Great War truck

We had one once at Basingstoke, where we had five WW1 trucks and a field kitchen, which was a pretty good turn out. Sadly the event was badly advertised and no one came so i cant see that happening again. The problem is these things are so slow on the road that you need to haul them to events really and that gets expensive. Next year we hope to have two FWD's in the London to Brighton HCVS run. Maybe we could get some more WW1 trucks to join us on that? The following year we are tentively planning a WW1 truck event in Devon where maybe we can get eight together, although even that number seems to be a massive task. I will keep you updated. Hopefully that year we will be taking three of our own and possibly get five others together. We will see. Tim (too)

Oh, you guys! Tim (too)

We have words and i am expecting a letter. Tim (too)

I had been contacted by the BBC in respect of an event that was being held in Exeter and they asked if we could bring down a WW1 truck. So for the weekend, Steve came down from leicester and myself and family from Oxon. Sorted the Autocar out and trailered it the 25 or so miles down to Exeter. The BBC had arranged for us to unload at Wyvern barracks. Unfortunatly, they seem to have failed to tell the barracks that. However, with a bit of charm and goodwill they allowed us to unload on the parade ground. We then drove through the city to the library where we parked up. Sadly it seemed that everything else that had been promised failed to turn up, so this is about as exciting as it got: After hanging around for four hours we did get some funny looks but quite a few interested passers by: Then it started to rain: So we went for a drive around the city which was actually very good fun and caused a lot of interest, before heading back to the barracks to load up again. A wasted day? Well a little dissapointing, but on the plus side at least someone had a bundle of fun: I must say that i dont feel very well disposed to assist the BBC in anything ever again.

While i am on the subject, Steve provided me with these two photos of 7 1/4 models. The first is a Kerr-Stuart 'Joffre' class built for the French Army and shown in their colours. The other is a US Army Baldwin petrol tractor.

Yes you and NOS just about have it. Father and Steve are both members of the seven and a quarter inch society. Now before you ask that is the guage of the model railway and nothing else that you might have been thinking of. There has been a rise in interest in models of military narrow gauge locos and rolling stock. These two bogie wagons are models of WW1 German narrow gauge bogies for carrying trees. The owner brought them over to a show in the UK from Germany and then sourced some local logs to put on them. I dont think anybody anticipated him and his wife laying on them. I did like the idea about the Swan Vestas though. Tim (too)

Oh yes, you are right NE Wales. Not too far away from Chester really. It would have been good fun to meet up again but sadly time was against us. The whole journey took us 10 hours and i was well and truly exhausted by the time we got home. Sorry i think the Cummins engine is spoken for. The Eagle trailers were built in the 1920's and 30's and were twin axle for hauling behind trucks like ours. I dont think i have ever seen a complete one. Tim (too)

I took a trailer up to N Wales last Monday to collect an Eagle trailer axle. Actually the axle was not really that exciting but what is good is the two tyres on it. They are the same size as front Thornycroft tyres and are in excllent condition. The wheels and axle are of no interest to us, so after we have removed the tyres it will be free to a good home. Does anybody want it: While looking around in the sheds i came across a number of other interesting things, including a WW1 army steam roller. This one is marked WE (War Engineers) with the arrow instead of WD. I had not come across that before, but the owner showed me an original photo of it marked up as such. Has anybody else come across such a thing? Unfortunately it was all sheeted over which precluded the taking of a photo, but there were a couple of other interesting things too This next one is 1911 Austrian, but the name of it escapes me. The Austro Hungarian army used traction engines for hauling heavy guns much like the British. This one was a recent import from Russia, so i expect that it could tell a few interesting stories. Tim (too)

OK, this photo is quite interesting as it covers a multitude of topics. It is relevant to WW1 but what is it and as it would also make an ideal candidate for a caption contest you could have a go at that as well if you like. Tim (too)

There was apparently a WW2 US 165mm howitzer (according to the "boys books of artillery and military hardware, 1954 edition)". I will try and scan a pic of it for you later on. Anyway, i was alerted to one coming up for auction soon. See this site - but there is no photo. http://www.wellersauctions.com/Special1.html Sadly it has now been withdrawn from the sale - no reason given. Anyway, it looked to big for a WW1 truck to tow. If anybody is aware of a WW1 artillery piece that they want to sell do send me a PM please. many thanks Tim

