No.Va. Towing Past 'n' Present

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Bubba

So, I screwed up and made this a business page instead of a private group.
Guess I will start a new group page and delete this one.
Damn. LoL

Bubba

Help! LoL

I can't figure out to let people add photos or a post in general.

Anyone?

Redman's setting one up a few years ago. The big blue stick.

Check out this accident that Trans Tech Towing worked over in West Va. a few years ago. 10 yard mixer.
Bubba

Willow Spring Towing & Recovery Inc. Established in 1941 by Woodrow W. Herring Sr. in Fairfax County, Va.
Woody sent some if these via messenger and I got a few off of his page. I worked for the Herring family for damn near 15 years, learned a helluva lot while there.
These old photos makes the young bucks wonder how they got things done back then.
From the homemade pipe wrecker, which had a 30,000lbs Garwood winch, to the shiny lit up new hydraulics, they've seen it all.
The last snap is Woody's other passion, playing music. He's actually pretty good at carrying a tune! LoL
Congrats on your 80th year in the industry.
Bubba (the stepson)

Pure gold here, this is good stuff!
1)Ken's Truck Repair KW with a Holmes 750, "Dirty Dozen" was the name on this bad ass wrecker.
2)Powells Towing pullin' a heavy SOB back in the day. Ashby is a good man, been around the block.
3)Henry's Wrecker Service, my first love. Haha
4&5) Ward's Shell, that sharp as hell Holmes 750 on that Pete, affectionately known as the "Chattooga Choo-Choo" was undeniably famous. The Ward's still own this piece of wrecker history.
*Edit* I messed up, Ken's was a Wreck Master unit.
Bubba

Alexis Towing sent me a few snaps of his KW. Sharp looking wrecker buddy, thanks for sharing.

Bubba

Besides being a totally bad ass picture, I like how there's only one flatbed in it. LoL
Woody & Carol treated me like family, it's a good place to work. This year they celebrate 80 years of continuous service. Congrats to the Herring family.
Bubba

Ok... all the tow truck drivers, companies etc. dump trucks, big rigs or anyone that wants to join in.
As most of us in the Towing World and any type of other trucking and automotive business for miles and miles around Charlottesville, know Henry Shaver & WJ Shaver of Albemarle Towing. Henry"s health is declining and we are going to do a living tribute to the man that has been a backbone to the towing community for as long as I can remember. On Sunday morning at 8am we are going to line up behind the Foodlion at Forest Lakes (Rt. 29 north of Charlottesville at Proffit Road) and do a drive by Henry's home, where Henry and his family will be waiting and watching, and go to Baker-Butler School parking lot where Wendy is going to bring Henry to see everyone. There is going to be Police, Fire, EMS, Tow Trucks, Dump Trucks, Rigs you name it from all across the counties and state and anyone else who wants to come.
Kenny Baugher is going to open Riverside North early for anyone wanting to return there to have lunch.
Phil Patterson & Amy Short (Patterson Auto Body) and I had discussed this idea a few weeks ago and unbeknownst to me, they ran with it and it is on fire. I get a call today and it is on. I love Henry and he loved my dad and Im proud to be able to be a part of this so tell every tow company you know and make sure they know about this.
Thanks Phil and Amy

Falls Church Garage: Intersection of Hillwood Avenue and South Washington Street
28 Oct., 1948

Some misc. Henry's pictures.

Redman's W900, 400 Cummins motor.
Took it across the Annapolis Bay Bridge, still wet behind the ears and held the steering wheel tightly. LoL
Bubba

Wright's Towing & Recovery.
Holmes 750 on a corn 🌽 binder, this thing had air assist power steering that was a little different. LoL

Couple of WSTR jobs

I spent damn near 15 years at Willow Spring's.
I was in the dispatch chair during day hours, then in a wrecker nights and weekend tours. W.S. has a long family tradition, started in 1941 by Woody's father, Woodrow Sr.
Bubba

Not a good day for this crane operator, at least it didn't fall on the house! Willow Spring files 2011
Bubba

Here's a cool piece of history.
Thanks to Eddie Simmons

Tow Truck Chris sent me these, that 60 ton got around.

Beltway's Jerr-Dan med duty. Liked the twin stacks on it.
Thnx Tow Truck Chris

Truck #11, the black sheep. LoL. Wreck Master mechanical wrecker that was put in service as soon it got in the yard :)
Bubba

Talk about classic wreckers, Ward's Shell Pete with a Holmes 750, X7 extendable booms package. Classic Peterbilt paint, just an awesome bad ass heavy.
Back then this was the one, all the options available.
Thanks Chip Harvey for the photo.
Bubba

Please share any pictures you might have. Old, dirty, clean or new. Heavy-duty or whatever, put em up.
Start your own post though, not on this one please. So everyone can enjoy them. Thanks, Bubba.

Waggy's is on my hit list. Obviously I can snag some newer stuff from Mike's page, but if anyone has any older pics, anything Waggy send to my in box please.
Bubba

Michael's Towing & Recovery out of Fredericksburg, Va.
Beautiful and tastefully done, looks good Mr. Powell.
Bubba

I always liked this one from C&S. If my memory serves me right, it's a Interstater built by Wreckers International. A Bill Jackson company I believe?
Like the rest of Jeff's fleet, it was definitely sharp looking.
Bubba

Long time friend restored this old K- Whopper. Turned out super nice. Owner: Mike Robic
Bubba

My bro Earl Moore sent me these from the towing museum in Chattanooga, TN. Thnx buddy.
Bubba

I worked at Stone Equipment in Fairfax part time. They were the Holmes dealer back in the day. C&S was doing a a chassis swap on a Holmes 1200. Danny from City Shell helped us with his Vulcan super cradle.
Photo cred: Dan Strouth

Found a business card holder in a old box. Poor quality but you get it. That Holmes 750 on a KW sleeper, didn't get much better than this back then.
Bubba

My second day on the job at Henry's I had to move a couple of cars for a release that was blocked in. Henry asked if I could handle it, I was hired as the lot boy at 15 years old. I jumped all over it. All I wanted was to drive one of his wreckers. Customer pulled his car out, so I had to put the two back. I had the car hooked up securely but had it all jacked up trying to back up. LoL
Here comes Henry, I was like ah s**t! Started to get out, he said stay put. He jumps in the passenger side and gave me a lesson on backing up. That's the kind of man he was.
I wasn't a lot boy for long. He called me in his office one day and asked me for my chauffeur license, said I didn't have one. He then asked for a regular license, nope. So he said a few choice words then said just be careful!
Things were different back then.
Bubba

No.Va. Towing Past 'n' Present updated their website address.

Fairfax County Pkwy. south bound just south of lee Hwy. The roads were not the best and that little car tangled with the big truck. I was in the dispatch office at Willow Spring's in 2010 when this happened. As usual, Woody was on the scene directing his crew, the man has never slowed down.