OSHKOSH

DIAMOND T 969 WRECKERS - Two Painted Red In Yorkshire,1960s.Who Operated Them? Diamond T 969 6x6 Wreckers-Heavy Recovery Vehicles-HRV's. Two of these were operated by a garage that did heavy recovery work of lorries,buses and motorcoaches,both had enclosed cabs,had a beautiful rich red livery and were operational in the 1950s,1960s era. Both of these red Diamond T 969 Wreckers were still powered by their original petrol-gasoline engines. WHO OWNED THESE DIAMOND T 969 WRECKERS And Where were These Located? I obviously don't know their exact location and what garage-owner operated them,but they were definitely based in the Yorkshire.......or High Peaks? area and mainly operated in the Yorkshire area. I recall attending the Barnsley Metropolitan Vintage Vehicle Rally of 1991? (I cannot remember the exact year),and one of the vintage vehicles there was a preserved Diamond T 969,Open-cabbed,Petrol-engined,6x6 Wrecker in military green livery. It's owner was based in the Huddersfield area,and he remembered the above two red Diamond T 969 HRV'S!:-) He told me who owned them and their location! Unfortunately,I should have written down this information.BUT I didn't!:blush: Hence I am still wondering about the location and ownership of these two red Diamond T 969 Wreckers:??? By the way,the owner of the preserved Diamond T had one of the first mobile phones that I ever saw (the "brick-sized" type),was well-built and had dark hair. Maybe he'll come across this post and provide that information again! Please. I wonder what became of those two red Diamond T 969 Wreckers - they were the first that I ever saw in the flesh-metal and the experience was magical! Corgi 55602 Model Diamond T 980 Dépanneuse Service D'Incendie L'Orne So in rememberance of these two red Diamond T 969 Wreckers,I have just very recently bought two Corgi 55602 Model Diamond T 980 6x4 Dépanneuse Service D'Incendie L'Orne Heavy Recovery Vehicles,painted in glorious overall red just like the above two Diamond T 969 HRV's! :- Corgi 55602 Model Diamond T 980 Dépanneuse Service D'Incendie L'Orne Diamond T 981 Holmes W-45 Recovery Crane-equipped,6x4 Heavy Recovery Vehicle,225 KI 61,Fire Service Department,No.61,Orne,Lower Normandy,France.Corgi No.55602.One of 5000 made.HMVF V F #:- Diamond T 981 Holmes W-45 Recovery Crane-equipped,6x4 Heavy Recovery Vehicle,225 KI 61,Fire Service Department,No.61,Orne,Lower Normandy,France.Corgi No.55602.One of 5000 made.HMVF. V F# NOTE:Corgi has made several versions of what it terms the Diamond T "980 Series",such as USA Army M20 Ballast Road Locomotive-Tank Transporter,a USA Army "969" Wrecker,a Pickfords Heavy Haulage Ballast Road Locomotive,a Sunter Bros Heavy Haulage Ballast Road Locomotive,a John Thurston Joy Amusements Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,a Wynns Heavy Haulage Ballast Road Locomotive,a Harris Fun Fairs Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive and so on. But it is obvious that at least some of these Diamond T 980 Series Corgi models are 981 models,as is the Corgi 55602 Diamond T 981 6x4 Heavy Recovery Vehicle,225 KI 61,Fire Service Department,No.61,Orne,Lower Normandy,France,of which I've just bought two - one from France and one from the Netherlands.......I'm still awaiting the one from Holland. They are great motor vehicles - both in real life full size and scale model - in their own right! Anyway,I hope this post and the photograph will spark some memories and solve the mystery of those Yorkshire-based,two beautiful red Diamond T 969 6x6 Wreckers - Heavy Recovery Vehicles - Breakdown Lorries - Motor Trucks:) Thanks. OSHKOSH

