy" truck starting at 1900 and going
above 2000.

## >> >Cargostar,
## >>
## >> During the'60s, the C/O (cabover trucks) stopped being called
## >> loadstars and
## >> became Cargostars.  I've seen at least one that was still
## >> badged loadstar,
## >> so I do know they were at least badged as such initially.

no changes, except to add that according to Crismon, the CO-Loadstar
officially became the Cargostar in 1970, and were badged as Loadstars prior
to the official name change.  the Cargostar was dropped from production in
1986, which marked the end of all US production of IH-built cabover medium
trucks except for forward-control bus and firetruck chassis.

## >> >Transtar,
## >>
## >> I believe this is the larger cabover, Fleetstar equivalent?

Transtar initially appeared as a cabover overland/LTL tractor in 1968, as
the CO-4070, a replacement and cab refinement over the previous CO-4000,
which did not have a *star name.  the range of Transtars eventually
encompassed conventional trucks as well, beginning in 1970 and using the
numbers 4200 and 4300.  there was also a Unistar, which was essentially a
specially modified 2-axle Transtar 4070 with front driving axle making it a
4x4 truck, some of which were equipped with the Jifflox Dolly, a removeable
tandem rear axle.  in 1968 IH experimented with a turbine-powered Transtar
cabover, called the Turbostar.  unfortunately, the experiment failed because
of fuel inefficiency.

where the Fleetstar is essentially a heavy local duty truck, it's not an
overland/LTL truck, more of a heavy duty work truck.  as mentioned above,
the Transtar line was specifically created to replace the CO-4000 line,
which appeared in 1965.  the CO-4000 was a replacement for the DCO which
appeared in 1956 as the last of the Emeryville or Western trucks.  up to the
advent of the CO-4000, IH's dominant overland tractors were the DCO (best
selling truck in its class from its inception untill the introduction of the
Transtar) and the ACO, also called the Sightliner, which is one truly
unusual cab.  the Transtar cabover was replaced by the Transtar II in 1973,
and the Transtar name was dropped from cabovers altogether in 1981 with the
introduction of the CO-9670 series.  the Transtar name continued in the
conventional trucks through at least 1996, though as far as i can find out
it's no longer in use today.

## >> >Loadstar,
## >>
## >> You know what a loadstar is....

the Loadstar appeared in 1962 as a replacement for the BC series of trucks,
and was the first to use a *star name.  technically a medium truck, there
was considerable overlap between the heaviest Loadstar and the lightest
Fleetstar.  though the Loadstar remained in production through 1978, they
began to be replaced by the S series beginning in 1977.  the S series also
replaced the Fleetstar series shortly after the Loadstar.

## >> > Paystar...
## >>
## >> This one is larger than the Fleetstar, quite a large truck....

Paystar is the heavy duty line of super heavy haulers.  not only larger than
a Fleetstar, thes are also larger than the Transtars or any other highway
truck from IH.  these are severe service, oilfield duty, military
applications, and construction equipment movers.  some of these are really
*big* trucks.  the US Army still uses a small number of Paystars and
Payhaulers (see below for the Payhauler) as armour haulers, though they're
mostly gone now, having been phased out in favour of the HET from Osh-Kosh
in the early 1990s.

there's an even bigger truck in the Pay line, the Payhauler, which are
really big dump trucks and equipment movers.  think quarry trucks and mine
ore trucks.  the smallest of these is fairly enormous.  while not really
highway trucks, some of the tractor variants have been put to work moving
heavy equipment over long distances.

## >> As long as I got them right, I think that'll cover it.

yup, i think you got it mostly right, just the bit about the Fleetstar and
Transtar being equivalent needing correction.  but you know me, i just had
to add a few more details.  i'll also add that during the time period of the
*star lines of trucks there were also still in production a number of other
lines of trucks.  the V series, DC, DF, DCO, M series, the 200 series which
was basically a modernized R, as well as the forward-control bus and
firetruck chassis.  not to mention the specialty trucks IH was building for
various customers.

--Mac

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Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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