Great War truck

Steve has picked up the steering wheel pattern. We don’t actually need it yet but our friends at the Coventry museum need a four spoke wheel for their Maudslay which looks very similar so he has taken the opportunity to get on with it. The first task was to assess the information that we have. Steve measured up the one on the Portsmouth bus many years ago but it was wrapped with tape so the detail could not be seen. Similarly the one at Carlton Coalville is also wrapped. However, Dad took this picture of the tipper at the Tucker sale twenty years ago and ribs can just be seen on the underside. These are confirmed by a picture in the parts book. Finally, we had had a look at the wheel on the one in the scrapyard in Taunton. The rim has disappeared but it can be seen that the spokes were coated as well as the rim. Based on all of this, we have enough information to do the job. We decided that the wheel should be cast in the same manner as we did with the Dennis wheel so Steve laid out the profile which a friend had laser cut for us in 3mm steel. Steve then put the set in the spokes by pushing them whilst the rim was held in the vice. Next, he proceeded to build up the shape using MDF. Quadrants were screwed to a plywood disc. This was then rotated by hand on the milling machine against a 3/4” radius router bit.

Yes. All East Africa. I forgot to mention that.

With all of the smaller parts now removed from the chassis, the only parts left to remove are the wheels, springs and axles. These are a bit much for Tony to remove on his own so we hope to have the “heavy gang” there within the month to help and to finish the job so that the frame can go for sand blasting. As much preparatory work as possible will be done prior to the arrival of the “help”. Every part taken off so far has been a challenge because of heavy rusting and we expected the same problem with the wheels. The off-side front hub cap has been missing for many years by the looks of the wheel hub – the wheel is held on by a collar with a good solid pin inserted through it and held in place by a split pin on the end. The split pin was surprisingly and pleasingly easy to remove and one sharp blow with a big hammer loosened the retaining pin. The other three hub caps are still on the wheels and fortunately, we do have a spare front one in the collection, obtained sometime ago which will replace the missing one. This is the other front hub – the hub caps are held on with nuts and bolts where the bolt is inserted through the outside face of the wheel from the inside and nutted on the outside – so very easy to replace. No nasty rusted studs to deal with for a change! Removal of the hub cap revealed that the hub was still heavily greased – once the grease was removed, the split pin came out easily and the retaining pin was easily loosened. These pictures show the rear hubs – again, the hub caps were held in place with nuts and bolts – but only three were put back in when the fitter removed the half shafts all those years ago when the chassis was converted for use as a Shepherd’s Hut. Again, the hubs remain nicely oily and the big retaining nuts look as if they will undo quite easily.

Well Alan, I am getting used to your cryptic clues, but this is the first one I have ever worked out. Our mutual friend was very pleased. I will let you know if a chassis number is forthcoming. Here is a poor picture of a 1919 4 tonner. I am sure the chassis is much earlier. Anyway, thanks for identifying it and solving the mystery. I wonder what will happen to it. I suspect high chance of Chinese razor blades for this unique survivor

I do believe you are right Alan. How on earth did you work out it was a Palladium?

Acason? There is a name that I had not heard of before. I am sure everyone else also checked up the name on Google as well as me. Certainly some similarities. Thanks for putting it on JOT Gordon. I thought someone there would know.

It is really good of you to take time to teach someone the fun of restoration. He will get more satisfaction from that then he will playing computer games or otherwise getting well mullered. Steve took some time to teach my girls some blacksmithing and it was a great success.

There is a fifth ring in the middle of each piston which is sprung inwards to locate the gudgeon pin. This is simply a piece of rolled spring steel. Of course, with our smaller pistons, the originals no longer fit so Steve opted to reduce them to suit. First, he softened them by heating to red hot and then allowing them to air-cool. He then cut 9/16” from the end using a Dremel with cut-off wheel. Once this was complete, he had to tighten the radius and he did this with a press tool. He machined a radius on a block of ash. Using a bit of tube from the stock drawer, he pressed the rings in steps around their circumference until the ends met once more. After hardening them once more by heating to red heat and dunking them in a bucket of water, he tempered them back by polishing them and then gently warming them until they went blue. They are now ready for use again.

Possibly. Diamond T started in 1911, but they used Timken axles.

