What do you do when you have to haul a lot of sightseers around the 700-acre 1964 World’s Fair? You don’t want diesel smoke, you can’t drive anything very large, it has to motor slowly, visibility outward must be great, and it should be easy to enter and exit. Clark Equipment Company provided the solution – namely, the Glide-A-Ride tractor, operated by Greyhound. Clark was accustomed to making industrial machinery, especially forklifts, so a people-mover, while not perfectly in its wheelhouse, was a piece of cake. Each tug hauled multiple cars, reportedly with a capacity of as many as 60. Here on facebook Marketplace is an admittedly rough Glide-A-Ride, for sale in Lodi, New Jersey, at an asking price of $2500. This interesting find is courtesy of Russell G – thanks!
Found sinking into the dirt somewhere in Rhode Island, the Glide-A-Ride needs considerable work before it can toddle down an alleyway again. The engine is stuck, but it’s a 37 hp Continental 2.6-liter, F162 flathead four – nearly ubiquitously found in industrial and agricultural machines for decades. Parts are available, or the new owner can swap it for something racier. It’s equipped with an automatic transmission and what the seller terms is a “big gear-reduced truck rear end” – no doubt handy if you’re trailing 60 people in train cars behind you. This Glide-A-Ride weighs about 6000 lbs, and it does roll – on new tires as a matter of fact.
The “monoposto” arrangement has the driver in the center of the car, while the train cars offered “golden contour seats” in a 2×2 arrangement around a center aisle. This tractor retains its canopy; each train car had a matching canopy. too. The seller notes that all the cars were gone when he found the tractor. The fiberglass body needs work, but the beefy steel frame is probably indestructible.
At the end of service, the Glide-A-Ride sets were sold off; one resource indicates the selling price back then was $5000. Lagoon Amusement Park in Utah bought a set and used it as a picnic train, ferrying folks from parking lots to the grounds. Meanwhile, for those of us who don’t want to spring for the real deal, any number of toy versions are available (yours truly is a proud new owner of a slightly used copy with box!) As to value, we could equate this machine to a vintage carnival ride. This rare spaceship, also needing work, is for sale at $1800. Of course, the Glide-A-Ride has an engine, so we have to accord it a premium: I can imagine any number of ways to use this tractor, whereas I have no idea what I’d do with a spaceship. What do you think, is this oddball priced about right?
🎶 ” oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again “
Stan…. I don’t think that song has ever been referenced to Twice in the same day here on Barnfinds!!!!
Great Song. I actually always thought it was Lodi NJ for years until I found out otherwise.
This thing is cool!!!! I am no expert at all here, but I recognize the Clark Forklift steering wheel. I’m wondering if the large differential was out of one of their forklifts. If you think about the potential weight this little thing had to buggy lug around. 60 people at an average of 150 pounds per person, you’re talking 9000 pounds not including the weight of the cars. You’re not going fast, 35 hp you’d need lower gears. This would just be amazing to see restored. Along with a set of cars too. You have another great find here Russel G, and Michelle I really enjoyed this.
” 60 people at an average of 150 pounds per person”
Yeah, we were a bit leaner back in ’64.
Correct you are. 150 lbs is the engineering standard for test and development. It’s the amount of weight GM used to place at each seating position for testing. We would harness 125 lbs of sand bags on the seat and 25 more on the floor for weight distribution. Then drive the road system including the block road.
Michelle, Scotty, it appears you two are having a contest for the most unusual and the winner is- 🏆
All of us Barn Find readers!!!
Good obs, Russell G and you too driveinstile for picking up on the Clark Forklift equipment.
Too, the rare spaceship is pretty neat but FWIW if you spend a week in Rachel, NV you might see a working model over Area 51. If you stop in at the Lil A’LeInn you might overhear someone local talking about stuff they’ve seen..
You’re absolutely right Nevadahalfrack, we are all the winners here. I truly enjoy coming on here and being surprised. Thank you for the kind words too.
-Dave
Very cool, thanks for posting. Listed 4 weeks ago.
The TV show, American Restoration, which is a cool show, btw, one of the few shows that couldn’t possibly be scripted. He does amazing work, and he got one of these in to restore. There were a couple kinds, like one you could rent that would carry 4 people and the driver, on a personalized tour, cost wasn’t cheap, like $11/hour( $78 today). The “trains” were still a bit pricey at .75-$1.00 per passenger for a 30 minute ride. These are geared pretty low, I’d imagine a top speed of maybe 10 mph, and like Dave sez, it’s not going forward so much, but stopping. I don’t think the cars had any brakes and a lot of weight there. I don’t see any connections on the back. I’m sure there were plenty of mishaps you never saw, like today with all the cameras. I bet liability issues would forbid this today. I read, the minimum wage in 1964 was $1.15/hour. Drivers of these “trains” were usually the parks employees, and being a safety issue, probably got maybe $1.75/hr, a big park like Disney, maybe a bit more. Many smaller towns, like mine, are closing off downtown streets to car traffic, and this would be a great addition to move folks around. Great find.
That’s really cool! I always thought something like that would be something fun to own. Another thing I always liked was the miniature locomotives that go through parks pulling people around. I remember riding one over and over at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA just to watch the guy operate it and the smell and vibrations it created are still a memory 50 years later
If you can get to Oregon, visit here:
https://trainmountain.org/
And if you can’t get here, check out the cameras.
Remember it well. Lived in Moroeville,’50s -’61,weekend day trips.
Flying Rockets w/ big rudders you could control,hand crank train cars…
How about ‘Story Book Forest”?
Of course: Kennywood!
Best.
As a kid going to amusement parks I used to think opoperating something like this or the Disney monorail would have been a cool job.
Could I drive this to the supermarket?
(Can’t help myself)
Dunno why not. If you’d drive your riding mower there, I’d certainly think a Glide-A-Ride would work just as well….
Betcha Cleetus would do it… he drove that urban tank device thing to the store once.
Regardless of it’s value or rarity, it needs to be restored.
Reminds me somewhat of the old parking tram tugs at Disney World. I haven’t been back in 30 years so I have no idea if they still use them or not. Zero desire to go back. This would be a GREAT parade vehicle/attraction for your next small-town event.
I’ve got decades of experience with those old Continental flatheads & still have an Allis-Chalmers forklift with one. Sweetest running little thing you could ask for.
What theme park today has personal & long trams INside, like the NY Fair did? Watch “To the Fair 1964”.