Great War truck

I have been intending to add to this topic for a while, but have been so busy. No let up in the short term it seems. Anyway, these are cracking photos. I know of another one (a bus) that lives not too far away from me. The truck version was used by the French in WW1. This might be of interest to you: I have had a ride on one. When the thing was going up a hill the engine was racing and you cant help but think "for goodness sake, change gear". Tim (too)

What fun. I wanted to do something similar a while back but lost my nerve. Tim (too)

I very much enjoy the postings of models. I wish i had the skill to do them. I quite fancy a scale link model of a WW1 Dennis, but as the kit costs over £80 and i know by the time i would finish it, that it would look like it had been in an accident i have not attempted it. I am also always short of time so there is another excuse. I know what you mean about some posts apparently getting minimal interest, but trust me, i look at just about everything on HMVF and enjoy it all. I just dont always post repsonses as i dont often have anything useful to add and it all takes time. I promise to try and add more replies in the future even if they are pointless or rambling like the message i am writing now. Tim (too)

Donations can be done on line through gift aid. That basically means for every £10 donated we get £2 back from the Government (and i pay enough tax as it is and have little ability to direct how it is spent). Therfore if we can collect enough to send 10 veterans back (£4,000) then the Government will pay for two more. Worth doing Jack. Read all about it here: http://www.justgiving.com/ Tim (too)

Ooh. Is that the Tilling Stevens. Not seen it for years and years. Tim (too)

That bottom photo is of a hearth, on which a metal pot bellied stove would sit. I have found several of them in the field hospital site. Looks like a good event. Wish i could have made it. Tim (too)

Some more photos of my Bank holiday weekend. We started to dismantle the donor gearbox. As the first two bolts came free thick black oil started dropping out. All looking very promising: As the cover came off, even more oil came out. Luckily the drip tray was to hand: The nuts on the next cover were in a state, but we managed to use a dremmel (marvelous tool) to cut slots in them and then turn them with the benefit of a hammer and a punch. You can see that one of them sheered off. Then lots more oil and a little water came out. Next we had to get the nuts off that hold the brake shoes in place. These were a little rusty and tight. But they did in the end give way. After that we were suprised to see that the shoes came off without (too) much trouble. After that it was a case of unbolting and removing the UJ. This did not seem to take very long as i only turned my back for a moment and Steve and Tony had it done. The benefits of being submerged in good sticky oil i suppose. : Then the brake drum was removed, again without too much bother. it just needs a good tidy up and a skim on the lathe to make a good surface for the brake shoes to work on.

Here are a few more photos from Nathan. Thanks mate. The US Field hospital water tower and boiler room (we think)

Yes. We have done something similar with the toolbox lid for the Peerless. In fact thinking about it Steve made a new lid for his Thornycroft gearbox. He didnt have an original so he made a pattern first. Did a nice job. I will upload some photos of how far he has got with the J sometime. Tim (too)

Thanks for the positive feedback guys. We could stitch or weld the lid, but luckily we have two spares. One of them has been left upside down in the mud and is a little corroded (most of the writing has gone), while the other one might be cracked as well. Will keep you updated. Tim

As the old ali is not as straight as the steel, and unless we took precautions the bolts might pull through we made up some Devcon and smoothed that on top of the box. Then with some new bolts made up by Father (note split pins for every bolt inside the box as if one were to drop off the result would be catastrophic) We then bolted down the new bracket to the box casing: Time for a quick photo of the refurbished casing with the one that we are about to strip down: Then with the lid on But, we notice that the lid has a crack in it. The lid is integral to the strength of the box so we must get another one. Luckily we have a spare but it is not in such nice condition. More work.