WHITSUNTIDE Sunday,25th May - Monday,26th May,2014. Happy Whitsuntide. Actually,this was just not the case.While it is true that British Steam Railway Locomotives did experience a fall of maintenance standards and had to pull extra-heavy loads during the Second World War of 1939 to 1945,they were so well designed and excellently built that they still had years and years of work left in them - as the post war years were to prove!.......indeed right up to the end of steam on British Railways in 1968. The maintenance of these locomotives was brought back up to pre war high standards in the late 1940s,although,towards the end of steam in the late 1960s,maintenance standards declined again in regard to at least certain steam railway locomotives. The Big Four railway companies -Great Western Railway,Southern Railway,London Midland Scottish Railway and London North Eastern Railway still carried on in producing brand new steam railway locomotives during the war years,and some of these locomotives were newly designed wartime austerity types. Certain steam railway locomotives were still relatively new when the war started in 1939,the magnificent LNER Gresley A4 4-6-2 Pacific Streamliner Streak Steam Railway Locomotives are very good examples of this!*and continued to haul prestige,named-trains on long distance services throughout the 1940s,1950s up until the mid 1960s. In fact,one of their number,60007,SIR NIGEL GRESLEY,set a post war speed record for steam traction on British Railways in 1959 of 112 MPH! All this proves that these locomotives,and other locomotive types,were designed for hard work and long lives! And although electric,diesel and diesel-electric railway locomotives gradually took over steam traction,steam railway locomotives sometimes had to come to the rescue of one of these non-steam locomotives,because it had broken down...... After the GWR,SR,LMSR and LNER became British Railways in 1948,production of steam locomotives continued and new BR Standard Steam Railway Locomotives were introduced.The last steam railway locomotive to be built for British Railways was built in 1960:British Railways Standard Class 9F Heavy Freight 2-10-0 Decapod Steam Railway Locomotive,No.92220.EVENING STAR. To get back to the Strategic Steam Reserve of the United Kingdom.It has been said that these SSR Steam Railway Locomotives could not operate,either properly or at all,since there is no longer a supporting infrastructure on Britian's railway network. Really? Well steam special trains,hauled by the likes of SIR NIGEL GRESLEY,TORNADO,BITTERN and other steam railway locomotives make long distance journies on the United Kingdom's railways....... And these steam special trains,consisting of around nine railway coaches,with hundreds of people in them,frequently happen all over the country....... So a Strategic Steam Reserve Steam Railway Locomotive Fleet,United Kingdom,could be a secret reality and could work properly on Britian's railway network. *A4 Pacific Streamliner Streaks were built 1935-1938 And yes:I also like diesel electric,etc,non-steam railway locomotives. OSHKOSH

WHITSUNTIDE Sunday,25th May,2014. Happy Whitsuntide I myself have heard some fascinating stories over the years about military equipment being stored in reserve,while other military equipment have been dumped down mine shafts,or put in caves,etc. Radio Amateurs talk from time to time about surplus military equipment,including especially radio communications gear and about the stuff that they have accquired at military equipment surplus sales.Being a Radio Enthusiast and Short Wave Listener,I've heard quite a few of these conversations. So there are also sorts of stories involving Harley-Davidson WLA Motorcycles,crated RCA AR88,National HRO,Hallicrafters SX Communications Receivers and the like,and other surplus equipment being dumped down mine shafts! If these stories are true,its a terriable tragic waste of excellent equipment!.......and surely any military outfit - British,American,Canadian, French,German,whoever - just would not do such a terriable and wasteful thing! I do know that a lot of UK-based radio dealers sold tons and tons of WW2 ex-military radio equipment in the post war years to radio enthusiasts-radio amateurs and the like,and we all know about the WD-MOD Ruddington sales of WW2 and post war military vehicles. So most if not all of the equipment that was supposedly dumped was actually sold in to Civvy Street and to other military outfits;a great deal of this equipment still survives in the hands of radio enthusiasts,military vehicle enthusiasts,dealers,etc. Some of this surviving equipment comes up for sale on EBay UK fairly frequently - There are at least two RCA AR88's that are currently for sale on EBay UK now. I have also heard about the SSR = Strategic Steam Reserve of the United Kingdom.There is something poetic about it: Steam Railway Locomotives are so part of the British culture and folklore thus the British SSR is akin to Saint George to the rescue!:- http://ribblesteam.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/myth-or-mystery-the-strategic-steam-reserve/ Other countries had,or still have,a SSR.......so why not Great Britain.I've just very recently bought the newly published 2nd edition of British Railways Steam Railway Locomotives 1948-1968,by Hugh Longworth,which records in detail every single steam railway locomotive that was operated by British Railways. BUT,although he makes no mention of it,he might actually be keeping hush hush about the United Kingdom Strategic Steam Reserve.......he might have been told to! The British,American,Russian,etc,military outfits still retain valve-tube radio communications equipment as a precaution against EMP. Anyway,it all reminds me about the Belgium military in 1984 selling off some of their reserve military vehicles,which consisted of World War Two Chevrolet CMP and Ford CMP No.13-cabbed 4x4 Lorries! Fascinating stuff! OSHKOSH

