ajmac

You know it makes sense....if you squint at the figures and turn a deaf ear to those close to you who may proffer advice:D

It was worth the long drive, the rare French tanks used in 1940 were a highlight, the German hall was very large and the collection was very good. I had never inspected a JagdPz IV or a BergPanther before and the late model Tiger 1 was very interesting. I didn't think the Allied hall was too impressive, only one Sherman....there were more outside in the 'wrecks' area next to the extensive workshop. There was a warning sign, but my excuse was my poor French :angel: M4A3 Sherman DD Tiger 1 Late Type JagdPanzer IV Below..

Is it really going to be in Lincoln as the story says or somewhere in Lincolnshire? It's a large county:)

I'm out in France working on a GT but due to unforseen circumstances fuel gas will not be available until Thursday so I am planning on traveling to Saumur tomorrow for a visit. Does anyone fancy a wonder around with me, if you are in the area? They have some choice wartime exhibits.

You miss understand P-O we were discussing the small wheels with the TL markings shown in Radeks photos, these are from carriers. I am sure Radek will have his arm snapped off for the Maultier wheels if he offers the to the right collector, perhaps ASPHM?

Radek, Loyds used the same road wheels as Universal Carriers, there are some variations as the British were struggling for production capacity and for a period fabricated wheels with holes were used, however they had 6 holes not the 4 as seen in your Maultier units. I'd be interested in getting those track return rollers with pins from you, have you anything you need for your project? Perhaps we could do a swap. In my Loyd parts book TL14061 is listed as an option for the track return roller, or according to the book 'guide roller'. TL14762, TL14762/1 and TL14762/2 are also listed without diagrams, these could be solid rollers or the early rubber tyre with steel wheel drilled for weight or material saving. There is also TL709SA listed in an early war manual, who knows what that looks like! Road wheel options include TL94, TL14702/1, TL14702/2, TL14722/1 and TL14722/2. TL94 is the well known carrier road wheel, I have some of these for my project as well as some TL14702. These are TL94 and TL14702 wheels in my garage.

I sorted through all the bogie parts that I have and came up with two usable spring unit cup linings, see below. Does anyone know where I could find some NOS or if it is possible to mould woven brake lining material. You can see in the photo that the woven nature can be seen inside the cup.

Today the other rear axle drum was removed, the shoes were in very good condition and can be used again. They were stamped 'New Hudson', any ideal who that was? The track adjusters were removed, both had to be heated considerably before they gave up and slipped off. A small bolt is used which engages with the groove in the pin to prevent the adjuster slipping off in service. It's all quite a poor design to be honest, no seals, no lubrication method. One of the LP bogies was stripped down, removing the pivot pin was a tough job, lots of heating and use of the sledge hammer! You can see the pin along with the original rubber seals that I have had remade over the last week. The Bogie is now ready to go to the blasters. There are period photos of Loyds fitted with similar bogies and I have taken photos of a preserved Loyd with the same design. Eventually I will fit British fabricated units which it would have had originally, all the ones from the range wreck were damaged beyond use. In the poor quality photo below you can just make out the ribs on the British style Bogie casting on this 1941 Loyd.

Radek, I have seen your project photos on MLU, looks like a good solid machine. Below you can see two of the different types of Carrier track return roller. The one on the left is from my Loyd range target and matches those seen in period photos of Loyds in Normandy. The right hand version is a NOS Canadian manufactured item used on Canadian built Universal Carriers.

Those LP wheels came from two bogies that a friend gave me, I only needed some bogie parts and the wheels were not one of them so they will just go up a corner in the farm. They only came from Australia within the last two years, they were included in a load of scrap that was inside the hull of a British carrier that was reimported for restoration.

A local guy has one side of the upper front hull armour which I can use as a pattern, sadly all the rest of the armour was removed and scrapped after the war during its use as a farm vehicle. Obviously I would like to obtain an original set of armour but until that day I will have to make do with a remade set. i forgot the elephant in the room....I don't have any usable track!

I thought all Shermans left the US with US numbers and these were simply painted over when the WD number was added once they arrived in the UK?

