Great War truck

Ah yes, that would make more sense. Still, a star with 27 feet is well worth a bid.

Yes, here they are: As you can see we have been left with the one very pitted place, but all the rest is acceptably smooth and the brake shoe very adequately covers it. If we take off any more then the drum will be too thin - and of course the difference in the radii of the shoes and drum will be getting even larger. Even now, there will be a fair bit of differentiation for the Linings to take up so we need to order up thick ones.

Just came across this today: Amongst the many interesting vehciles there are some tractuers de semi-remorques which will no doubt excite Jack. Not much German stuff i see. What exactly is a "Vedette 27 pieds". My French would suggest that was a star with 27 feet? Any thoughts? Catalogue is available from end of feb. i will post some pictures. before you get too excited, remember rubbish exchange rate, 20% buyers premium and you cant pay in cash. Apart from that, happy bidding. Tim (too)

As a cost cutting exercise the toilet cubicles at the war and peace show were reduced in size. Tim (too)

I will look forward to seeing that. Tim (too)

The Brake Drum was badly rusted and had to be skimmed to make it useable again. Rusting very deep in one part and badly pitted there (it had probably been sitting on the ground for 50 years). Father took off as much as he dared, but some of the pitting is still visible - although the surface to come into contact with the Brake Linings is now smooth. The Drum is 12" in diameter - and fully stretched our Colchester Student Lathe with its 6" centre height.

I thought that you might be interested in seeing these photos of the transmission brake coming apart. All the bits totally rusted up and they were very diff to get apart. Usual extreme heat and thumping eventually did it but we found that the Hanger Pins were "mushroomed" at the ends following previous beatings and once we started to get them to move, they seized up again when the "mushroomed" head reached the hole in the casting. We had to cut off the end that we pushed out to get rid of the "mushroomed" bit and then were able to push them back the other way.

Just out of curiosity, who selected the description "The friendly forum". I had not really thought about it before, but occasionally having posted on other forums i am stunned at the amount of flaming, naked agression and abuse that goes on in them. This seems to be (almost) totally absent from this forum, so what makes us all different? I have met several members of this forum and would certainly have enjoyed a pint (if Jack paid) with all of them. On another military forum (the name of which i wont mention) i would think a pub meet would decend into a particularly unpleasant pub brawl with glasses and chairs being hurled across the room. So what is it that makes us different? We all have our particular field of interests, but saying that i would still talk about Landrovers, MTB's, Nimrods or even trucks from WW1 with anybody from this forum and can't imagine that anbody would be inclined to hit me with a brick in return. Are we all particularly broad minded, or is that we dont want to upset someone as that person might be the only person who has a stock of a certain type of vehicle part that we might one day need? Just curious (and if anybody wants to throw a brick at me i will be at Stoneleigh with a red carnation in my buttonhole and a full set of body armour). Tim (too)

The expression nail and head spring to mind. "if we all want it to be true that much, then surely it must become true". Tim (too)

With the price of crude at $43 a barrel, i wonder if this will ever be followed through. Very interesting though. Tim (too)

Very exciting stuff. I look forward to seeing how this progresses. I went to the Allis Chalmers tractor factory in Springfield IL (where i understand some of these were built). it is now a big open site with a train track running through. Nice bar across the road though. Tim (too)

I dont believe this for one moment. So full of holes and the more they say the more unbelievable it becomes. Assembled slat grilled Jeeps that failed quality control still in use 40 years later! Sorry, at the time if any Jeep failed quality control they would fix it, not leave it in some underground factory. Anyway, the Jeeps came over partially knocked down so any quality control issues should be fixed quite easily. The Jeeps could have been assembled there, but i think it very unlikely. Seems a lot of trouble to go to haul them that far to assemble them. My Grandfather assembled Jeeps during the war at Bristol docks and that i would imagine would be the most sensible place to assemble PKD vehicles. How about this bit, it is laughable: "The rebuild plant at Rudloe operated in a section of the huge underground quarries at Corsham in Wiltshire and produced thousands of jeeps in the war - saving priceless shipping space on the North Atlantic convoys. The Jeeps produced at Corsham are today much prized by military vehicle enthusiasts as they contain many features not found on the US built versions including soft seats, cigar lighters, starters that work all the time and windscreens that don't have a horizontal bar at exactly eye level". Ok, who has seen a Jeep with a cigar lighter, a starter that works all the time and a horizontal bar at eye level - does he mean windscreen wiper? The photograph of US troops on manouver in 1948 looks more like a "War on the Line" event to me. Explains why there are what appears to be British Tommys and what looks like some Germans in the photo as well. I presume that is supposed to be a censors mark in the corner. Never seen one in black before and certainly not what appears to be marker pen. Were any US combat troops based in the UK in 1948, and in particular paratroopers.? The rumours of a strategic reserve have been around for years and although i would like to believe it, on the basis of the evidence before me i can not. And scrapping 160 steam locos as late as 1982. Quite absurd. Anyway, that is my view. happy to discuss it with anyone who disagrees. Tim (too)

Didnt realise that you lived so close Paul. I should be coming with John, John and John (no i really will), and if things go according to plan a very big lass called Lindy Lou and her pet Python. Tim (too)

Mmmm, maybe. But it wont fit in the garage and you know what my neigbours are like.

Interesting photos John. Our FWD did not have these rims on it. They dont seem to secure anything so what are they for? The electrolysis method seems to be working for you, although it leaves a very nasty mess. How do you get rid of that? So when you applied the scaffolding pole to the nuts on the rim, did the whole wheel spin around as well? Thanks for posting Tim (too)

Oh yes. Now i would like one of those. Tim (too)

Oh, have you not seen it too!

I think it was. I will have to check, but certainly from up North. Tim (too)

I have a picture somewhere. it will be in crayon, is that ok? Tim (too)

Yes, i have to leave home at 2:30! Nevermind. I am looking forwards to enjoying the company on the flight (well probably). Tim (too)

Oh yes. One of our other Area members bought himself a very nice Christmas present. Dinger also has one, but it is in bits. I have never seen it. Tim (too)

You mean i didnt have to drive all the way to bloomin Stansted!!!! Now he says. Tim (too)

Nice to see Julian. That gives our area three half tracks now. Tim (too)

You missed a marketing opportunity there Enigma. Hang on, i will see if i can get it back for you. I understand that recovery drivers had special markings on their helmet. The armoured division that they were attached to on the front and the registration of their truck on the side. On the inside is the Health and Safety warning "Will not protect your head if standing underneath a suspended tank and the cable snaps - you have been warned". There, we will see if he orders one from you now. Tim (too)