FWD SU-COE SHOWMANS ROAD LOCOMOTIVE FOT 556 This is an update on the following FWD SU-COE,LEYLAND DIESEL-ENGINED,4x4 SHOWMANS BALLAST DIESEL ROAD LOCOMOTIVE,FOT 556,VANGUARD.April-May 1947 Southampton.T.Noyce and Sons. I posted a photograph of this FWD SU-COE on this thread on Halloween 2013:- I have since learned that this FWD SU-COE Showmans Road Locomotive is now powered by a Perkins diesel engine,and has been fitted with power steering. DEAN MARTIN CHRISTMAS TV SHOW - The Martin and Sinatra Families:- Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone:-D OSHKOSH

Well,I could be wrong of course:-D,but I think this lorry is one of these:- CHEVROLET NQ-G-7128 M6 G506 1.5-TON 4x4 BOMB SERVICE MOTOR TRUCK.Royal Air Force,transporting a Jostle Radio Countermeasures pod:- I stand to be corrected:cool2: OSHKOSH

POSTED on Tuesday,5th NOVEMBER,2013:- GUY FAWKES NIGHT REMEMBER REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER GUNPOWDER TREASON AND PLOT. Guy Fawkes made up of Standard Fireworks :-D OSHKOSH replies:- Thanks for the information.It's a terriable shame that seemingly so few Ford WOA2 Heavy Utility Motorcars have survived:- You wouldn't think that it has an apparently low survival rate going by it's styling and appearance.......it's tough and heavy- and attractive - looking,and has charisma! I read in a magazine article years since that pre-war British Ford motor cars had galvanised steel bodies,which made them virtually rust proof - and at least some post-war British Ford motor cars also had galvanised steel bodies. If that is the case,did any of the World War Two British Ford motor vehicle models have galvanised steel bodies and cabs? Probably not:Ford probably dropped the galvanised steel process in order to speed up production of vital military vehicles, including the Ford WOA2 of course - it appears that they skimped on the paint process too in order to speed up production. FORD WOA2 V8 4x2 HEAVY UTILITY MOTORCAR,HYE 531,November 1946-November 1948 London,after demob - St. Peter's Hospital,Chertsey,beautiful motor vehicle:- Ford WOT6 V8 3-Ton 4x4.Examples of this model seems to be a bit on the rare side as well.......I wonder how many of these have survived.......:- FORD WOT6 V8 GS FIXEDSIDE-BODIED 3-TON 4x4 LORRY.World War Two British Army Lorry:- OSHKOSH

SCAMMELL PIONEER,Q781 CGY. I don't think that this Scammell lorry is registered Q781 CGY now,it's probably been re-registered.Was this Scammell Pioneer in the process of being fully restored when the photograph,QV below,was taken?,since it appears that it's without it's recovery body and crane. I have come across another photograph of this Scammell.It's in complete condition and appears to be in a museum. SCAMMELL PIONEER SV/2S 6x4 HEAVY RECOVERY VEHICLE,Q781 CGY.H4259720. Photographed at Netley Marsh,near Totton and Southampton and close to the M27 and M271 Motorways:- OSHKOSH

POSTED on Halloween 2013:- Happy Halloween:-D FWD SU-COE 4x4 Lorry-Motor Truck. I have often wondered just how many FWD SU-COE 4x4 Lorries-Motor Trucks survive.The FWD SU-COE is favourite model of mine,but alas,examples seem to be few and far between at present.......at least in the United Kingdom....... Probably not as popular as the equivalent AEC Matador 4x4,the FWD SU-COE was used as a heavy recovery vehicle, logging tractor,showmans road locomotive,etc,by quite a substantial number of people in the United Kingdom. And can somebody please give me the contact details of a motor vehicle enthusiast who compiled a list of all known circus and fairground FWD SU-COE's that were operated in the United Kingdom.Thanks. And here is a magnificent and preserved FWD SU-COE Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive:-D:- FWD SU-COE,LEYLAND DIESEL-ENGINED,4x4 SHOWMANS BALLAST DIESEL ROAD LOCOMOTIVE,FOT 556,VANGUARD.April-May 1947 Southampton.T.Noyce and Sons:- OSHKOSH