Same logo for sure. Looks like TD so Timken Detroit I imagine although it looks different sort of logo from the other ones I have seen. I am not aware of Hurlburt trucks ever being sold in this country but an American built machine I would suspect.

You are right. Should have looked more closely. Studebaker possibly?

These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. This is one of the unarmoured Canadian Autocars which had the “command car” type body removed and replaced with a GS body. © IWM (CO829) A well loaded Autocar. The tool box has been used as a footstep it seems © IWM (Q15638) A convoy of Autocars heading off into the bush © IWM (Q15632) Behind the Model T’s is a line up of more GS Autocars © IWM (CO829)

Must have been awkward getting those axles up on to the shelf four feet off the ground. Great photos. Thanks.

Super work as always Dan. Aren't the rear hooks the same as the front which you have already made? Tim

Can anybody identify this one? Thanks Tim

Steve has now finished the pistons. He first machined the gudgeon bosses to length and then drilled the oil control ring slots to allow the oil to return. The pistons vary by only 14g max to min so we will leave them as they are and put them away ready to fit. We have decided that our Christmas project this year will be to reassemble the engine, if only to get all of the boxes of bits off the floor!

On our chassis, there is one little shaft, about 2 1/4” long and 1 1/2” in diameter sticking out from the sub-chassis, near side, which is the remains of the original engine mounting on that side of the vehicle. The shaft goes through the chassis rail and is held in position with four 1/2” countersunk machine screws through the chassis rail and mounting plate – nutted on the other side of the chassis rail. The engine has a three point mounting arrangement. The “mushroom” between the four nuts is the remains of the original Greaser. The third picture shows part of the complete set-up on the Carlton Colville “Thorny”. The angle iron takes the casting for the single engine mount which is on that side of the lorry and is designed to move or give slightly on the “prong”. A little wire brushing helps and also shows the full extent of the corrosion. The thread for the retaining nut is 1” Whitworth. After the usual treatment of heat on the nuts and screws and then persistence, all four came loose. The pivot pin with its mounting plate were stuck in the chassis rail and would not come free until further extreme heat treatment on it and then one sharp tap with a heavy hammer released it. It seems that the pivot pin was pressed into the mounting plate and we shall have to replicate that when the new pin is made.

What super pictures. I would suggest Rouen. Nice collection of Dennis 5 spoke steering wheels I see. Thanks for adding these.

That's nice. I am sure Marcel knows about that one. There was a clip here about a year ago showing one under restoration and being started up at the Peugeot factory. I wonder if it is the same one.

These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. Another Holt 75 in action. This time recovering a Leyland. © IWM (Q 32895) Same Leyland and Holt. Different angle © IWM (Q 32897) Another Mobile Repair Unit. Unusual camouflage scheme and lots of picks and shovels on the side to aid recovery. © IWM (Q 26242) And another one © IWM (Q 26236) You can see the spare axle quite well on this one © IWM (Q 26237) © IWM (Q 26246) French in Salonika © IWM (Q 32865) More French © IWM (Q 32568) Mobile tyre press. Not something that usually has much mobility of its own. I think it might be on a trailer which they have then boxed in. © IWM (Q 9059) Another shot of it. Compare the two metal plates with the foundry photo? © IWM (Q 9058)

That is a Holt 75 gun tractor. Quite a nifty machine. I will post some more pictures of them.

These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. Here are a few more photos for your enjoyment. This looks like a French army Mors. © IWM (Q 8333) An diverse mix of stuff requiring a rebuild © IWM (Q 8838) An interesting recovery exercise for this Leyland. Surprised it didn’t go over. © IWM (Q 10886) Not sure what that was, but I would say it was beyond repair now © IWM (Q 6846) New rad required for the Daimler © IWM (Q 8828) Thorny J in trouble again. Strange how Thornys seem to feature a great deal in these photos © IWM (Q 7054) Another one of the Karrier needing a new front axle © IWM (Q 10413)

I understand that they built new foundries when they set up the heavy repair shops. I don't think the French were able to or inclined to hand over theirs. The first foundry photograph looks like they are making new tyre press components.

Yes, that looks great. Love to see more photos.

These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. Carrying on the same theme these first two photos show foundry work at the Heavy Repair workshops. The last one is a mixture of general fitting work. It looks very similar to the fitting shop at Avimo where I once worked. © IWM (Q 9135) © IWM (Q 9134) © IWM (Q 9137)