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British WWII REME Lightweight Electrical Repair Trailer: Restoration Project


cordenj

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John,

Aside from theroofgiving the trailer protection, the operators would have no cover from the rain, and water dripping off the roof could still be blown into the machinery.

Was the trailer be used with a larger tent?

Doug

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  • 2 weeks later...

machinery trailer now at home so the real work can start to get it up to johns standard .

repaint , fit big drill , make drill brackets , make cover , make benches , sort tools and drink tea ...not forgetting to post some photos on here to show the magic happening all before belters............right wheres the kettle.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi John

I have been away from the forum for several months and must congratulate you on the great progress that you have made with your trailer which i look forward to seeing whilst at Beltring. I will be staying over for the week and therefore hope to to meet up with you at some time or other.

 

Richard

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Thanks Richard: Trailer will be there from Sunday and then on display with Neil's ("agincourt1") workshop trailer and a range of other airborne equipment in the western side of the main living history section of the show. I'll be around, but busy as wearing a purple shirt...but hope to meet up.

 

Neil: Glad you've tackled the benches first, as I can then learn from any lessons. Each one must weigh nearly 1 cwt!

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Hi guys, I've been lurking for a while as I've got a 1943 ford Gpw painted up as a us chemical mortar battalion that where stationed by my home in ww2, I've been toying on repainting as a British jeep maybe a commando / royal marine unit, this has led me to start looking for a 10cwt trailer.

 

I found this on ebait and bought it! I was going to cut it up and use as a base to build a lightweight version but after reading this thread I'm thinking it could be reme??

 

Your thoughts greatly anticipated!

 

Dave

 

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Hi Dave,

 

...and another British 10cwt trailer appears!

 

Some interesting features on your trailer:

1. You have the normal 6-stud wheels and hubs, but all my trailers have always had single piece wheels. Yours are split rims.

2. Rear chassis cross-member has two hinges for a later drop down tailgate, but was originally drilled for rear hitch and the two stands;

3. Front chassis/drawbar looks to be a replacement, as the usual British trailers had the twin folded steel beams with the handbrake mechanism placed between them;

4. The main chassis that I can see in pictures seems to be similar to those used on REME trailers, but I'd guess tha the floor and wheel arches have been fabricated at a later date, possibly after it entered civilian life. Compare to the detailed photos around post #43;

5. Rear spring and Andre-Harford Damper all all correct.

6. What type of hitch does it have?

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Hi John, thanks for the reply I'm in 2 minds to restore this as is or use it as as base for a lightweight airborne type?? If it's not a reme type then I think I'll chop and change to chassis and make a tub similar to the lightweight!

 

I think the floor plate looks original as its too well made to be a mod? It's also got green drab paint underneath the floor? The tailgate hinges are deffo post war as I took the tail gate off and the front part where the hitch goes is now 1 piece rsg! With a Bradley type civi hitch so I'm searching for a correct hitch at the mo.

 

It does have the original electrics underneath and the convoy plate!

 

Regards

 

Dave

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and the front part where the hitch goes is now 1 piece rsg! With a Bradley type civi hitch so I'm searching for a correct hitch at the mo.

 

Dave

 

 

Erm, you might want to have a word with Geoff about his ad on MILWEB then.....

 

http://www.milweb.net/classifieds/large_image.php?ad=63023&cat=8

 

Gordon

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Dave,

 

John in that link aka "Blackpowder44" is also a member on this forum. He found the pale green 100gall bower earlier this year and is planning to restore it...however, I'd not previously seen what he is going to use as a donor for the central spine.

 

As you say the donor chassis does seem to have a welded flat floor which is similar to your trailer.

 

I've been thinking again about what type your chassis might be: The only other type that I have not seen in detail "in the metal" is the REME Lighweight Store Trailer (often called the Binned Trailer).

The one drawing I have of this type in publication W.O. 5460 Identification List, does seem to suggest that it might have had the binns built up from a flat floor covering the normal ladder chassis.

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Hi John, yes I think the trailer is similar to mine, I think the mud guards on mine are an add on as they don't have as much corrosion as the trailer bed??

 

I do have a picture of the binned trailer but I would be interested in more pictures and I might have a go at re creating one??

 

Dave

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Hi Dave,

 

Below is a scan of the drawing of the Binned trailer from WO 5460 dated April 1949:

 

 

biinned trailer drawing (Medium).jpg

 

Have been at W&P today and met up with a couple of other forum members who have posted on this thread. The concensus is that your trailer could well be the remains of a binned type, but we couldn't think why it would have a odd angled mudgaurds...now that you say you think they are a later additon, helps confirm our view.

 

Cheers,

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Hi John, that's a great picture and thanks for the reply, I'm really interested in getting it back to its original set up so I'm going to do a bit more research. I'm coming down to w&p sometime this week as I'm going to pick up a hitch from a guy off milweb so I'll have a look around as well.