SCAMMELL PIONEER SHOWMANS ROAD LOCOMOTIVE 7971 PJ New HMVF Member Big Ben (QV his Introduction) is looking for the above Scammell Pioneer Road Locomotive,which used to be operated by Mitcham,London travelling showman,Patsy Gray.The Scammell used to pull part of the A78 Lakin Coronation Ark Speedway Ride. FODEN S20 K or FG6LX/24 FLAT-BODIED 8x4 LORRY,770 DOA,OLD FLAME.Friday,3rd February,1961,Birmingham.Now preserved by A and G Godsall,Herefordshire.This was the other lorrywhich transported part of the A78 Lakin Coronation Ark Speedway Ride,which was variously owned by Harry Gray,Patsy Gray,Roy Carter,Armroyd Lane,Harry Wigfield,then was exported to Canada,Conklin Shows and now number A78 is in the Toronto Reynolds-Alberta Museum,Alberta,Canada. The above Foden:- The A78 Speedway Ride,the Scammell and Foden were sold to showman Roy Carter,of the Whitley Bay area,North East Yorkshire in 1971. SCAMMELL PIONEER SV/2S SHOWMANS BALLAST DIESEL ROAD LOCOMOTIVE,7971 PJ,1963 Surrey-registered.Patsy Gray,Mitcham,London.Reproduced with permission of the University of Sheffield:- Scammell Pioneer Showmans Road Locomotive,7971 PJ.......where are you now?:-) OSHKOSH

Hello Ben - again.......It's a small world:laugh: You'll know what I mean:) And welcome to the HMVF Forum:) I am going to post a photograph of the Scammell Pioneer SV/2S 6x4 Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,7971 PJ, on the this forum's Scammell Pioneer Thread.It sounds like it's the same Jack Leeson photograph at Banbury Mop Fair 1970. Curiously,the ownership of the Scammell was supposed to be W.Nichols,but that could be wrong. Please QV the Scammell Pioneer Thread:) OSHKOSH

Hello I've often wondered just how many Ford WOA2/WOA2A 4x2 Heavy Utility Motorcars are known to survive.I knew that that were rare,but I didn't realise that they were THAT RARE! And just how many Ford WOA1A 4-Door Sedan Motorcars still exist? The first time I ever saw a Ford WOA2 was when I was at Junior School,it was being used as a Loudspeaker-Publicity Vehicle by a travelling circus that was performing in our area.I was fascinated with it as it passed by my friend and I,and although I didn't know what make and and model it was,I just knew it was a Ford! I must be psychic. Actually,the same thing happened when I saw a Humber FWD 4x4 Heavy Utitility Motorcar for the first time in the flesh-metal (near Manchester Airport).Again,I didn't know what make and model it was,but I just knew that it was a Humber! There was a Ford WOA2 in the Museum of Army Transport,Beverley,but it did not have the standard pressed steel body. Likewise,I often wondered many times just how many of the German-built and magnificent Faun ZR and ZRS 4X2 Ballast Road Locomotives survive. OSHKOSH

