K-50 truck
The K-50 telephone repair truck was used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps during, and after World War II, for the repair and installation of phone lines.
| K-50 telephone repair truck | |
|---|---|
| Type | telephone repair |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | gross 4,150 Lbs. |
| Length | 192-inches |
| Width | 71-inches |
| Height | 75-inches |
| Crew | 2 |
| Armor | none |
Main armament | none |
| Engine | GMC 6-cylinder 216 cid 85.5 hp |
| Suspension | wheels, 4X2 |
| Maximum speed | 60 MPH |
History
The Signal Corps, at the beginning of World War II needed a light telephone repair truck, and contracted with both Chevrolet, and Dodge for a truck chassis to mount a standard American Telephone & Telegraph tool box bed. the original bed was styled after the Streamline Moderne motif of the 1930s. The second style bed, the K-50B, was a more Utilitairian square box, that mounted the ladder on the top rather than on the side. It was often used in conjunction with the K-38 trailer. all were eventually replaced by the Dodge M37 series V-41 truck
Variations
- Chevy 1/2-ton, 4X2, (1941)
- Dodge 1/2-ton, mostly 4X4, (1941), boxes by Highway trailer Co., Edgerton, Wisconsin
- WC-39, T112, 4x2 – 1 built
- WC-43, T215, 4x4 – 370 units built
- WC-50, T112, 4x2 – 1 built
- Dodge 3/4-ton 4X4
- T214, WC-59, 549 built, box by Highway Trailer Co.
- T214, WC-61, K-50B, 58 built; box by American Coach and Body Co., Cleveland, Ohio
See also
- Dodge WC series
- Autocar K-30 and K-31 Signal Corps trucks
- List of U.S. Signal Corps vehicles
References
- TM 9-2800 Standard Military Motor Vehicles. dated 1 sept. 1943: https://www.scribd.com/doc/140198120/TM-9-2800-1943-STANDARD-MILITARY-MOTOR-VEHICLES-1-SEPTEMBER-1943
- TM 9-2800 Military vehicles dated oct. 1947: https://www.scribd.com/doc/188375301/TM-9-2800-1947
- TM 9-2800-1 Military vehicles dated February 1953: https://www.scribd.com/doc/183017787/TM-9-2800-1-1953-INCLUDING-C1-EN-C2-pdf
- TM 9-808: https://www.scribd.com/doc/153243048/TM9-808-DODGE-3-4-TON-4-X-4-TRUCK
- SNL G657 Master Parts Book Dec. 1943