Great War truck

What a beauty. I look forward to seeing the updates. Good luck. Tim (too)

I see what you mean. That tilt is very impressive. You could probably treat a horse standing up in there. Interested to hear about the Crossley engine. If it was out of a tender it would be very desirable to a number of people. Tim (too)

I am interested that Wheels and Tracks is still thought to have been the best. I agree, i loved it, but i am just wondering what is it that made it so good. Barts knowledge is certainly unequalled, but what parts of Wheels and Tracks should the other magazines aspire to? Just looking at issue 33 which i have to hand, i note that there is a 10 page article entitled the "DAF/Ford connection". MMI and CMV usually limit articles to just 6 pages in length and this article is in great depth and on a subject that does not leap to the front as being something that anyone knows much about. The same issue has a 7 page article on Argosy which i would think most readers would struggle to identify. Should CMV and MMI have more in depth and technical articles on things that we know little about (eg - the drive train of the Krup Protze) or do they need to keep to general articles to appeal to the majority of the readership (Jeep differences etc)? To me the best parts of W & T were the readers forum; Seen, read and heard; Discoveries and Before and After. These would be easy enough for any magazine to do if the readership volunteered this information. But i get the impression that some of these roles have been taken over by the likes of HMVF. For example, i feel no need to write into a magazine to say that we have found an original and unretored WW1 truck if i can do the same thing on this forum in a fraction of the time. So has the internet made this information more accessible therfore reducing the scope for magazines to print the same information. Discuss. Tim (too)

From his feedback he seems to have sold a number of his photos. Maybe we should all do it? Tim (too)

Oh yes, i forgot that one. I usually read the TFM classifeds in WHS. I read one copy in the Doctors waiting room and in the classifieds was a WW2 GMC decontamination body (the same one as on page 90 of "Universal Truck"). The magazine was a year out of date and also as i didnt have a GMC i did not pursue it. But that would be something rather unusual to have. Tim (too)

Renault did do a 4 wheel drive gun tractor but the hubs looked quite different. I am not aware of any being in the UK. There is a Latil TAR01 over here, but that also looks quite different. There was a large Renault truck from about 1920 in this country which has now been restored and which may have had those hubs on the rear. I cant find a picture of it at the moment. I have found a picture of an ex military Renault FU which is at the Berliet collection which does look remarkably similar to the fist one. In fact i would say that it is the same truck. Tim (too)

I have had permission from pre war car to post the photos here, so it will save you clicking on the link. It is a very impressive truck. Tim (too)

PM sent Tim (too)

I dont know if you are familiar with the superb website pre war car.com which can be found at http://www.prewarcar.com/ Anyway, if you scroll down you will see a number of photos of an early unidentified Renault truck: Runflat has already identified it as a Renault tank transporter from the 1920's and which would have looked like this: http://www.activeboard.com/download.spark?ID=45840&forumID=63528&abKey=ba2c07e0b5750d8a6745d6e76b2e283f It is a monstrous great big thing and a real rarity which deserves a good home. Tim (too)

Out of curiosity, and because the pile of this Months yet to be read magazines is getting higher i was wondering what military related magazines (so Jacks "Gardeners world" and "Radio Times" are to be excluded) do you read. I am feeling i am reaching saturation point and although i carry one to work everyday to read while i work my way through my sandwiches the pile of unread ones is turning into a major trip hazzard, but I also want to make sure that i am not missing anything of interest. I was recently in foreign parts and picked up issue 276 of the French magazine Militaria which at €6.50 is jolly expensive, but is in fact a very good magazine. So anyway, these are the ones i subscribe to: Windscreen After the Battle Military Machines International Classic military Vehicle Vehicules Militaire I also read and buy on occasion (sometimes second hand) Britain at War Stand too Poppy and the Owl Militaria Army Motors and Supply Line Old Glory Heritage Commercial Charges Utiles Vintage Spirit Classic Commercial Vehicles Classic Plant and Machinery It is all getting a bit much now and i have had to give up my subscription to 2000AD, but is there anything else that you would reccommend i buy? Tim (too)

if my translation of the article below is correct, taking deactivated weapons into France is now a little awkward. It would appear that a 50 cal mounted on a Belgian half track did not have a French deactivation certifciate but unsuprisingly a Belgian one. The article states that the half track, driver and his children were detained and the 50 cal seized and the owner given a €750 fine as well. Can any French speaker confirm these details gleened with the assistance of my Collins English French dictionary? Tim (too)

