Great War truck

I found these photos on the National Railway Museum website. Their copyright gives permission for the to be used here. Mostly Leylands, but also a Peerless, AEC and Karrier. Sorry that the quality is not that good.

The steel bar was held to the chassis through extended arms on the two opposite Spring Supports with a split pin to keep the bar in place. The first of the two split pins has been removed and the first stub bar has been taken out with no real problem. The other will follow tomorrow.

Today, we decided to have a go at getting the compensating Brake Gear Shaft out. You may recall that this is a Steel Outer Tube, 1 1/4” in Diameter running on a 1” diameter steel shaft.Not only is the whole thing badly rusted, it is bent, so there really is no way of getting those two items apart complete – so they have to be cut. A cut was made inside each of the levers on the sleeve and bar together, and the centre piece of the assembly dropped clear. Heat was then applied to each of the two remaining parts of the sleeves which were carrying the levers, which were still held on the residue of the inner steel bar attached to the chassis and it was eventually possible to start twisting them so that they could be slid off. It is difficult to see at this stage but the two levers should be held on the tube with Pinch Bolts. If they are there, then the Pinch Bolts are very corroded and now would seem to form part of the whole assembly. However, it may be that it is brazing that we can see there instead – with no Pinch Bolts and that will have to be investigated. Some kind of repair made during its lifetime?

Then must follow the “Track Rod” – or as it is described in the Parts Book – the “Front Axle Cross Tube”. And the last part before we tackle the wheels is the only remaining bit of the engine mounting left in the chassis! A small piece of steel, looking very much the worse for wear – secured by a nut behind it on the chassis frame. The wheels will not be tackled until the “Heavy Gang”from Leicester and Oxford visit again – probably not until next month!

We could do. But we probably wont. Good idea all the same. “GeePig” says that we must be getting near to taking the wheels off – and that stage is certainly getting closer! But this is a summary of the remaining jobs to be completed before we can do that. The next thing to come off is the compensating shaft and tube for the Hand Brake. This consists of a 1” diameter bar some 45” long which runs across the chassis and is secured in arms below and being parts of the rear spring retainers. It is simply secured by split pins running through the spring casting and the steel bar. On top of this bar is a steel tube, 1 1/4” in diameter with 1/8” walls which can turn on the bar and this measures some 42” in length. Attached to this tube are two arms for the clevis’ – one either side - from the brake shafting. There are Greaser Points on these arms so that grease can be injected between shaft and bar. With ours, the shaft and tube are bent – and apart from the rust problem, there is no way that these two items can be separated – so they will have to be cut out and replaced with new steel. The arms will have to be removed and made fit to attach to the new steel tube. The rear chassis cross member is badly corroded in the corners and we have decided to take this right out so that the steel can be “re-enforced” with new bits welded in – if that is appropriate – and also to get rid of all of the rust which is certainly behind it in the corners. Fortunately, it is bolted in and not riveted so it should be easy to get out. We will tackle this after the compensating tube is removed.

These are the last two Brake parts just mentioned, after disassembly. You will notice that the one with the “knob” on the shaft has a left hand thread – something to get hold when the shaft has to screwed or unscrewed for adjustments to be made to the effective length. The “knob” is certainly past redemption so a new one of those will have to be made – there is no left hand 1/2” BSF Tap and Die in Axminster and fingers crossed that there is a set in Leicester – otherwise EBay first of all before we talk to a Tap and Die Dealer!

On the BBC NEWS. Poor photo but definitely a DUKW. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24323395 End of DUKW tourism perhaps?

This is the “Steering Tube” – which connects the bottom of the steering column to the front axle. The nut was hard work to get off – but again, the same methods as before were used to remove it. It proved difficult to use a hammer and chisel on the nut in this situation as most of the hammer blows were absorbed by the residue of the front spring! These are the two parts of the Hand Brake assembly situated on the nearside of the lorry – they have now been removed from the chassis but the remains of the old linkage rods are still in them and still have to be taken off. One fork looks good enough to be re-used but the adjusting one with a multitude of holes in it as past it!

Getting towards the end of the line before for the last one. Not a pretty sight! This is that last one – fortunately we could get in there with an Angle Grinder fitted with a cutting blade to cut the end of the thread of the pin – heated it to red hot in situ – and it just unscrewed! The residual part of the rod was dealt with in the same way again and it just unscrewed. This “fork” looks more than a little tired – and may have to be “retired”! The kit of parts taken off the Driver’s side. Just a couple of parts on the other side to do to complete that job.

These parts, too, look quite “meaty” and hopefully can be used again Working along the line, we come to another “fork” – a slightly different pattern – but again, exactly the same process. We managed to reach inside the “fork” with the Dremel to cut off most of the rusted thread before trying to undo it and again this made life easy.