 

Thanks for the help

 

Dave

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Just back from W&P 2012: an excellent show again. The muddy conditions at start of week seemed to make most people work together and help each other out, a really great atmosphere.

The weekend saw usual "Beltring" weather with the dust rising by Sunday.

 

Neil (Summer44) brought his REME Lightweight Machinery Trailer as part of their much wider Airborne display. As planned, I brought my Electrical Repair Trailer as was invited to join his display in the Living History field.

 

It was very good to meet a number of members of this forum from UK, Netherlands and Belgium who had either posted on this thread, or had followed its progress.

Richard Farrant came along to inspect the trailer with Robbie Grainger, appropriate as he had facillitated its sale.

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I was only on the stand for limited time each day as had other duties, but Neil said that the two trailers, together with Robbie's Lightweight Binned version, attracted a lot of interest throughout the show.

 

Small selection of photos below:

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Neil had cracked on and made a superb job of building two collapsible workbenches for his trailer from plans I had drawn from the REME Musuem's originals. My winter job to to build two more for my trailer.

 

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Thanks for the interest.

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Hi John I went to w&p on the Wednesday to pick up a hitch which was advertised on milweb, I had a quick look around for lightweight trailers but I didn't see any before it started raining??

 

Do you have any pictures of the binned trailer in the background or can you put me in touch with the owner so I can get some dimensions, the line picture you posted is isometrically incorrect so I can't get any dimensions from that one??

 

Dave

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Dave,

 

Didnt you find the two REME trailers either?

The binned trailer has been created from the longer No2 Lightweight chassis, so it will probably not be quite the same as an original built from a No1 MkI or MkII.

 

Robbie Grainger has built it from scratch using a couple of photos. He is a member of this forum and has posted on this thread.

 

Cheers

Edited by cordenj
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With the successful "remaking" of the Collapsible Workbenches by Neil using plans I drew from the originals at Bordon; we thought others might like to use the plans so they can copy to the original design.

 

We met at least two people at W&P who are planning to restore/make similar trailers, so here are my plans:

 

REME Benches_c (Large).JPG

 

If anyone would like a higher resolution copy please PM me.

 

REME Benches_a (Large).JPG

REME Benches_b (Large).JPG

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With the successful "remaking" of the Collapsible Workbenches by Neil using plans I drew from the originals at Bordon; we thought others might like to use the plans so they can copy to the original design.

 

We met at least two people at W&P who are planning to restore/make similar trailers, so here are my plans:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]65217[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]65216[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]65215[/ATTACH]

 

If anyone would like a higher resolution copy please PM me.

 

 

Excellent work its nice to see these kinds of drawings being posted up and free to use I wish more people would do it.

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Dave,

 

Didnt you find the two REME trailers either?

The binned trailer has been created from the longer No2 Lightweight chassis, so it will probably not be quite the same as an original built from a No1 MkI or MkII.

 

Robbie Grainger has built it from scratch using a couple of photos. He is a member of this forum and has posted on this thread.

 

Cheers

Hi John

The Binned store trailer I reconstructed is the same dimentions quoted in Bert Vanderveen's excellent book, although there is very little info on these trailer there appears to be 2 types and 2 marks, the latter seems to have deleted the front and rear end locker doors as it was impossible to open them with the trailer still hitched up, it was standard practice to leave cargo/store trailers hitched to enable quick bug outs!! If any one out there has drawings of info about binned store trailers please forward it to me.

 

Regards to all

Robbie

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Thanks Andy,

I've always intended this thread to be a source of info about the REME Lightweight Trailers and I'd encourage anyone else to post up any 10cwt related information/drawings.

 

Cheers

Hello All

 

Sorry not to make it to Beltring it would have been good to catch up. The set up of all the trailers looks very good. Well done to all involved. A credit to all your restoration efforts.

 

To keep the link alive please see attached pictures found in Devon. A little far for me to collect "well actually I’m told I have enough trailers".

 

Up for grabs for someone local ish$T2eC16hHJF0E9nmFTMTuBQHCidfK1g~~60_12.jpg

 

 

Ebay Item number: 160858109974

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Hi John, yes I think the trailer is similar to mine, I think the mud guards on mine are an add on as they don't have as much corrosion as the trailer bed??

 

I do have a picture of the binned trailer but I would be interested in more pictures and I might have a go at re creating one??

 

Dave

 

Hi Dave

 

Please see attached pictures of my binned stores. Looking at the pictures of your trailer I would say it’s the same as mine. The holes up the center seem to match.

 

 

Has anyone got pictures of the "Z" communications "Radio" trailer?24112009198 (2).jpg

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Hi Richard that's the trailer I have the picture of, I could do with some dimensions if you could suply them please?? I now have the hitch and the rear leg brackets but I still need the handbrake assy and the front leg bracket.

 

Thanks to Geoff and Ross for the bits :)

 

Dave

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