I was not aware of that. Mind you, with the prices things go for out there i am suprised anyone can afford to bring anything back into the country from France. Tim (too)

Interesting stuff. I wonder if they have any plans to use the basement. Ideal for growing mushrooms! Tim (too)

All looking wonderful. Well done, nice job. Interestingly, on the right hand side of the right photo on the previous page it would appear that you have a cash point machine in your workshop. Now that is a piece of useful workshop equipment that we could all use. Tim (too)

Thanks for letting us know what happened Phil. Rather depressing and sad really and i am sorry to hear that the Area lost out so much financially. It is a bit of an eye opener and a reminder to us that putting on a big show is a very complicated and serious endevour. Something i would certainly not want to get involved in. My hat comes off to anybody who can succesfully put on a big event and many thanks to the organisers of the events that i have been to and plan to go to this year. I couldnt do what you have done. Tim (too)

It was the rad that looked the same as our Dennis. The Tilling has a curved rad, while the Dennis looks more like this. We know of a surviving Dennis Stevens which is in a scrap yard and in very bad shape. It was recently offered for sale but at too much money. Interestingly, when we advertised for Dennis parts we were offered several Dennis Stevens parts. Someone was interested in buying it, but i think was put of by the lack of parts. I have not been able to find a Dennis Stevens picture. There was a photo of a searchlight one on E bay a while back but i do not seem to have kept a copy. A shame. Where did your photo come from? Tim (too)

What do you define as "items". Strange how they are getting excited about it now when it was all so much scrap until recently. I know that it is a very bad thing to take anything found near Verdun but was not aware of any embargo on soft skin MV's. To export armour you do need an export licence though. I noticed in VM magazine that a GMC driver was stopped and had his deac 50 cal taken away because it was not deactivated to French standards. It does look like they are tightening up the laws - no doubt becuase we are all such a terrorist threat. Tim (too)

Are you sure that they are Tilling Stevens? I am wondering if they are Dennis Stevens instead? Very high body which would suggest a search light underneath. Hang on. lets see if i can find a picture of one. Tim (too)

So thats the original! I didnt realise that. It looked too good by far. Tim (too)

On the bottom of the scuttle that we just acquired was the remains of an arrow to mark top dead centre on the fly wheel. From the remains of that one Steve made a new one. In fact Steve is down in Devon for a few days and has just fitted that and the original oil gauge that we found at Beaulieu some years ago. It is great when everything starts coming together like this. Tim (too)

What fantastic photos. Where did they come from? It looks like the Fosters factory in Lincoln. Wonderful. Tim (too)

She is not that big really. Her height is exagerated by her high heels. Tim (too)

I saw an identical set of these in an antique shop in Burford. I think it had a German makers name plate on it. I think they are designed for looking at things a long way away and on the other side of a particularly tall wall. Tim (too)

We have also just been given an original scuttle for our Dennis. As you can see it is in poor condition, but has some useful parts on it. Tim (too)

As you will probably remember we have had a problem with the gearbox case. it has two pivot points for the trasmission brake, but as you can see the ali on these is really rotten: This ancient aluminium does not weld, and as stopping is quite crucial, we bit the bullet and Father cut it all away: which was a *od of a job and took him an age and a lot of knackered tools. Anyway, the plan is to replace the rotten ali altogether with a new steel bracket bolted on to the gearbox. It should all work out fine in theory and Greater War truck is doing a fine job, but it is taking a while to do. Still a lot more to be done yet, but he is getting there. Tim (too)