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Airborne compressor trailer


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Just to keep the Surrey trailer trash club going, I have just bought an airborne compressor trailer at the Durrant auction. John Corden and I have just towed it 145 miles home without any wheels falling off (admittedly we did change one wheel for a spare we brought with us as the tyre was U/S). It appears fairly complete but needs taking apart and a lot of TLC applied.

Any comments or offers of parts or power tools that would have been part of the equipment would be appreciated. Photos of original or restored examples would also not go amiss.

I hope to start this project in the next few months but in the meantime here are a few photos005.jpg

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Morning Tony,

 

Please let me know when you finish this as I was hoping you could "drop in" and help with some driveway repairs.

 

Seriously though,what a lovely thing. There will soon not be enough airborne jeeps to tow all these trailers !

 

Best wishes,

David.

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Morning Tony,

 

Please let me know when you finish this as I was hoping you could "drop in" and help with some driveway repairs.

 

Seriously though,what a lovely thing. There will soon not be enough airborne jeeps to tow all these trailers !

 

Best wishes,

David.

 

Hi David,

This was at the Beccles auction on Saturday and I spotted it in their catalogue. Then succeeded in:

1. Persuaidng Tony that he needed another trailer it, and

2. won the bidding for it on behalf of Mr Lawrence

 

 

It is good to have saved another rare trailer, because I was asked imediately after the sale if I was going to "break" for the engine!

 

We are looking for a suitable 1940's pneumatic drill for road repairs.......

 

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John, I think those are my pictures. I might have some more of the same trailer if they are of any use (?)

 

Alex

 

Hi Alex,

I think I found them on the web somewhere, so am sure you are right. Hope you don't mind me posting them on here? I'm certain any more photos you have would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Edited by cordenj
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Here are some more photos of the Austin engine and air compressor.

 

IMG_9319 (1024x768).jpg

 

 

Interesting that they had used copper pipe for the exhaust. I never considered that when I made the exhaust for my Austin powered Murex Welding trailer. There is also a different type of mechanical governor used on this trailer, but the distributor with integral magneto looks the same as on the welder. Rear trailer socket still in place, and suspect two small angle brackets is for the T-plate (Anthony you've been waiting to use your NOS one)

 

IMG_9324 (1024x768).jpg

 

 

As the starting handle was missing on my Murex trailer, I had to find something similar. But we found that the flimsy Landrover starting handle I shortened to fit bent when turned with some force. the original handle was with this trailer, and it was built to withstand some enthusiastic starting procedures:

 

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Yes please, the more information I can gather so much the better. Do you have any documentation as well?

 

Tony, John, I had to dig deep to find the pics on the computer, but here they are. No real detail pics I'm afraid! I have no documentation on the trailer sadly, but I have an email-address of the owner (ex-owner?) of the trailer in the pics. I will send it by PM.

 

Hi Alex,

I think I found them on the web somewhere, so am sure you are right. Hope you don't mind me posting them on here?

 

Don't worry John! No problem here. I think I posted them on MLU at the time. I can send you the full size images by email, if you send your email-address by PM

 

regards,

 

Alex

 

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Edited by Alex van de Wetering
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Hi John

Another choice trailer find for Tony, I bet Nettie is pleased. So one was sold in 2013, £2500 for a compressor trailer, thats inflation for you.

Regards Rob

 

Evening Rob,

One was for sale for £2500.......I don't know what it sold for. But its not an unreasonable price given their rarity.

(Netti is truly delighted :-D)

Edited by cordenj
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  • 2 months later...

At long last I have taken the plunge and begun the strip down of the airborne compressor trailer. It has been sitting outside my garage waiting for space and it required the help of several people to manoeuver it into place - lightweight it is not!! I took the roof off the other day and John Corden assembled his engine hoist for me this morning. I thought I would tinker with the trailer and got carried away. I WD40'd all bolts that I could see and then started undoing them. To my surprise all except one trailer stand bolt undid with no problem at all and so I am almost in the position to summon the nice and kind Mr. Corden to help me remove the engine and compressor. The cylindrical air tank is seriously heavy being made of 1/4" rolled plate. The following photos show progress so far2015-06-28 11.30.03.jpg

 

While I was waiting for these pictures to download I have just removed the support plate/bracket for the air tank - four nuts undid with no effort it was also one side of the compressor crank case and in the sump the oil was as clear as thin treacle - a pity that the piston appears seized at the moment. This whole process so far makes restoration fun.

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I couldn't resist it - the radiator is now out. I forgot to drain it in my excitement and so I now have a lot of water/antifreeze over the garage floor. Interestingly it appears that the radiator also acts as an oil cooler as there are inlet and outlet oil pipes and a matrix at the back of the radiator.

Telephone the sandblaster tomorrow.2015-06-28 18.20.10.jpg

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Tony,

 

Good to see you have started on the project. Did you manage to get in toach with the (ex?) owner of the other trailer?

 

Alex

 

Unfortunately the e-mail bounced back.

First lot of bits are now with the sandblaster and today I have taken delivery of two new 6.00 x 16 tourist tyres.

Engine and compressor should be out by the weekend.

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