That was just about it, but instead of hitting the cowling it was hitting the pulley on the dynamo. Took a while to work out as we couldnt see any shiny bits on the cowl and it only seems to do it when going over bumps. My thanks go to Julian for spotting it. I guess as it has started hitting the pulley then the bearing there is wobbling and on its way out. Thanks everybody Tim (too)

A friend is looking to buy a WW2 165 MM howitzer. I know no more about it than that. The Centurion AVRE packed a 165 mm howitzer and the US Army had one during WW2, but i would think that would be a very rare beast. Does anybody know of any survivors or other nationality that it might be? Thanks Tim (too)

Definite phoney. Ask him which part of the advert he doesnt understand and remind of the £8,000 surcharge to deliver to Nigeria. Tim (too)

Glad to hear that it wasn't just me!! Tim (too)

Reading through these threads it is always very sad to see so many interesting ships being lost or destroyed. Here is one with a difference as it relates to the succesful restoration of a US PT Boat by 12 WW2 veterans. Sadly half of them died before the restoration was completed. The project is explained on this link here. Well worth watching. Tim (too) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7693407296698216570&ei=3mPQSMCOIKO6gAP&cgsC

I received this today. What are your thoughts on it? Will it work, or will i just give myself a nasty electric shock and a strange type of poisoning. Thanks Tim (too) What is the method? A technique for returning surface rust to iron. It uses the effect of an small low voltage electric current and a suitable electrolyte (solution). What advantages does the method have? The advantages this method has over the old standbys, like vinegar, Coke, muriatic acid, Naval Jelly, wire brushing, sand blasting etc. is that these methods all remove material to remove the rust, including un-rusted surfaces. With many, the metal is left with a "pickled" look or a characteristic colour and texture. The electrolytic method removes nothing: by returning surface rust to metallic iron, rust scale is loosened and can be easily removed. Un-rusted metal is not affected in any way. What about screws, pivots, etc that are "rusted tight"? The method will frequently solve these problems, without the need for force, which can break things. Is it safe? The solutions used are not hazardous; the voltages and currents are low, so there is no electrical hazard. No noxious fumes are produced. The method is self limiting: it is impossible to overclean an object. Where did this method come from? Electrolysis is a standard technique in the artefact restoration business. I wrote this up for the Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association a few years back. Most of the tool collectors around here use it: What do I need? A plastic tub; a stainless steel or iron electrode, water and washing soda (Some people have had success with baking soda) and a battery charger. About a tablespoon of soda to a gallon of water. If you have trouble locating the washing soda, household lye will work just fine. It's a tad more nasty, always wear eye protection and be sure to add the lye to the water (NOT water to lye!!!) The solution is weak, and is not harmful, though you might want to wear gloves. How long does the solution last? Forever, though the loosened rust will make it pretty disgusting after a while. Evaporation and electrolysis will deplete the water from the solution. Add water ONLY to bring the level back. What about the iron electrode? The iron electrode works best if it surrounds the object to be cleaned, since the cleaning is "line of sight" to a certain extent. The iron electrode will be eaten away with time. Stainless steel has the advantage (some alloys, but not all) that it is not eaten away. How do I connect the battery charger? THE POLARITY IS CRUCIAL!! The iron or stainless electrode is connected to the positive (red) terminal. The object being cleaned, to the negative(black). Submerge the object, making sure you have good contact, which can be difficult with heavily rusted objects. How do I know if it is working? Turn on the power. If your charger has a meter, be sure come current is flowing. Again, good electrical contact may be hard to make-it is essential. Fine bubbles will rise from the object. How long do I leave it? The time depends on the size of the object and of the iron electrode, and on the amount of rust. You will have to test the object by trying to wipe off the rust. If it is not completely clean, try again. Typical cleaning time for moderately rusted objects is a few hours. With heavily rusted objects can be left over night. How do I get the rust off after I remove the object? Rub the object under running water. A paper towel will help. For heavily rusted objects, a plastic pot scrubber can be used, carefully. Depending on the amount of original rust, you may have to re-treat. My object is too big to fit. Can I clean part of it? Yes. You can clean one end and then the other. Lap marks should be minimal if the cleaning was thorough. After I take it out, then what? The clean object will acquire surface rust very quickly, so wipe it dry and dry further in a warm oven or with a hair dryer. You may want to apply a light oil or a coat of wax to prevent further rusting. Will the method remove pitting? No. It only operates on the rust in immediate contact with unrusted metal. What's gone is gone. What will it look like when I am done? The surface of rusted metal is left black. Rusted pits are still pits. Shiny unrusted metal is untouched. What about nickel plating, paint, japanning and the like? Sound plating will not be affected. Plating under which rust has penetrated will usually be lifted. The solution may soften some paints. Test with a drop of solution in an inconspicuous place. Remove wood handles if possible before treating. How can I handle objects that are awkward to clean? There are lots of variants: suspending an electrode inside to clean a cavity in an object; using a sponge soaked in the electrolyte with a backing electrode to clean spots on large objects or things that shouldn't be submerged (like with lots of wood) How can I dispose of the solution? The bath will last until it gets so disgusting that you decide it is time for a fresh one. There is nothing especially nasty about it-it's mildly basic-so disposal is not a concern, except you may not want all the crud in your drains. Can I use metal containers? This is highly risky. Galvanised metal can introduce zinc into the solution. If you have used lye, it will attack aluminium. You may have problems with electrical shorts, etc. Stick to plastic. How can I clean odd shaped objects? Be ingenious. Plastic PVC pipe and eave troughs (gutters in the UK), wooden boxes with poly vapor barrier.