The chassis is still quite thick. One bit on the rear cross member needs attention, but the ret is ok. As mentioned previously, all of the Hand Brake fittings were still on the chassis when we obtained it with the exception of the actual Hand Brake Handle – and now all of the residual bits must be stripped off before the actual naked frame can go for sand blasting. With so much heavy rust, each part is a “fight”, but we really want to get them off whole as some may be used again, and those that are too far gone will serve as useful patterns for the manufacture of replacements. The first of this batch tackled was one of the “forks” or “jaws” as they are described in the Parts Book. The usual tools being the Propane Torch, an angle grinder, a Dremel and an a hammer and chisel were used. We have found that if there is a heavily rusted threaded end part of a bolt protruding through a rusty nut, then the bolt will be a “write-off” in any case, so the rusty threaded end is cut off close to the nut with the angle grinder, the whole thing heated to red-heat and then in most cases, the nut will turn and the bolt will undo as there is no rusty threaded part to be screwed back through the nut. This particular fork, although heavily rusted on the outside is quite sound with enough “meat” remaining so hopefully, it is an original part that can be re-used. This little “cluster” was withdrawn from the chassis in one go – with taking them apart made much easier as we were not working in a confined space. The same process with the previously mentioned tools continues

That is very observant of you. I was wondering why the body was sitting so high. I have not seen a photo of an FWD with winch in military service so wonder if this was a modification (either during or after the war). I have got a photo of a Nash Quad with a similar modification which was wartime though. I will have to dig that out now and compare it.

Nice looking Holt 5 ton tractor.

Quite right. I think we should issue Tony with a special off topic exemption certificate in this case. Do tell us more.

Good stuff. We have entered the lively debate phase. Next comes the pushing each other phase. it is indeed a big picture. Very big indeed, but I know of another even bigger one, but we will come back to that later. What makes a painting special for me is knowing the background to the story. So, the raft of the Medusa I am familiar with and I love the painting. The background to the last stand of the 44th is tragic, and I have reproduced it below: The 44th Foot fought in the First Anglo-Afghan War and the regiment formed the rearguard on the retreat from Kabul. After a continuous running battle in two feet of snow, the force had been reduced to fewer than forty men. On 13 January 1842, the few survivors of the decimated regiment made a last stand against Afghan tribesmen on a rocky hill near the village of Gandamak. The ground was frozen and icy. The men had no shelter and were starving. Only a dozen of the men had working muskets, the officers their pistols and a few unbroken swords. When the Afghans surrounded them on the morning of the 13th the Afghans announced that a surrender could be arranged. "Not bloody likely!" was the bellowed answer of one British sergeant. It is believed that only two survived the massacre. Most notable was Captain Thomas Souter, who by wrapping the regimental colours around himself was taken prisoner, being mistaken by the Afghan as a high military official. The other was Surgeon William Brydon who rode his exhausted horse for days until he came to the British garrison at Jalalabad. So, does anybody have anymore?

It has been a bit quiet on the forum recently and to stir things up, encourage a lively debate which will probably end up in fisticuffs in the club house car park, I thought I would ask if anybody has any favourite paintings. I think one of mine is "The last stand of the 44th Regiment at Gundamuck", which occurred on our last withdrawal from Kabul. A bit of artistic interpretation but the end result is rather impressive. Does anybody else have any favourites?

ec1469a dates it to 1922-23 and it is a Model E. Hope that helps, but it is probably not the answer you wanted. Sorry.

Hard to tell, but it could be. I could tell you from the chassis number. That is the fourth early White in a Month and I know of a fifth one for sale in the Netherlands. Typical. You wait for one for ages and then five turn up at once. At 3,250 Euros that is a very fair price, although getting correct wheels could be expensive.

With the Bearing Bracket for the Hand Brake Shaft being so difficult to remove, then the only obvious way to move it was to make up a Draw Bar for the purpose. These two pictures show the set up – in situ but before it was all properly squared up and ready for tightening. Just a simple piece of studding with some bits of steel from the Scrap Box and a couple of nuts to suit the studding. The nuts on the Draw Bar were initially tightened without any heat being applied and it was obvious that the Bracket was not going to shift whilst it was cold – either the threads would strip or the steel would bend. So the Torch was applied and when the whole set up got hot, the bracket was fairly gently tapped from side to side with a biggish hammer – and suddenly the bracket moved an 1/8” in the intended direction. The flame was taken off the job and the Draw Bar nuts tightened as far as possible – the Bracket continued to come out but full withdrawal of it was limited by the small clearance at the end of the Draw Bar set up. So the Draw Bar was removed and we were able to knock the Bracket completely out with the big hammer and with a piece of hard wood between the hammer and the Bracket to save the Bracket from further hammer blow! The cast in part number is visible on the casting.

Finds and discoveries. Post number 18 I think. http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?14079-WW1-finds-and-discoveries/page2&highlight=fresne The auction has taken place. I will try and find out if the wheels sold. Would you like to post some photos of your Fiat on here? I saw a picture of it quite recently and it was looking very nice. Once restored will it remain at the airfield?

