Great War truck

Looks about right!

The final shape of the bolting flange was obtained by cutting off the surplus and filing the disc to shape. The holes for the bolting studs were drilled to take filing buttons and a steel disc was machined to an identical diameter to the larger curves on the out side and attached to the embryo as something to file around.

The Bolting Flange shape then had to be finally marked out on the 3” bronze disc. A “dummy” was machined up to fit firmly into the big hole in the embryo flange with a clear centre in that which could be used for the centre for dividers to mark out the final required curves and for the holes to accommodate the bolting studs. After these had been scribed, it was easy to join up those circles to obtain the final shape of the flange. The Neck was dropped into embryo flange to see how it looked!

The Neck was successfully screw cut to take the cap and the surplus on that threaded end was machined off so that the neck was correct in length and then the end was tapered at 45 degrees.

The actual neck of the Filler was another off cut of hollow bronze bar, marginally over 2 1/2” in diameter and about 1/2” over the final required length. That again was held in the Myford to be bored out and for the first outside diameter to be machined. The bar was then reversed in the chuck for the final outside diameter to be machined prior to screw cutting. The embryo neck was, perhaps quite unorthodoxly supported, for the final cuts to be taken and for screw cutting by the taper on the drill chuck.

The sketch of the bolting flange was transferred in scale to a piece of paper and laid across the top of the Radiator Top Tank, just to check it – but it seemed to be a little narrow against the machined face of the Radiator so the dimension across has been slightly enlarged to take advantage of the full width of the bolting surface. Both versions can be seen in the sketch

With the engine and gearbox now firmly located within the chassis, we decided that we would like to give the lorry a “face” in the form of attaching a Radiator! We do not have a Radiator and are faced with making one. The construction of a Radiator has been in our planning over the years and when talking to our friends at the Hampshire County Museum Service and at Carlton Colville some time ago we found that they also wanted new Radiators for their “J’s” – as in the case of Carlton Colville, the original one on their “Thorny” had become badly corroded and was leaking – really beyond repair. So the three of us jointly commissioned patterns to be made for the four cast aluminium, parts of the Radiator – top and bottom tanks and the two side supports, sharing the costs. The three sets were all cast at the same time. Machining the bolting faces of these four castings was beyond the capabilities of our modestly sized machinery and they were faced off for us at the same time as the other castings were done. So we have those four castings in stock – ready to go! We shall make the core ourselves – but this will be an expensive job. We shall need about 20,000 Gills to be thread on the tubes – these are available commercially and cost about £30 per thousand – you work out the cost of those! On top of those, there will be brass for the top and bottom of the core and also the copper tubes. So the total cost of the core is certainly going to be in excess of a thousand pounds! Anyhow, to start the ball rolling, Steve has completed sketches of the Radiator Filler Neck and the Screw Top for the Axminster Division to get cracking on. The dimensions and shapes of these were taken from original Thorny J fittings some time ago. We have always kept our eyes open for Bronze Bar Ends at Autojumbles or Traction Engine Rally Sales Stalls and fortuitously find now that we have enough of these in the right size in stock to make these bits without having to buy more! The bolting flange was parted off from a piece of 3” diameter, hollow bronze bar and then faced off and bored out in the Myford Lathe. It has purposely been left over thick, as part of the final machining will take it down to its final thickness of just 3/16 of an inch.

Yes indeed. Super stuff there Jim. Well done.

Of course. The US Army used a great number of AEC Y Types. Fancy a change of markings on yours Seb?

Is that the same CJ2 which sold at Brooklands for a great sum of money?

Might be Shropshire Light Infantry.

Hello I recognise the name from the GWF. You do have an extensive knowledge of traction engines. A possible project? Not an Austro Daimler Zugwagen? Oh well. Wishful thinking on my part.

Not a Liberty B for sure. You said it has US markings on the back. Can you make any of them out? Thanks

This is just the left overs from the reserve collection. The best stuff is in the museum. There are several sheds just packed full of complete but unrestored vehicles (not hundreds, but an awful lot) and everything that was left over was left outside. All a bit sad really.

That was a Delahaye.

It is a Latil.

I don't understand. Is this a proposal or has this been implemented? I don't think it will cause a surge in buying weapons as surely most people will be concerned that any weapons they own have now become unsaleable.

Looks very similar but I think the radiator is of a slightly different shape suggesting that it is an early 1920's model. Steve will know.

That is very interesting Tom. All kicks off just after 6 minutes and is a very interesting clip showing the setting up of the 13pdr AA gun and firing with drill rounds. I expect that will gravitate its way across to the Great War Forum in no time.

The bolts all now cut back to length and fitted with spring washers under them. The “Activating Lever” for the brakes which is fitted to the top of the right shoe also accommodates the “Tension Rod” joining the two shoes – this Rod appears to be a little short for the job in this picture but its length was carefully measured from the Portsmouth Thorny some years ago. The Activating Lever, yet to be made is actually crescent shape and the top of the crescent will be quite a bit to the left of the pivot pin in the Brake Shoe so we fully expect that the length of the Tension Rod will prove to be correct!

You may remember that the Brake Drum was bevelled for another purpose after the original Thorny that it was fitted to was put aside and that there was insufficient metal left on the Drum for the remains of the bevel to be machined out. We have to live with that but that bevel is quite visible in this first photograph but presumably after a period of use, the lining will bed down on it. The second two pictures show the brake linings with the bronze bolts fitted but before they were reduced to correct length.

We would have expected to have to make 3/8” bronze bolts but a few years ago, a friend gave us a handful of 3/8” diam - what looks like phos bronze – Whit bolts and they were then just put to one side with the thought that they might come in useful one day! Steve remembered that we had them and they were dug out. That day had arrived! They were somewhat over length and with a hex head – presumably, they were originally intended for some kind of electrical work. Anyhow, the threads on them were extended further down the length of the bolt, the hex heads were turned down to 1/8” thick and 9/16” in diameter to suit our purpose. The 3/8” holes in the linings then had to be counter drilled to the depth 3/16” and 9/16” in diameter to take the round heads of the bolts. And a trial fit!

These Brakes Shoes then had to be drilled 3/8” in four places to take bolts for attaching the linings to them. The linings on the rear wheel brakes were attached to their shoes with orthodox brake lining rivets but 3/8” bolts were originally used on the transmission brake shoes – and we have followed that same practice. After the holes were drilled in the shoes, the linings were clamped up to the shoes and drilled through and then held in position with steel bolts, pending further work on them.

Very interesting clip. I expected the farmer when he arrived with his pony and trap to demand compensation for the damage they had done to his field. What was that on the back of the transporter lorry?

Got to say that it does look very nice indeed. I hope that it finds a good home.