Three-wheeling Westcoaster making the rounds

David Daniels of The Dalles worked on his 1965 Westcoaster Mailster on Montana Street on Monday. Daniels said the vehicle was used by US Mail Carriers back in the ‘60s. It has a maximum speed of 35 mph and a 7.5 horsepower two-cylinder motor. Westcoasters were made in Stockton, Calif. It once represented a third of the total vehicles used by the US Postal Service. A Mailster could be rendered useless in just three inches of snowfall, according to Wikipedia. Mail carriers often complained of frequent breakdowns ranging from clutch failure to broken front axles. If a Mailster rounded a corner too quickly, it was also prone to tipping over., the website said.

A little check under the hood shows a 7.5 horse two-cylinder powerplant. Daniels said he was replacing the ignition switch on the vehicle.