The clevis – or jaws on the front brake rod were removed after the usual application of heat, hammer and chisel and the Dremel – and much to our surprise, the Shaft for the Hand Brake Lever started to move within its Bearing Bracket without too much “heave-ho”. The ends of both the Shaft and the Bearing had received some severe attention in past years with a hammer – not by us, and it was necessary to address the end of the shaft with a file so that it could slide right through the Bearing Bracket The drop arm is secured to Brake Shaft with a Key and a Pinch Bolt. The Pinch Bolt had been removed long ago by the looks of it and I think that we shall need the Press to get the drop arm of the shaft. The end of the key has corroded away but most of it still appears to be in situ. The Bearing Bracket is a simple push fit into the chassis frame – but neither extreme heat or the hammer have managed to remove that so far! It will need a draw bar of some kind to get it out as beating it with a hammer will never do the job unless the chassis can be properly supported – my scaffolding pole and wood packing was inadequate! Rather interesting to see that the Part No is stamped on the Shaft and is still visible!

With all the bolts at the front end of the chassis now loosened and ready for the final strip down, it was time to move on to the Brakes and Brake rigging – these pictures show what we are faced with. When the lorry chassis was converted or adapted for use for a Shepherds Hut, the hand brake system was left in place – presumably for continuing use to secure the Shepherds Hut from moving. When we bought it, the hand brake lever had disappeared and we hoped that we might have found it in the surrounding bushes – but no luck! The brakes were “on” and to get them off, we just cut the coupling rods each side – and much to our surprise, the brakes just sprang off! So we were able to move the chassis. These are just four more pictures of all of the hand brake linkage before we attend to it.

Just missed this auction but there is/was some nice stuff there. All looks to be nicely restored which is unusual in France as most early trucks are just returned to running condition. Estimates look to be rather low, but we will see. Saturday, September 14, 2013 , Wharf's auction House will offer auction nine trucks of exception which belonged to Mr. Mirabel-Chadha, a collector renamed who owned hundreds of vehicles (race cars, utility, military...). These trucks, which were his favourite pieces (one of them sits today at the Peugeot Museum at Sochaux), are the final pieces put up for sale by his family. . Beyond models that are particularly rare, these trucks all have a common characteristic, as specified in the Master Jerome Duvillard auctioneer: "they have not been renovated, but restored. '' And the difference is important. This means that all parts and materials are time. "On the other hand, these trucks remained in the garage for more than a decade, not sure what they roll at the end of the sale. Need to ensure during the exhibition. Here is a selection. This Four-wheel Drive is simply "the first 4 × 4 in the world who served during the first world war", according to master Duvillard. For the anecdote, this vehicle was built in the American town of Clintonville. And when U.S. president Bill Clinton had come to France, he had the opportunity to pose in front of one of these models. Estimate 8 000 – 12 000 euros. Above, the White Type TBO has the fairing of a care worthy of a western with the rollbar underlying tarpaulins. His story is pretty special: the brand is American, tsar Nicolas II had a squadron composed exclusively of this type of vehicle, at the time of the war of 14-18. Estimate 8 000 – 12 000 euros. This Baron-Vial 4 cylinder, 1916, represents "the power and invulnerability at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to its all-purpose chassis", according to the auctioneer. "It was the truck of reference for its longevity, its security, its power and its ability to pull heavy loads." Estimate 8 000 – 12 000 euros. This Type GZ from Renault was used to transport troops and ammunition, on the sacred way of Verdun. Suffice to say that it is, as for the other trucks from the sale of an authentic piece of history. Estimate 8 000 – 12 000 euros.

Not a lot of any great excitement going on at the moment. Steve still has to finish off machining the new pistons and complete his pattern for the water pump “onion” – he had hoped to do this earlier this month when the “team” was in Devon – but putting the Dennis into store and setting up the Thornycroft chassis in the shed took much longer than we anticipated. So those two jobs were not completed. Today, we have started to loosen the rusty nuts and bolts holding the chassis together and also those securing the remaining fittings on it – they are not being taken out completely at this stage but that will happen when we all get together again. All the fittings need to come off the frame to prepare it for sand blasting. Everything is very tight and rusted in – but that is not surprising with a chassis nearly 100 years old and after spending most of its life under a Shepherds Hut. These three pictures show the front shackle pins – before work on them and with the nuts and hooks now loosened and ready for final disassembly. These two pictures show one side of the front end – some nuts and bolts had been taken out many years. The remaining ones have been loosened but the bolts left in to support the chassis. Those bolts are tight in their holes and presumably will not free up until the weight is taken off the wheels. The front stretcher is mainly riveted in – but there is one nut and bolt inserted in place of a rivet on each side. This is part of the original design and was made that way to take and hold a fork bracket for the lights. At the moment – there is no bracket but the nut and bolt was left in – which has now been removed. Rather surprising to have only one nut and bolt to hold the bracket as you would think that the bracket could revolve on the bolt if it is not done up tight enough.