A 1926 Mack Model AB truck, owned by the La Grande Public Works Department, draws the attention of people attending the Crazy Days celebration on Saturday, July 16, 2022, on Adams Avenue, La Grande.

LA GRANDE — Kenrik Neustel, a photographer for the annual car show at La Grande’s Crazy Days celebration, encountered a problem over the weekend that no cutting-edge digital camera equipment could address.

Neustel found that one of the oldest vehicles at the show, a 1926 Mack Model AB truck, was among the most challenging to shoot pictures of due to its popularity.

“It was hard to take photographs of it because so many people were crowding around it,” Neustel said on Saturday, July 16, after getting high-quality photos of the 1926 truck.

The truck, used by the La Grande Public Works Department to haul dirt, rocks and water in the 1920s, stopped foot traffic on Adams Avenue during the car show.

“It is like a piece of time,” said Todd Carter, who judged the 1926 Mack Model AB truck for the car show.

Its features — which include a hand-crank starter, a 28.9-horsepower engine, a four-speed transmission, a steel open-air cab, hard rubber tires and a solid metal frame — look just as they did when the truck rolled off an assembly line in 1926.

Lisa Goss, of La Grande, also said the truck, produced by International Motor Co., is one of a kind.

“I go to a lot of car shows and I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said. “It is rare and unique.”

It is not known how long La Grande’s public works department used the truck. After the Mack Model AB truck was retired, it was kept in storage for many years before being restored, according to Ray Clements, who works for the public works department. Clements plays a key role in keeping the truck in operating condition.

Even though its hand-crank starter is in good condition, getting the vehicle’s engine running can be dangerous. Clements said turning the crank can sometimes cause the engine to misfire and send the crank backward with force.

“You can break a wrist, a thumb or an arm when this happens,” he said.

Clements uses a special grip to protect his right hand and arm when starting the engine. The grip allows him to release his hand instantly when the crank slams backward.

A history enthusiast, Clements enjoys driving the Mack Model AB truck occasionally but said that operating it all day would be draining because it has a poor suspension system and requires significant physical work to operate.

“It would be a long day driving it at work,” he said.

The truck’s hard rubber tires provide limited cushioning, but on the plus side they will never go flat since they don’t hold air.

“I can ride over all the nails I want,” Clements said.

Neustel said he is impressed with how well the city’s public works department has kept up the truck.

“It is very well maintained. It looks virtually original,” he said. “It is cool that the public works department has kept it up. It is a good showcase for the city.”

While the truck did not win any awards at the car show, Carter said this is because there was not a division recognizing vehicles for how close they look to how they appeared brand-new.

“It would have won if there was a category for most original,” he said.