Classic Refuse Trucks LEACH

Alpha-Beta-Deta Mid-Range Rear Loaders

A 1987 Leach Alpha bought by Shields Transfer, of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Shields' first truck had been a '47 Refuse Getter

    The mid range Alpha arrived in late 1986, and would eventually replace the aging SC-II and S-III rear loaders. Visually and functionally, it was very much a smaller version of the famous 2R. Leach had invented the slide-sweep compaction method, and dominated the high-compaction segment of the rear loader market for years. But not everyone needed a monster like the 2R, and Leach was losing ground to competitors in the mid-range segment. The Alpha was an attempt to shore up Leach's position in that very mid range, a task that the ancient Sanicruiser and Packmaster were ill-equipped to handle by the mid-1980s.

    As mentioned, Alpha was a slide-sweep packer closely resembling the 2-R, including a three cubic yard hopper. However, there was one key difference; the slide panel cylinders were relocated to mounts high in the tailgate, and operated parallel to it. The repositioning of the slide plate cylinders bears close resemblance to the Schorling 3-R, which had been in use in Germany for several years. Since Schorling had been building The Leach 2-R and had great success with it, it would not be a surprising that the technology exchange between the two companies worked both ways.

    The following year of 1987 marked the 100th anniversary of Leach Company, which had been building refuse bodies since 1932. It was a great milestone for the family-owned firm, which had on-board the fourth generation of leadership. Frederick E. Leach, eldest son of David Leach, had signed on in 1976, and his younger brother David C. Leach II had started in 1980.

Packer comparison of the Leach Alpha (left) and the German Schorling 3-R (right)

Alpha came in 16, 18, 20 or 25-cubic yard capacity

New mid-range Alpha could easily handle big 10-yard containers

A 20-cubic yard Leach Alpha

The Alpha was soon joined by some clones of itself, beginning with the Beta in 1990, which was rated at 1,000 pounds per cubic yard and may have been eyed as a future replacement for the 2-R. Otherwise, it shared he same body sizes and features with the Alpha, and the two appear identical. The Delta was the next version, a slightly down-rated Alpha rated at 800 pounds per cubic yard. It offered the smallest body (14-yards), and replaced the SC-II and S-III Packmaster as the entry-level Leach rear loader. All three models were mechanically the same, making for a confusing line up that probably would have been better served with a broader-ranged Alpha series. However, the Alpha program allowed Leach to finally retire their antiquated Packmaster variants, which had served the industry well for over 50-plus years, but were no longer viable.

The new pecking order for the 21st century; entry-level Delta, mid-range Alpha and high compaction Beta

Beta was introduced in 1990, identical to Alpha but with higher compaction (1,000 pounds per cubic yard)

10/4/09 (revised 7/22/18)