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British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer


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It's brass - but apparently left uncoated so it patinates naturally.

 

I seem to have collected photos from the net of dataplates for these trailers - OEC also used cast brass plates......

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98409[/ATTACH]

 

Preumably it's an early vs. late thing

 

There are more variations in these trailers than I expected. SSC built trailers have curved rear edges to the neck handle brackets whilst other manufactures seemed to use angular edges. They're also constructed differently with the carriage bolt going in from the inside of the body, a hex nut on the outside and the countersink then filled flat - which is fine until you need to replace a plank.................

 

Other manufacturers seemed to be more practical and put the carriage bolt in from the outside, nut inside, and left the countersink unfilled. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that SSC had been a coachbuilder

 

Simon,I'm beginning to think that for every rule there is an exception and a further puzzle emerges here.

 

According to the Census book of WD vehicles the X number and contract number on the cast brass plate relate not to Orme Evans but to a contract of 959 10 cwt GS trailers of BROCKHOUSE manufacture ,the numbering sequence seems to fit in quite late on in the war.

In the Identification List for the 10 cwt trailers the contract seems to have been issued relatively early on for GS No 1 trailers.

Brockhouse took over the Orme Evans Co in 1944 it is said. So what happened here,did Brockhouse pick up an earlier (un completed) OE contract under the OE name as well ?

 

It also blows out of the water any potential theory of identifying trailers without data plates as the OE no 2 trailer would have only two plate fixing holes drilled on the drawbar not four.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just to show how 70 year old kit still can work- and I don't mean the guys in the photos! this is my MW and 10cwt mortar trailer (restored last year- see earlier photos on this thread) on the XXX corps 70th anniversary run in September this year. We were 6 guys strong, with all authentic gear, living from the back of the truck and trailer, the only concession being mobile phones and plastic cards to obtain money! Truck and trailer ran without fault

Arnehm 2014 (97).jpg

Valkenswaard streets.

 

Arhem 1.jpg

lovely day near Sonne!

44 Ginkel Heath 1.jpg

Ginkel Heath

Edited by MWMike
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Great thread, really interesting and as I start the restoration of my Mk1 10cwt I keep coming back to it. A couple of beginner questions though. What wood was used on the floor and sides? On mine it seems to have been plywood. And is there a way of identifying a maker? I will have to at some stage have a WD number on it as well as a plate so need to discover how to choose these as none exist that I have found so far.

Thanks

Nigel

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Just to show how 70 year old kit still can work- and I don't mean the guys in the photos! this is my MW and 10cwt mortar trailer (restored last year- see earlier photos on this thread) on the XXX corps 70th anniversary run in September this year. We were 6 guys strong, with all authentic gear, living from the back of the truck and trailer, the only concession being mobile phones and plastic cards to obtain money! Truck and trailer ran without fault

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98687[/ATTACH]

Valkenswaard streets.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98688[/ATTACH]

lovely day near Sonne!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98689[/ATTACH]

Ginkel Heath

 

Looks great. Reminds me of our Monty's Men trip this year

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Great thread, really interesting and as I start the restoration of my Mk1 10cwt I keep coming back to it. A couple of beginner questions though. What wood was used on the floor and sides? On mine it seems to have been plywood. And is there a way of identifying a maker? I will have to at some stage have a WD number on it as well as a plate so need to discover how to choose these as none exist that I have found so far.

Thanks

Nigel

 

The wood is ash - the data plate on the chassis member behind the lifting arms is the only way of confirming an ID. Much further back in the thread are WD number ideas but if you do not have a manufacturer then it is pot luck. Post some photos of your trailer - it may offer some clues.

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Great thread, really interesting and as I start the restoration of my Mk1 10cwt I keep coming back to it. A couple of beginner questions though. What wood was used on the floor and sides? On mine it seems to have been plywood. And is there a way of identifying a maker? I will have to at some stage have a WD number on it as well as a plate so need to discover how to choose these as none exist that I have found so far.

