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| This is a old van from a bobtail from back in the fifties that is north of Abilene, Texas. Now it is being used as a storage building. |
This is the same van. Note that the signs are painted NO DECALS. |
Here is a close up of bobtails at Lubock, Texas. |
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| This was taken in September 2000 at the West Texas Fair and Rodeo parade. |
Merchants city tractors. |
This is a picture that was given to Daniel. |
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| This photo was given to Daniel at time of Merchants shutdown. |
This is Leon Holder, a line driver Daniel knew from many years before he worked for Merchants. The town on the side of truck is just north of Abilene, Texas. |
This is Dewy Bevills a retired line driver, Daniel took this photo in 1981 during some snowy weather. |
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| Lubbock terminal for Merchants Fast Motor Lines, from the 1960's. |
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| Dallas terminal and shop on Irving Blvd. for Merchants Fast Motor Lines. |
Abilene, Texas terminal and shop and part of the General Office. Notice the ONC pups. Conway now uses the terminal and Coastal Transport, a tanker company, have the shop and offices and old bunkroom as a dispatch office. The smaller building inside the fence across from the shop was the bunk room. |
A Merchants Fast Motor Lines promo photo. |
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| Merchants Abilene shop where Daniel worked as a mechanic. This is an old picture that Daniel has from the past. An oldie, but a goodie. |
A picture of the first set of pups that Merchants started using. |
Here is a Merchants Fast Motor Lines Kenworth tractor and trailer. |
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| Merchants line tractor. |
This is good; freight on a cart instead of a shrink wrapped pallet and using a pallet jack. |
City tractor picking up freight. |
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| Donna and Shirley, taken at time of shutdown, both worked in General office in Abilene Texas. Donna hired on when she was seventeen and worked for Merchants for about twenty five years before it shut down. |
A Kenworth in parade in Midland Texas in 1987 |
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| Merchants' Odessa, Texas dock back in early 60's. |
Here is a picture of the men who built Merchants. Left to ring the first three, Whitey Whitehead, Gene Whitehead, the owners and Roy Brandenberger who was President and ceo. The others are unknown. |
Here are some Merchants' employees enjoying a break. Notice the old time candy and cigarette machines. |
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| Here is a promo photo showing a MFML linehaul tractor with a B-52 from the sixties. |
Back of a Merchants trailer. |
Merchants shop hands in Dallas, Texas with Kenworth cabover from the early 80's. |
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| This 1973 Kenworth bought new as a line haul tractor, later converted into a wrecker, assigned to the Abilene shop where Daniel worked. The trailer was wrecked and Daniel was about to drag it to the Dallas trailer shop for repairs, appox. 180 miles east of Abilene. Daniel made plenty of road calls with this wrecker. |
This is off the stockholders report from the sixties. Nice night time driving picture. |
A old Merchants bobtail. |
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| This 1973 Kenworth tow truck was nicknamed, "Dan's Wrecker" because Dan was always cleaning it up and hanging extra lights on it. |
1981 Kenworth sitting on Abilene, Texas yard. Original MFML colors black fenders and forest green cab was a common site on West Texas Highways. |
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| Here is a copy of an old old advertisement for Autocar and Merchants Fast Motor Lines from the 1920's. |
Here is a Merchants Mileage Chart. |
This is William Henson who worked for Merchants from 1934 to 1940 driving between Fort Worth and Breckenridge Texas for $3.00 a day, six days a week. |
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| This picture is a Model T Ford truck owned by Lydick Hooks Roofing in Abilene Texas. |
Getting here meant "Amarillo by Morning" for Merchants drivers from Dallas and Ft Worth. |
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| This is a safe drivers badge for the old style drivers caps. |
This is the 55-56 Trailmobile Award given to Merchants Fast Motor Lines. |
Merchants Fast Motor Lines Kenworth line haul. |
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| Here is a over the road tractor taken from the 1960 stockholders report. |
Scanned of 63 stockholders report |
Merchants driver at Cabot Lodge in Pampa, Texas picking up a load of carbon black around 1960. |
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| Merchants Terminal around 1968. |
Merchants dock in the 60's. |
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| Merchants El Paso dock around 1960. |
Merchants route guide from 1968. |
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| Merchants Terminal around 1963. |
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| Merchants dock hands working freight around 1960. |
Merchants tractor and trailer at the Port of Houston in 1960. |
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| Merchants bobtail picking up oilfield freight in the 60's. |
Baled cotton at a Lubbock , Texas compress leaves the High Plains on Merchants trucks for the Port of Houston and shipments overseas. |
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| Merchants tractor at a Petro Chemical plant. |
Merchants trailer being loaded in the early 60's. |
Another view of a smaller Merchants dock around 1968. |
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Here is another picture of Merchants' Abilene yard on winter day. Merchants would pull containers out of Houston to the panhandle of Texas with freight where they would be loaded with straight loads of seed, cotton or carbon black going back to Houston and then overseas. |
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| Merchants Kenworth cabover with a set of doubles. |
These tractors are sitting on the Dallas yard. |
Merchants Fast Motor Lines Kenworth, taken in 1975 at Merchants Abilene terminal. This is from the Don Querciagrossa collection. |
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| Here are pictures of former Merchants tractors bought here in Abilene at the last sale of epuipment and made over to ag fertilizer truck owned by Abilene Ag. |
A rare Merchants Kenworth Sleeper. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
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| This is the Abilene Texas yard at the final acution showing various pieces of equipment. The red tractors are Gypsum Transport, the flatbed carrier for Merchants, the white cabover on the right is a former Alamo Express tractor left over from the merger years ealier. |
This is the Merchants Abilene terminal office from a few years back. |
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| A Merchants patch. |
Picture of the Abilene shop working on gas powered line haul tractor engines. |
Patch from the UTE Union of Transportation Employees the union that represented Merchants Employees. |
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| A classic Merchants Fast Motor Lines Kenworth W-900 in P&D service in Houston - 1995. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
A rare Merchants Fast Motor Lines International 9400 at their Okalahoma City terminal. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
Merchants Fast Motor Lines International 9400 single axle. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
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| Merchants Kenworth taken at Denver, CO in May 1987. David Faust Collection. |
Merchants Kenworth taken at Denver, CO in May 1987. David Faust Collection. |
Merchants Kenworth taken at Denver, CO in May 1987. David Faust Collection. |
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| Older dark green Merchants Kenworth K100 single axle tractor. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
This Merchants Kenworth sleeper photo was shot at the Denver Merchants terminal. Gary Rich Photo. |
Merchants Fast Motor Lines Kenworth W900 with old original Merchants trailer at the Oklahoma City terminal. Don Querciagrosa Collection. |
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| Merchant Fast Motor Lines Kenworth T600's in Phoenix in the late 80's. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
45' trailer for Merchant's Fast Motor Lines also taken by Gary Rich in Denver |
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| Merchants Kenworth #566 taken in Denver in 1987 |
Merchants Kenworth #573 taken in Denver in 1987 |
Merchants Kenworth #585 taken in Denver in 1987 |
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| Merchants Fast Motor Lines Kenworth T800 tandem tractor. Don Querciagrossa Collection. |
Merchants KW T-800 in Denver, CO in 1992
David Faust Collection |
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| Merchants photos taken in Amarillo, TX in the late 80's |
