1952 Dodge remote TV van came in today

[julianburke]

A friend on this list brought my attention to this lonely van sadly needing a new home found in northern Minnesota. It came in today and is mostly intact with 4 CCU's for the RCA TK11/31 cameras. No cameras but there are still 3 storage compartments on the outside that haven't been opened yet. The locking handles are rusted shut. So far, I believe this is perhaps one of three known to exist that is mostly intact with all of the 1950's electronics still there. It is a 1952 Dodge Route Van that is also rare.

It was built as a remote van in 1953 and did both radio and TV remotes. As you can see in the pictures it has a Western Electric radio board and it and the TV console have RCA MI-12016 (2 each) aerodynamic microphones. All other mic connections are the earlier cannon connectors. The RCA CCU's total 4. Three studio types in the original console and a TK-31 field version probably added later or installed for space considerations. Two WE spacesaver telephones and a telephone magneto next to the second telephone! What a patchbay it has on board. KDAL is now KDLH for "Duluth".

It needs quite a bit of TLC and plan to get it running when weather warms up a bit perhaps next February. This is called a "pilothouse" Dodge van and any body parts are hard to find. I plan to refinish it with all original lettering and signage. It is mostly sheet metal and should be a straighforward restoration for most bodywork. Fortunately, it being in the middle of nowhere, was not subject to vandalism or kids throwing rocks through the glass. It stayed fairly watertight that preserved the interior and electronics. BTW, odometer shows less than 13,000 miles-could be but hard to tell. To the right of the large call letters it says "Special Events" in script but is so faded you can't see it in the pictures. Did they have many special events up there in the '50's?

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In restoring this van, it will not be that difficult a job as most of it is just sheet metal. As far as it being brought back to some working condition, the new digital changeover this February will not be a problem and will not affect this van. That only affects receiving a TV signal from the station transmitter. I have been looking for these RCA monitors for over 20 years and now have three. I already had the "field" TK-31 version and now have two and can now support my cameras. I think this "Fisher Price Toy" van is a neat unit and you just don't see them anymore and haven't for over 40 years now. Most all of these vans disappeared by the 1960's as the engineers commonly would take them home for next to free and gut them for campers.

I can't wait to see what it drives like!! These vans were rarely upgraded because of their "old" look. Every station wanted to be upbeat and modern looking and these vans were scrapped, donated to schools or given to a station employee if they even wanted them. Thrown away for no other reason than being just "old"! (like me!)

It has three rats nests in it but looks like no other damage other than that insulation looking stuff laying in the panels. The third nest is in the top glove box in the roof over the driver. How they got in there is beyond me. BTW, I found an old business card taped in there that was from the chief engineer that used the back of it for the make, model and VIN number of this truck. John Harrison was the engineer. This unit was a Dodge "Job Rated" truck built from 1948-59. Flathead 6 that is still intact.

Steve McVoy has a nice complete van at his museum with its' history and pictures of the sign change from when it was new. Chuck Pharris has one found in about the same shape but was gutted for a camper. I know of no others.

UPDATE: I talked with John Harrison, now retired who was the engineer for this truck for as long as KDAL had it. It was sent to KDAL as a sister station in 1961 who needed it. It was originally from Chicago Tribune owned WGN and they were already broadcasting color and did not need this van anymore. In the late '60's it was donated to a local college in Duluth and that was the last they ever saw of it. On the front of the van the paint is fading and peeling off to reveal its' original color of a darker yellow like the old trucks. You can see part of a sign starting with "mobile" something or other. I will be researching WGN's archives to see if I can find it and all of the original signage on it.

2nd UPDATE: Through a "paper trail" and original KDAL transfer papers/original registration (never registered again after KDAL) I found and talked with Robert Muhich who was working for a college in Hibbing and it turns out this van was not given to the local college. It was sent out to a convention center for a charity/benefit auction. It was purchased for about $5000 by Robert (his personal property and the actual third owner) and was going to use it for teaching broadcasting at Hibbing College. It was used one time for an event and not used again because it was a cumbersome van to set up but was working in 1976. It was his goal to update it with more modern electronics but never materialized. It was kept indoors during the winter but other times kept at a friends' farm who collected old trucks, tractors etc. The man who kept it for him had MS and about 13 years ago sold out his estate and moved into town. (now deceased) Robert let him keep the proceeds for keeping it so long and it then went into the hands of the gentleman who I bought it from. Apparently Robert kept the cameras (two of them-both TK-11's) and the cables in storage at the college. When he left there, he forgot about them and their whereabouts are unknown or trashed. He said he would nose around and perhaps try to find out what happened to them. They have "footprint" racks on top of the inside engine cover and would be strapped down for travel.

It was also reiterated that it was originally built and owned by WGN Chicago and that it was mostly used for the Cubs' games at Wrigley Field. It also did a broadcast with Dizzy Dean! An engineer with KDAL whose name was Rudy related all this info to Robert. KDAL was a sister station who needed it and WGN was more interested in broadcasting COLOR for the Chicago market.

[goraman]

You have to restore that!

[Mark W.]

DUDE that is cool beyond belief

Won't you run into TV technology no longer available or viable if you try to bring it back to operation?

But to just even get it to the point of a static display piece would be awesome. You might talk to one of the TV museums for help.

[newhallone]

Wow. That is amazing.....all that stuff still in it. I look forward to the whole story on it. And the restoration. It looks like the mice got in there....or is that just old insulation that fell down? Mice are evil. Spray those handles with Kroil! This is more exciting than the Capone safe opening by Geraldo Rivera!

[Sandy G]

Looks like the bodywork's in good shape, for the most part. I don't know if I've EVER seen one of those vans "in poison", except in pictures. GMCs & Chevys, yeah, Fords, maybe, Internationals, think so, but not a Dodge. Should be a flathead 6 of about 250-280 cubic inches providing the motive power. Don't expect to outrun one of Masterlu's toys w/it...(grin) Glad the glass is intact, or looks like it is from these pics...

[zenith2134]

Woah, that is truly something else!

[SPL db]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing!

Scott

[DENNYDOG]

Surprising it isn't rustier being from Minnesota. They must not have used as much salt back then. Good luck with the restoration. It looks like it will be one hell of a project.

[tasha]

This one is sooooo cool it's HOT!

[firenzeprima]

you are waiting for a nice bit of work! Good luck!!!!!

[kx250rider]

That is an AMAZING find! I've heard of a couple of TV mobile units being found around Southern Cal, but always missing 80% of the equipment. I think you may have just found the oldest "virgin" and most complete specimen!

I hope we hear from one of the other mobile unit owners... I know at least one other enthusiast who has one, and is restoring it. I'd post a link, but it might invoke curmudgeonry from TV collector privacy advocates

Charles

[electronjohn]

What a cool find! Since KDAL signed on in '53, they must've gone whole hog and gotten the remote rig to put to use right away. I'm betting it spent most of its service life in a heated garage...I'm trying to recall if their old building in Duluth had one. Possibly stored at the transmitter site on Observatory Hill? EXTREMELY cool nonetheless!!

[electroking]

Wonderful find! What kind of generator does this unit have on board? Is it present?

[Captain Scary]

That is fricken sweeeet!!!!!
Please do keep us up to speed on it's resto?

[sweitzel]

Wow Julian, all you need is a transmitter and you will have your own antique television station.