Thanks

Nigel

 

Nigel,

 

There's a debate earlier in this thread about the wood used - I think it was often what could be obtained. I've used ash but others have used Keroin - not a wood I had heard of but certainly used by trailer manufacturers today.

 

There are some differences between manufacturers in addition to the dataplates. SS Cars/Jaguar built trailers seem to have curved back edges to the brackets for the handles on the neck - whereas others like Reynolds seem to have a straight edge. Other identifying features include

 

 

 

  • cast or fabricated spring mounts,(Reynolds have "fabricated type" on the evidence of the record shots),

  • pins or screw type locks for the support legs

  • where these safety pins are attached to the frame

  • whether or not there are safety hooks to keep the support legs in the "up" position

  • the way in which the wood is affixed to the frame

  • whether countersunk holes were filled or left

 

 

- the problem is that jury is still out on who did what, when and how. Add to that the general lack of original photgraphs and documentation on these trailers, and it becomes very much a case of contemporary photo interpretation. If we're lucky, manufacturers took "record shots" - for instance I have a set of three IWM photos which seem to be record shots of a Reynolds-built trailer - judging from the census number

 

As with jeeps, I suspect these trailers went through a wholesale rebuilding programme post war and nobody was too bothered about for instance keeping "Jaguar parts" for Jaguar trailers. As long as a spring hanger fitted, the type probably didn't matter.

 

What did interest me was the extent of the handbuilt nature of these trailers. The replacement tailgate irons I used would not fit and I had to weld up and redrill the holes for the hinge pins

 

Simon

Edited by simon king
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I picked this up last week, I havent a clue where to start.

There's no data plate that I can find. David, I see your resto has progressed well, I might need some tips if you dont mind me sending you a PM...

unnamed%u00252B%u0025285%u002529.jpg

First job is to source a pintle hitch ring that will fit my MB Jeep.

unnamed.jpg

unnamed%u00252B%u0025282%u002529.jpg

unnamed%u00252B%u0025283%u002529.jpg

unnamed%u00252B%u0025284%u002529.jpg

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I picked this up last week, I havent a clue where to start.

There's no data plate that I can find. David, I see your resto has progressed well, I might need some tips if you dont mind me sending you a PM...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99060[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99061[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99062[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99063[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99064[/ATTACH]

First job is to source a pintle hitch ring that will fit my MB Jeep.

This dosnt look like a military trailer, the right angle central beams are wrong for an airborne type trailer, the drop axle is also wrong,all the airborne trailers that I have seen have a pair of square u channels for the central boom and the axle goes straight to th centre of the brake drum, John.
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I picked this up last week, I havent a clue where to start.

There's no data plate that I can find. David, I see your resto has progressed well, I might need some tips if you dont mind me sending you a PM...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99060[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99061[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99062[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99063[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99064[/ATTACH]

 

 

First job is to source a pintle hitch ring that will fit my MB Jeep.

 

Looks like a pre-war civilian trailer, not military. I have a couple of military 10cwt hitch's to fit it to your Jeep. PM me if interested.

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One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the new VOSA law re trailers.

If you are rebuilding one so to the casual eye it would look new then just be aware if you are stopped you may have to prove that its an old one and not newer so doesn't have to comply.

I recently converted a box trailer to a flat bed to carry a Dodgem, I contacted VOSA and the bloke was very helpful and advised me to keep proof photos etc of the rebuild so in future it wouldn't be confused with a new non compliant one, he even recommended fitting a Date of Manufacture plate even though it was a 1996 trailer that legally didn't need one, as it if I did get pulled that's the first thing they look for.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/trailers.asp

 

I might be over cautious but if you are aware and do get pulled you have a head start

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I picked this up last week, I havent a clue where to start.

There's no data plate that I can find. David, I see your resto has progressed well, I might need some tips if you dont mind me sending you a PM...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99061[/ATTACH]

First job is to source a pintle hitch ring that will fit my MB Jeep.

 

 

An interesting old trailer, but not in my view, based on a military type. As Ian has suggested it looks to be civilian. 1940's vintage?