Jack. I will be making a donation as well. If you set this up properly you will be eligible for gift aid. This means that for every £1 donated you can get an extra 26p. PM me if you want some guidance on how to do this. Tim (too)

Now what exactly did John say? Worthy of a caption competition. Here are some more photos of Akerman Street airfield. It was a grass landing strip but the concrete Peri track is still in very good condition. Some of the buildings are still standing but not in very good condition. Who F****d? Here are some photos of the US field hospital remains. Hard to make out, but this is the floor of one of the ward huts stretching off to the line of trees in the distance. This photo was taken about halfway along. Under the moss is concrete floor with a rubbery type coating. This is a water cistern i guess to be used for fighting fires. Various other buildings survive but are being consumed by the forest. I lived here for 9 years before i realised that this was just down the road from. i had driven past it hundred of times and you would just never know that it was there. Tim (too)

Another excellent book is "Narrow Gauge to no mans land". A bit hard to find now and it commands a high price, but certainly one to watch out for and grab if it is for less than £60. Tim (too)

Fairly certain that it is a Hudson. Tim (too)

It has the incorrect tyres which are easily enough changed, but the back axle looks too far forwards (by a couple of inches). Also the area surrounding the fuel filler is indented. That does not look right to me.

Oh yes, hell, i am normal, for sure. Anyway, there is a Dodge WC 54 ambualnce up for sale. Looks quite nice http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=006&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=160273559050&rd=1 However, to my untrained eye the body does not look right and i think it came off something else. Expert opinion please. Do we have any Dodge experts? We must do surely. Tim (too)

Now thats not technically correct. I did not take a right turn as i failed to make a left turn. Anyway, it was quite entertaining to watch 10 MV's do a 3 point turn in the middle of a busy road as i sped off. Tim (too)

What a splendid looking chassis. A real find. Interesting to see that the diff cover is still on. That would suggest to me that the diff is still inside, as normally the cover is scrapped at the same time as the diff. It certainly appears to be a subsidy chassis, one of about 2,000 made for the WD. I saw what i thought to be the sole survivor before it was sold from the Sutcliffe collection a few years ago. I have no idea where it has gone now. This one was built after the war had finished but was still built under the subsidy scheme (so i am told). Steve sent me a picture of another one very recently, which i will try and find. Tim (too)

Excellent. Next round is on me in the club house? Do i get a badge or t shirt or anything. Tim (too)

Great idea for a thread. I wish i had kept the number for the WW2 German army geiger counter. Tim (too)

The North Oxfordshire & Cotswolds MVT organised a camping weekend at Swinbrook in the Cotswolds. Numbers were a little down on last year but i think some people were put off by the threatening weather. Saying that we had only a tiny spot of rain. We were also joined by a few Champ owners who had come from far and wide. What a great bunch they were and it was a pleasure to have them come and join us. We organised two road runs through the Cotswolds. The first one was 28 miles and took us to the old airfield at Little Rissington (once home to the Red Arrows). We did a line up in front of the Officers Mess and admin building which now looks sadly neglected. Hang on, whats that? It belongs to this fellow here, who wore some very cunning camouflage: It was good to meet you at last Chris. That evening we had a barbecue and drink at the cricket club, then the following morning we did a road run to the Akerman Street airfield, followed by a trip to the remains of a US Field Hospital. Mostly overgrown now, but we wandered around the woods exploring the remains of the buildings. All very interesting. Following that a bit more of a drive then a photo shoot at the Charlbury Railway Station: Sorry if i didnt get your MV in the picture, I couldnt get the whole line up in. Then back to Swinbrook to pack up and head off. Many thanks to everyone who came (including four HMVF'ers) we will do it again next year and you are all most welcome to come back. Tim (too)

I like the way it is described as "rescued from a French museum". Rescued so as it can rot outside i suppose. Was the museum on fire perhaps? A shame. Tim (too)

Great idea. Perhaps maybe a sub forum. But where else would get the opportunity to post great pictures like this: Tim (too)

I went to see it on my Honeymoon too! Hang on, i am not married to you am i? Anway, when i got to Longbeach there was just a big empty dome. Talk about dissapointed. Tim (too)