Thread: Do You Remember "The Freight Train"??.

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That is John Peter's "Freight Train" That is. Scored a number of firsts:

Freight Train History

Heard tell of it, Gary, but I was never able to watch it race. There were several multi-engine cars about that time (Tommy Ivo ran four "nail head" Buicks in one) but to my knowledge none as successful as the Peters car. Uncle Bob has posted pictures of some of them. My personal favorite was the"Bustle Bomb".

Jim

In the 60's I watched the "Freight Train" make many a pass at Lions, Irwindale, or OCIR. Before the advent of "slipper clutches" it would make smoky passes that rivaled any fuel car.

In the link Big Daddy is quoted as saying it was one of the 5 top cars.As heavy that car is,just outstanding performance.

I watched it race for many years at Indy... both with Chevies and later Hemis! Always a treat.

As you know, there were many other Top Gas Dragster twins. One of my faves was the Odd Couple, which ran a Hemi and a "dinky block" Chevy.

Since I grew up near Indy, I went from '62 to '75... and got to see (I think) all of these run, and more!

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The Gopher State Timing Association... with it's backwards scoops... was often praised for it's beauty.

The Freight Train was even faster with the Hemis!!!

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I went to the first Indy Nats in 1961. I was 13 then; I borrowed my sister's Brownie camera and shot a bunch of pics (black & white, of course). Somewhere I have a couple of shots of Eddie Hill's twin Pontiac powered rail with dual slicks. Isn't that it in the first pic in post #5 above?

Go to this link and you will see that it is Eddie's pauncho--

eddie hill twin engine pontiac - Google Search

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

I went to the first Indy Nats in 1961. I was 13 then; I borrowed my sister's Brownie camera and shot a bunch of pics (black & white, of course). Somewhere I have a couple of shots of Eddie Hill's twin Pontiac powered rail with dual slicks. Isn't that it in the first pic in post #5 above?

Yes and he also dug two ruts in the track in the spectator lane at the starting line which held up the race until they could be filled in. Me and a couple of buddy's were there for Sunday and Monday and a real wild time Sunday night at Cleremont and at the entrance to IRP.

Originally Posted by J. Robinson

I went to the first Indy Nats in 1961. I was 13 then; I borrowed my sister's Brownie camera and shot a bunch of pics (black & white, of course). Somewhere I have a couple of shots of Eddie Hill's twin Pontiac powered rail with dual slicks. Isn't that it in the first pic in post #5 above?

Small world! I went the first time at 13... in 1962. I remember them talking about Eddie digging ruts the year before! I think his car was called the Double Dragon. :-) BTW... I also took my pictures with a Brownie back then. I know I still have a picture I took later of Ivo's Showboat in front of the DA Tower. Great times! ...but not such great photos then. {:-(

Gas Dragsters .............. Amarillo Dragway, 1971







Those were the days