If you do use it on the road with any weight, it will be worth replacing the coach bolts currently holding the hitch on with some suitable high tensile bolts. The military 10 cwts used large BSF threaded bolts for the job.

 

Edited by cordenj
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Looks like a pre-war civilian trailer, not military. I have a couple of military 10cwt hitch's to fit it to your Jeep. PM me if interested.

 

The chassis looks very similar to a pre-war Brockhouse IMG_0140.jpg 5 cwt trailer I have. They came in three sizes, mine has spoked wheels but the same split chassis bar. I believe the idea was to have a piece of wood inbetween the chassis bar sides to help reinforce the floor. I have seen a pre-war advertising leaflet for these as well

IMG_0139.jpg

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The chassis looks very similar to a pre-war Brockhouse [ATTACH=CONFIG]99074[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99075[/ATTACH] 5 cwt trailer I have. They came in three sizes, mine has spoked wheels but the same split chassis bar. I believe the idea was to have a piece of wood inbetween the chassis bar sides to help reinforce the floor. I have seen a pre-war advertising leaflet for these as well

 

Here is the advertbrockhouse.jpg

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Wow Tony, thanks for the advert - the Hitch and Wheel config is exactly the same.

<3 the forums for helping find out what what you've got.

I think Ill progress to a bit of wood replacement and an OD coat of paint so I can use it to tow my canvas to next summers events.

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I am now looking to have a canvas cover made for the GS trailer, but I wonder what form it should be? Is it a flat sheet or is it boxed? I can't tell from this drawing from the manual although I tend to assume it is boxed.

 

Does anyone have a definitive answer?

 

scan0001.jpg

 

Thanks

 

sk

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I am now looking to have a canvas cover made for the GS trailer, but I wonder what form it should be? Is it a flat sheet or is it boxed? I can't tell from this drawing from the manual although I tend to assume it is boxed.

 

Does anyone have a definitive answer?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]99157[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks

 

sk

I had a boxed canvas made for my mortar trailer by Worthings some 25 years ago. The sides are too shallow compared with the drawings in the manual but back then I had nothing to go on. It can be seen in the background of my previous Brockhouse trailer photos. The lightweight trailers had a sheet canvas cover folded at the corners.

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I had a boxed canvas made for my mortar trailer by Worthings some 25 years ago. The sides are too shallow compared with the drawings in the manual but back then I had nothing to go on. It can be seen in the background of my previous Brockhouse trailer photos. The lightweight trailers had a sheet canvas cover folded at the corners.

 

Thanks Tony - there is a reference in the databook of wheeled vehicles to the cover being deep enough to allow for stuff to be loaded 6" above the height of the sides - but that manual drawing does give a pretty good idea of the depth of the sides as well as the positioning of the eyelets. There don't appear to be any eyelets to keep the enveloped bits in place so I'm tending towards boxed.

 

It's just not clear if it's boxed or a flat sheet and all the wartime photos I've seen show it without a cover. At least I've now found someone who works in brown canvas (thanks Frank!) to match the SCC2 paint.

 

That lightweight trailer info will be useful for the Bronco 1/35th trailer as well - just wish the hooks had been done differently.

 

By the way, the new Windscreen has an interesting photo of some GS trailers adapted for use by telephone linesmen. The front "bay" has been boxed in and a lid fitted along with supports front and rear for poles. There seems to be a wooden block for a shovel bracket on the side which ties up with the crumbling remnants I found on mine. The bracket was salvageable

Edited by simon king
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  • 3 months later...

Been a while but finally some progress - other than just filling the bolt holes in the woodwork.

 

Got the replacement mudguards reshaped last week (thanks Bill!) and fitted the first of them today. Wasn't easy as neither brackets nor mudguards are original to the trailer - although the mudguards were off one of the 10cwt trailer family - but they seem to be OK. Second one tomorrow - weather permitting - and then it's fitting the brake rods, adjusting the brakes and finishing the wiring before it's ready for paint and markings - there were times when I never thought I'd get here.

 

IMG_2551.jpg

 

As an aside - it may be coincidence or not but the body is exactly the height of a jerrycan

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