Great War truck

Sorry, no. Unless you have taken up botany?

The next stage of the Brake Bands and Linings - the linings temporarily attached to the Bands with screws and nuts which will be replaced with copper rivets at a later stage.

I know what you mean. I think that those were an improvised wooden A frame. I will have to find footage of it now to compare. Thanks

As you know the plan is to restore the Peerless as a recovery truck from the 1st Mobile Repair Unit based at St Omer. Very happily we managed to locate the original blue prints for this body type. I have attached a section of them. Within the equipment description is a "mountain gun lifting tripod". You can see this on the side of the lorry and on a different version in use on a ditched lorry. We had always referred to them as shear legs. I presume they were used to assemble the component parts of a mountain gun, but i have never come across one before. We may have to manufacture a replica. Does anybody have any information on their dimensions, or possibly an original? Thanks

Quite amazing. No wheels?

The first of the two Brake Bands now has its ends riveted on but still the second one to do. Riveting just a little awkward for one pair of hands but the "gallows! helps. The temporary screws removed one at a time and then the vacant screw hole takes the rivet. All 3/16"

Gone back to the Jack Shaft Brake Bands - the "hinges" to be riveted to the ends of the bands with 3/16" iron rivets - band and "hinge" drilled 3/16" first of all to take 2BA nuts and bolts which will hold them together during riveting and will be replaced one at a time as the rivets go in.

Thats right.

A bit of cleaning and painting and it comes up a treat. Nice to see the WD marking visible. We will pop that on the Thornycroft when we next visit. Thanks again Peter.

Thank you to forum member Peter for putting me on to it. A six hour round trip and it is home

I cant believe that it was 14 years ago that we found this for the Dennis. We need another one for the Thornycroft

You are correct. If you can see them they can no doubt see you. If you were to bring a lorry that close to the front and park it they will bring down artillery fire upon you and that will really stuff your day. Mobile pigeon lofts would move with the headquarters when they moved (which was very rarely). The pigeons adopt a location as their new home after they have been there a few weeks. The loft would be manned 24 hours a day so that any incoming messages could be seen as soon as possible. You can see a "grill" type affair on the front of the lorry behind the stuffed pigeons. The birds enter through here which rings a bell which sends the custodian upstairs to check for new messages.

It is actually a mobile pigeon loft, so i think that is to allow the pigeons easy access.

The museum did a nice job of restoring them, but i have no idea what they were like before they started. I would think that these images are about 30 years old.

It is true. Sorry. I would love to have some Pierce Arrows, but the wife said "You buy one more old truck and you will never see me and the kids again"! ......................... How much did you say they were?

Thanks Ed. Good of you to think of us, but we have Peerless brand loyalty and could not possibly think of touching a Pierce Arrow. Sorry. You know how it is. Tim

I wouldn't count on it. There is a very strong collecting mentality in France where early vehicles are saved from scrap but stored away in barns. Saved for the future but generally only become available when the owner dies. There are a few exceptions where there have been some really quality ground up restorations but these generally are the exception. The Berliet foundation did a string of superb WW1 restorations, but until recently they were left locked in a shed and not viewable by the public. They are now dispersed on loan around the country at various museums which is a much better approach.

Very interesting. Never seen one of these before. Box 12 is WD number allocated. As far as i was aware the WD number was not allocated until the vehicle arrived in theatre. I am doubtful if any completed ones will have survived.

Michael posted this TAR on Facebook which he saw about 25 years ago in France. I wonder if it is the same one? Lots of similarities, the most obvious being the cab.

This will appeal to you. In France, but we dont know where.

First steps underway to complete the Jack Shaft Band Brakes

Thanks Ed. So the chances of finding one or parts in the USA are pretty slim then. I was aware of a Peerless chassis up for sale over there but it was very expensive and completely stripped of parts. Interesting things keep turning up in Australia and NZ and i thought it just a matter of time before something turns up in the USA. Nearly 30 years down the line and nothing yet. Never mind. I think looking for an engine in France will be my best bet. Tim

Exciting stuff. I look forward to following this one.

Moving on to complete the "Releasing Springs" for the Service Brake Band - one of the two originals was very badly rusted and most of the second one was missing. There was sufficient remaining of the rusted one to use as a pattern for new ones. Luckily, both bottom plates of the originals were good enough to use again so it just meant that only new rods had to be made to hold the springs. The originals were just screwed into the bottom plates and it was possible to pick up the threads in the bottom plates for the new ones. The new rods were threaded appropriately - but were also silver soldered in.Die Springs were ordered from Amazon and arrived the next day. Identical length to the originals but now they look a bit short. That can be re-assessed later if needs be.Next, the Brake Bands. we have the steel rolled ready to go for these but they are over length and will have to be shortened as the first job.