Hello Lauren Child:-) OSHKOSH Marque And Specialist Motor Vehicles In regard to my great (if I may say so myself!:red::-))) username:OSHKOSH. I obviously wanted an interesting username for the HISTORIC MILITARY VEHICLES FORUM,and since marque names such as Diamond T,Mack and Scammell were already in use by other forum members,I had to think about another equally interesting username....... I suddenly thought of the great and legendary American heavy motor truck-lorry and specialist motor vehicle manufacturer, Oshkosh,based in Oshkosh,Wisconsin,USA. WOW!:wow::-) Why not,I thought - why not indeed! :-D The Oshkosh marque fits the bill perfectly!:-) During the history of the Oshkosh company,it has made a great variety of very interesting and attractive motor vehicles,both for civilian and military use:-) I first became aware of the Oshkosh marque and it's magnificent motor vehicles via the 1966 - 1st - edition of THE OBSERVERS BOOK OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES,by L.A.Manwaring,published by Frederick Warne.I was really intrigued,the Oshkosh motor vehicles gave me a real thrill and I was very curious about the unusual,strange and attractive Oshkosh marque name:-) I ended up writing to Oshkosh,I asked them a few questions,including one about the Oshkosh marque name,and I received some sales brochurers,an Oshkosh newsletter and a handwritten letter that answered my questions :-D Unfortunately,due to a domestic hiatus,I no longer have those items:( Anyway,I learnt that the OSHKOSH marque name is a North American Red Indian name,and was the name of the chief of the Menominee Indian Tribe:-) Oshkosh is in my special wonderful catergory of specialist motor vehicles,that are archetypal,magical,charismatic and special:-D I know that I might have rambled on,and you might be sorry that you asked me.......but,as the Madonna song goes,you've got to Express Yourself* :-D *There are other songs of the same name,while others have the "express yourself" lyrics:-) OSHKOSH. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SIGNATURE:- Renault Clio France Vs Britain Twice The Va Va Voom - Classy,clever,sexy,funny,full length version of the very stylish and entertaining TV Ad',with great and appropriate music.2005.Now superseded.YOUTUBE.

Hello,and thanks everybody for the greetings:) And hello Ed Batchelor:) .Being a Fairground Transport Enthusiast,I am fairly familiar with your two Scammell Pioneer fairground lorries:):- Scammell Pioneer TRMU/20 6x4 Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,FMW 915,QUEEN ELIZABETH II,1949 Wiltshire-registered.R.Edwards & Sons,Swindon,Wiltshire. Scammell Pioneer SV/2S 6x4 Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,MOW 389,SIR HILARY,1954 Southampton-registered.Bernard Cole & Sons,Southampton. I sincerely hope that you will restore them as they were on the fairgrounds:Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotives:D It is sobering to think and realise what gradually became of MOW 389,SIR HILARY:-From a magnificent showpiece of a Scammell Pioneer showmans road locomotive to what it currently is:A lorry in need of a major restoration,which I am sure you are proceeding to do to get it back to showpiece standard:) Bernard Cole,as you will know,operated several other interesting fairground vehicles,including:- Scammell chaindrive 4x2 Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,GX 9363,LEADER,1932 London-registered. White-Ruxtall 922 6x4 Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,GEL 614,MASTERPIECE,1946 Bournemouth-registered. White-Ruxtall 922 6x4 Showmans Ballast Diesel Road Locomotive,KEL 500,MORNING STAR,1950 Bournemouth-registered. I think all three of the above lorries are now thankfully preserved:D .......and I hope they will be preserved as fairground vehicles:) Anyway,that's all for now:) OSHKOSH. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SIGNATURE:- Renault Clio France Vs Britain Twice The Va Va Voom - Classy,clever,sexy,funny,full length version of the very stylish and entertaining TV Ad',with great and appropriate music.2005.Now superseded.YOUTUBE.

Hello everybody.This is HMVF Member,OSHKOSH,introducing myself to members of the HMVF:-D I actually joined the HISTORIC MILITARY VEHICLES FORUM on Thursday,17th February,2011,and have been reading it on and off ever since:-D Anyway,I'm a Motor Vehicle Enthusiast very interested in motor vehicles of all kinds and types:Motorcycles,motorcars,lorries,motorcoaches,fairground vehicles,buses,military vehicles,traction engines,steam lorries,etc.......and since the military operate a wide variety of different motor vehicle types,the HMVF is just up my street:-D Although,for reasons of time and expense,I manly concentrate on the heavy stuff:Lorries.motorcoaches ,softskin military vehicles,buses,fairground vehicles,etc.Anyway,I hope to write several posts on this forum:-D Edit:More information:I forgot to say that I am also a Radio Enthusiast,in to radio history,shortwave radio,Amateur Radio (as a SWL = Short Wave Listener),military radio,etc. And I also love music of all kinds from classical to the latest music,including,of course,Jazz and music of the Big Bands such as Glenn Miller,Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw - very appropriate when you are in to World War Two military vehicles,aeroplanes,etc,etc!:-D Come on with The Andrews Sisters as well!:-D OSHKOSH. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SIGNATURE:- Renault Clio France Vs Britain Twice The Va Va Voom - Classy,clever,sexy,funny,full length version of the very stylish and entertaining TV Ad',with great and appropriate music.2005.Now superseded.YOUTUBE.