fv1609

Wayne that seems extraordinarily unhelpful of them, are they refusing an on-site inspection despite its condition? Two other ways of looking at it. Could perhaps the chosen contractor who is taking it back to your place call in via Theale on the way? Or just get it home & when you have got it restored you can have the satisfaction of driving to a place of inspection?

Martin the sockets are for the armoured extra fans. The main inverted U channel inside the roof supports a light at each end, but it also hosts the controls for the extractor fans. There may be up to 4 fans, the control panel has a turn switch & red warning light for each fan circuit.

FV13302

Both designs refer to mounting on 3 Ton 4x4 G.S. (Ford) basic chassis and cab (FVRDE Specification 9104). I'm afraid I don't have 9104, I only have 9103 which as it happens covers the Bedford RL.

I have virtually all the FVRDE Design Specs for the 1950's trucks, no sign of any for RL. I can only find these two with different bodies. FVRDE Spec. 9528 Body, Equipment & Mounting for Truck, 3 Ton, 4x4, GS (Ford) Ambulance (Spurling), FV13302. 1955 FVRDE Spec. 9562 Body, Equipment & Mounting for Truck, 3 Ton, 4x4 GS (Ford) Ambulance (Mulliner) FV13305. 1955

They have a half page advert in the British Defence Equipment Catalogue 1984-85, but not in the 1989 edition. Don't seem to be around any more, they were here: Trinity Pumps Ltd Old Whittington Road Gobowen Salop SY11 3JB

Richard could well be then. Never heard of them, do they deal in many MVs?

32 BK 35 Serial No. 33235 FV1602 Engine No. 8809 Contract No. 6/V/2710 Delivered to 31st B Vehicle Depot Church Broughton Receipt Voucher No. CBR/R/464 DIS: 10/6/55 Conversion to FFW Pig FV1612 sometime 1959-60 Conversion to Mk 2 sometime Sept 1972-June 1973 Noted as Flying on record card but not recorded on ledger Struck Off: Vehicle Storage Depot NI 24/6/93 then cancelled Struck Off: Birds(?) Comms(?) Whitaly(?) 6/10/94 (difficult to read handwriting on ledger)

Martin, very interesting. I might have seemed rather cynical but I have seen so many Humbers displaying the incorrect ERM. That can be if the chassis plate is missing & an identity chosen. Or less suspicious where it is chosen because a previous owner didn't know where to look for the chassis plate. Although one would hope in the process of maintenance it would be stumbled upon. But it is perfectly understandable to assume the displayed ERM is correct. I've not got a picture of 32 BK 35 only 32 BK 53 I'm afraid. I'll do the history but that takes over half an hour digging & cross-referencing. So it might be tomorrow.

I assume you're talking Humber, yes I'm glad you put oil in there. Sometimes you see people's well intentioned servicing effort & you can see remnants of grease on those nipples. When you ask they say "Its a grease nipple & therefore takes grease". But it's a lubricating nipple that in this application requires oil. I feel sorry for the Humber & the person who might later buy it who gets a joint failure. People have told me that I am wrong or it perhaps was some later policy. But it's there in the 1953 Provisional User Handbook & continued in all subsequent editions.

According to Deaf Stanley OMD-90 is: Lubricating oil, engine, severe duty, diesel, extended service SAE 10W/30

Bil, ah yes I remember you now. The radio batteries can go to the black & red terminals on the distribution panel. I don't know which Mk of set up you have. But if you look through this it shows the role of that isolating relay & how the various connections from the Generator Panel to the shunt box are distributed. http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?20662-All-Charged-Up-Part-4

One of Dale's Pigs was definitely in Harry's Game, but which of the three I don't know. He gave me copy I'll lend it to you if remind me.