Time to add some more photos of what we have been doing. Nothing very exciting really, but when tackling these old beasts there is a great deal of the mundane to do. In these pictures we are still dismantling the donor gearbox to get the insides for a rebuilt shell. There is a great deal of head scratching involved as you try and work out how some bits have to come apart. Father has been making odd tools to aid in this as you will see from these next photos. After this job has been finished we will probably never have to use them again. A collar to go around the shaft so we can pull it out: The shaft now extracted: Pulling out a bearing Shaft and bearing now out Puller on a spider. We had to get it rather hot Another collar to pull out the shaft and bearing All looking very nice A second empty box at last. Now we can start cleaning everything up to put back together in our other box. Tim (too)

That is amazing. I was stunned to see the wartime posters. Then felt very dissapointed to read that they were ut there by a film crew. Those jokers! Tim (too)

You were all right. One of the most rewarding things that i have done all year. Some excellent questions and everyone was very interested in what i brought in. I spent nearly 5 hours in total with 4 groups of kids and the time flew by. They were all enthralled by what i had brought in and loved climbing over the Jeep. Seeing my eldest in her evacuee's cloths with a borrowed US beanie cap reminded me of a WW2 picture i have of something very similar. It kind of froze me for just a second. A good day. Tim (too)

Now why do you say without a doubt? Tim (too)

Thanks guys. Some good ideas there. I am taking it out to my daughters school tomorrow so i can have a look at these areas while i am there. Many thanks Tim

As I drive along in my Jeep it occasionally makes a single loud “tick” type noise. Occasionally it does it two or three times at irregular intervals. It sounds like it comes from under the bonnet. I stop the Jeep and look around and can see nothing wrong, yet when I drive off it occasionally makes the noise again (most notably when I go over a bump). It did it again today as I started the Jeep up, but could find no apparent cause of the noise and certainly couldn’t get it to do it again once I had gotten my head under it. I am wondering if the flexible exhaust pipe might be blowing and making that noise, but I cant be certain and always worry that it is something more problematical. The Jeep is otherwise going very well, just this odd noise. Has anybody got any thoughts? Many thanks Tim (too)

This photo came from Ben via Steve. Who wants to have a go at identifying what it came off? Tim (too)

Wonderful to read. Tim (too)

My daughters school is having a WW2 History day on Friday, and she volunteered me to take the Jeep into school. I agreed to this with a little trepidation and have taken a day off work. Speaking to the teacher today, he plans for me to park up in the play ground and receive 4 groups of school kids each for an hour long session. Now i know a fair bit about Jeeps and military history but am now a little concerned that i will have difficulty filling an hour long slot. Any ideas on what i can do to pass the time. The best suggestion i have so far is to take a pile of WW2 kit, split the kids up in to groups and see if they can identify any of it. Sweets for the winning team. Anybody else got any ideas or thoughts on how to pass the time? The kids are all 7 and 8 year olds so i cant get too technical. Thanks Tim (too)