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For Dave and Tammy's last weekend in Texas, Mike suggested a road trip to Waco to visit the Dr Pepper Museum (300 S. 5th St.). Following our self-guided tour of the original Dr Pepper bottling plant building, we crossed the courtyard and entered an adjacent building featuring a gift shop and additional exhibits, including a collection of vintage delivery vehicles like this International Model K truck.
Informational signage provided some details on this vehicle:
International Model K Truck
This International Model K truck from the late 1910s could have been used to haul various goods and supplies. Filled with crates of Dr Pepper bottles, it was easy for route salesmen to load up and deliver to nearby soda fountains and restaurants.
During the mid-1910s, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company (AMBC) quickly began trying out new automotive vehicles. They realized that to remain competitive they needed access to the newest inventions in transportation. Plus, the new vehicles operated on gasoline, not oats or hay like horses. They could work all hours of the day, requiring little rest. The company's first vehicle was a horseless carriage which was powered by gas, but shaped like a carriage. By the early 1920s, the company had upgraded to an early version of the truck.
The International Model K came standard with a hand-crank starter, three-speed transmission and reverse, a 17-gallon gas tank, horn, solid rubber tires, brakes, and half-elliptic springs. Not standard were headlights, odometer, and windshield. This truck has been rebuilt several times and is missing front and rear fenders, but has been restored to as close to original condition as possible. The graphics on the side of the truck are based on extensive research in the Dr Pepper Museum photograph collection and the paper documents that remain of the AMBC. The paint colors are based on color images from International Truck catalogs from the 1910s and what was found on the truck during restoration.
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Saturday, February 3, 2018