Bil, so I take it the only batteries you have giving 24v are the vehicle batteries? The FFR set up was intended to provide split charging to an independent set of 24v batteries for radios in the rear of the vehicle as well. The system is -ve earth so you are ok there. With the system installed correctly if you talk too much & flattened the radio batteries it will have no effect on the vehicle batteries. The Generator Panel No.9 (of which there were 5 versions the most common Mk 3 & Mk 4) has an isolating relay keeping the two sets of batteries separate. When sufficient voltage output is delivered from the alternator (Generator No.10) a large relay closes. This connects the alternator to charge both set of batteries & they are then joined in parallel for as long as there is adequate alternator output. If the revs fall too much & charging is inadequate, then the connection between the two sets of batteries is broken so that the low radio batteries don't cause a discharge from the vehicle batteries.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Tony but the "Improvised Oil Cooker" is for burning waste oil which is drip fed in & mixed with water on the right of the diagram.

Martin welcome. Assuming that the number displayed is correct, the basic history is below. It is worth checking that the number displayed is the same number on the chassis plate. This you will find by shoving your head in front of the near side front wheel & with a strong light reading the brass plate. Sometimes the number displayed is incorrect, because the plate is missing or the owner doesn't know where to look or it is assumed it has been marked up correctly by the previous owner who lets it adopt the number of a similar vehicle he has seen in a picture. I'm afraid I don't have a picture of yours the nearest I have is 26 BK 78 & 26 BK 88. 26 BK 80 Serial No. 32680 Built as FV1602 Contract No. 6/V/27210 Engine No. 8630 Date in Service 2/12/54 Delivered to 31st ‘B’ Vehicle Depot Church Broughton Receipt Voucher CBR/R/22271/171 Built as Pig FV1612 during 1958-60 Struck off BAOR 19/6/69 Recovered to 38 Central Workshops 18/10/72 Between 18/10/72 – June 1973 made into Mk 2 as a FV1611 ‘Flying Pig’ conversions introduced Jan.1976 although yours are the later type. Struck off 14/4/93 (Difficult to read the day & month) From what I can see looks pretty complete. One comment I would make is to remove the Union Flag sticker as it destroys the authenticity. I say that not as a political point but they were not to be used in NI. I think the population were only to aware who operated these vehicles, but they were originally intended for nation identification when two or more NATO countries were operating in a theatre. In any case the rear sticker should in general be on the left side of the vehicle, although the Mk 1 Pigs in BAOR the Flag was usually placed centrally above the doors close to the roof apex. I'm sure you will find quite a few Humbery people here.

I've looked for things made of biscuit tins & petrol cans but this rather curious arrangement from 1939 is all I could find.

Alec I felt sorry for you that nobody was joining in. The drawing was from Field Engineering 1883. Moving more up to date, this one was from the 1911 publication. It seems to consist of setting fire to the grass & inviting lots of friends round for tea

Alec oh far more complicated than that :-D

What attracted Philip to it was that it had not been robbed of bits. So much so that it still had the key in the ignition & the batteries were still connected. Clearly there was no fuel tank any more, but connecting up to a can, the engine started up just fine! Devastating damage to it, but with a shrewd eye & experience in restoration it is amazing what can be achieved in 6 weeks. I better stop now as Philip will be blushing, he is a forum member.

As that confounded nodding dog would say "Oh yes". Here it was courtesy of Withams at the beginning of September. Note the rear axle is in front of the vehicle! Here it is when I collected it last week. Quite a transformation by Philip of Dunsfold.

Got a new vehicle a few days ago & found an interesting sticker I have not seen the like of before. I have had vehicles with fancy stickers & some with various written or scratched obscenities. But this official notice is perhaps a sign of the times! THIS VEHICLE IS NOT A PORTABLE WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT - IF YOU USE IT TAKE YOUR RUBBISH OUT

Piet are you sure FV6380 is correct? The number seems rather short.

Well Toby where were you 2 years ago when I needed you? Thank you for the offer, but they have long since gone. Not to the scrapman, but a Humber man.