There is always something else missing P-O, however the project is getting close. Items that I don't have and don't have access to an original include the front upper hull Armour, 6pdr spare wheel mounts, hood sticks and a hood. The hood is going to be the hardest thing to locate as I have only seen one photo of a restored Loyd which had an original late war style hood. Does anyone have one I could borrow? I collected the bogie pivot seals this afternoon, a local sheet metal company cut them out with there water jet profiling machine for free! They are not identical to the originals but will serve a purpose for the limited usage of the Loyd when it is complete. Pivot end support below which is one of the original moulded rubber seals, the solid cut replacements are on the right. All the end supports that I have from the range wrecks and other sources are badly corroded on the seal face so will be cleaned up in the lathe, where I will also machine some new sealing groves. To give some idea of the construction of a Carrier bogie (the seal is item 26) I have included a page from the 1944 Loyd parts book, see below:

I unpacked the Loyd body panels today just to see what I had been given, I was very happy with the result, see below: The rear axle was inspected and sadly it turned out to be an earlier version with a smaller diameter tube, I knew that there were a series of modifications to improve Loyds during the war. These included strengthening gussets for the chassis trailing arms known as the track adjuster arms and a larger diameter axle tube with extra brackets. My range wreck Loyd has all the mods and evidence suggests it was built in 1944. This latest rear axle to become part of the project has drums dated 1943 and the remains of gussets thus the wartime Loyd improvements must have been piecemeal. Although it will be a lot of extra work I hope to rebuild the larger diameter axle and use the drums from this 1943 unit to complete it. Below you can see the removal of one of of the drums. This axle had spent many years in the open and the back plates had corroded to the drums, as I have a spare pair of back plates from the range targets the corroded plates had to be sacrificed so as not to damage the drums. All Loyd brake parts are unique to the Loyd and as such are virtually impossible to locate! Lots of Plusgas. Some nuts had corroded to virtually nothing, they had be to knocked off. You can just make out the 'LY' part number prefix which is a nice touch on such an obvious external part. The hub cover plates from the range wrecks didn't have the part number cast into them. Time to undo the first hub nut. Using jacking bolts to draw out the seal / locking plate. Removing the second hub nut. On the floor you can see the small rusty disc that fits into the centre of the stub axle to prevent grease loss / dirt ingress via the open end of the stub axle. Back plate cut through and then expander and actuator bolts and nuts removed so that the drum could be pulled off with the brake gear still inside it. Reasonable condition but actuator is scrap, too corroded to use. Luckily I have a couple of spares. Assembly pulled out of drum with ease.

Brief update. The Loyd hull from Holland is now back in Lincoln along with the Belgian rear axle with drums and interestingly marked hub covers. I've had to sit down with a whiskey following a friends phone call concerning an original Loyd gearbox that has been found down the road from me......and the reason for the sit down? Until a couple of years ago it was still in a Loyd Carrier.....but the box was removed and was the only part that wasn't cut up for scrap.

Like I said, whatever I embark on in the future it most definitely will not be something that has been blown up and left to rot for 40 years! I have a friend who has just started a Loyd rebuild in Australia, he sent me the photos of it being dragged into his workshop....then a couple of months later some more photos arrived showing the entire machine parted, blasted, painted and going back together. Now that is the kind of project that would have been an ideal first start :-) Rick, Golf is not on the cards although I do fancy doing a Triumph Stag, ideally another TR6, but only two seats is an issue so a Stag suits better....Jenni has been exhibiting an unsettling like for MGBs :-(

Next time I will start with something that just needs taking apart and putting back together again, much less trouble, it will have wheels too, perhaps a Humber Scout Car.

Too true P-O, undertaking this project has been like finding the key to the secret garden.

Well, if I were to get two months off work and a lump sum of say..£3k it would be possible, but with the amount of time that I have in hand to dedicate to the Loyd the poor think hasn't a chance in hell of being ready for at least another couple of years.

In the past they have been let out and done a circuit of the town. I wonder what is up with the Sherman Firefly this year?

Happy Birthday to me :-) A complete Loyd Carrier body in a box, you don't get one on those everyday. Couple of fuel tanks too. Thanks for the cup of tea and tour Jon.

I've been out of the loop for quite a while so it watch some sadness that I read his news. Are there likely to be any WW2 vehicles going to auction or absolutely none at all? I have just signed up to work for a US company based in Colorado so I will be able to drop in on on the East coast and have a look at he Collings Foundation when the armour has moved.

Thanks Jack, that maybe all I need to push me into signing up for MMI.

Direct from the foundry, runners and risers cut off....beautiful. So much work still to do!

Work has usurped the loyd over the last few months, I have hardly been in the country, just got back from the US at lunch time today. Jon, Ben et al I will sort out the loose ends ASAP and collect / return all the outstanding. Thanks to all those who have liked the Carriers Facebook page. Promise to get more work done and documented over the next few months.