Tony Graves

Star Motors Diamond T has been for sale since 1997 which when I saw it was complete. A friend of mione visited the yard about three weekw ago an saw the DT in a sorry state and would come complete with a Cummins Turbo'd 390 which would make matters even worse with the drive train. The owner would not accept a penny less than £2000. If it has disappeared now it may well have been sold in the last three weeks. Also the windscreens and side windows are missing, perhaps they have been smashed so heaven knows what the condition inside the cab. Hope this is an update for you. All the best. Tony G.

The Four Lives of a Diamond T Photo 1 - I took this around 1978 when it belonged to Morant Motors of Dunton Green near Sevenoaks. I was going to buy it but was put off by the very lpoor oil pressure. Intersting to note, the crane was built in their premises at Dunton Green and when it was finished it was too high to exit the workshop so they cut 12" off the top of the crane. Photo 2 - The same Diamond was eventually sold in about 1980 to Clydd Williams of Ruthin, North Wales. The engine was taken out and the crank re-ground. Clydd also fitted two Bedford thermo starts in the air intake manifold and said it would start in 5 degrees of frost. Clydd was a real engineer. A friend of mine lived in Ruthin and I made several trips there to see progress on the old girl. Photo 3 - Shows it many years later after Graham Booth bought it when Clydd retired and sold up. Graham removed the crane and put it back to military trim. Photo 4 - Shows the 'T' in Pickfords trim and still attending rallies but I don't know who owns her now. All the best, Tony G

A number of years ago I was in Sheffield when I came across Bentley's old Diamond obviously owned now by Pollards Recovery.The first picture showing a recovery of an S type tipper when she looked pretty good. The other pictures were taken around twelve years ago and she looks very sad. I wonder if anybody knows whether she was cut up or went into preservation. Possibly the demise of yet another DT??? All the best. Tony G.

Les, a little bit more info for you on the Telstar Diamond T. Pictured before when with Sawford's of Maidenhead in the mid seventies, and later at Trevors yard at Blackwall Tunnel, still maintaining its original Hercules engine. You can see from my photos that she was slowly eroding away and now is a pitiful sight. All the best. Tony G

Dear Les, Trevor Williams Telstar Diamond T now rests in a garden near Lympe in Kent, and it is in a terrible condition. It is a stretched Diamond with three feet put in the chassis to maintain the winch and to keep the fall of the ropes in line with the rear of the truck. It has Holmes W45 wrecking gear off a Diamond 969. The diamond of R S Daw's of Dartford had TFL 20 ton gear on the back and from memory was light blue in colour with orange wheels. Yes you were right Les, that was the Diamond T I evetually owned with the Morris cab, pictured at the famous Peter Court's sale at Banbury although the diamond was not in the sale. Some sad news Les, I heard today that Ken Dawes Diamond T has been cut up, end of an era. I am waiting for some pics of Bishops Diamond from the Gatwood family, when they arrive i'll post some copies to you All the best. Tony G.

Dear Les. The Diamond T I mentioned earlier with the Morris cab was Daw's of Dartford and not Dawes of Swanley. The dawes of Swanley Diamond was bought by a local chap from Crockham Hill and sadly Dawes Recovery no longer exsist. When I bought Addingtons Diamond the remains of the Daw' s of Dartford Diamond were scattered around the yard. I think Richard is right, the cab on the Swanley Diamond is a Ford Trader fitted by Dawe's themselves. This is the only picture I took of Addingtons Diamond before I towed it home. All the best. Tony G.

Dear Les Nice photo of Morris Commercial cabbed diamond. Did you notice that the negative has been printed back to front? I don't know if you remember Daws of Dartford, their yard was tucked away behind a large crane hire company,Bronze Sheild, but they had a Diamond T the same as your photo with a Hercules in it. It ended up in a yard just off the M20 owned by Addington Recovery and was cut up after the engine seized. The crane went to Telstar Recovery. I also bought Addington Motors Diamond T off them. All the best, Tony G.

Hi Adrian This was the DT with the Morris Commercial cab, a Vass conversion from a Diamond open cab. It was such a shame to see it like this. I drove it to several shows and everything worked. It ran like a dream although it wanted doing. Now all the transmissions are seized solid and all the wiring has rotted out. The poor chap who has it now really has a job on his hands. All the best. Tony

What a restoration project!! I owned this Diamond T some 14 years ago. I sold it to a chap near Crawley. It remained parked in the same place, under a tree, without any cover over it until it was rescued by a man from South Godstone 18 months ago. Thankfully it is now being saved. The cab, bonnet and wings have completely rotted, the wings being as thin as paper. All the best, Tony G.

Andy - It is nice to see my old 'T' is still on the circuit and looking good. The first picture is of OJC in 1975 when it arrived at Sullivan's yard in Portsmouth still with the auction number on it. The second picture is the day in 1978 when I drove it home to Gravesend to start the restoration. All the best.Tony Graves

N.O.S Here is another photo I have of the Chaseside Diamond T on a simulated recovery. You can see the recovery arrangement at the rear of the truck, the cable through the rear winch rollers and over the pulley. The problem with this was it tended to bend the winch rollers. I believe Mr Jackson converted a few 980 - 981's, one of which was owned by Cadzow's of Scotland Heavy Haulage. This is the same vehicle which appeared in military trim at the 2008 Dorset Steam Fair. ** Does anyone have or know where I can get a DT 980 closed cab scuttle rubber for my new project?** Regards Tony G

To NOS - Thought this might be of interest. Page 17 post no.167 posted by Antar Mike shows 4 photos of a simulated recovery. The 980 and the 969 were owned by The Chaseside Company in Hertford. The recovery gear in the 980 was designed by George Jackson formally of Chaseside Engineering and later MD of Dial Holmes Recovery Equipment. I remember seeing this Diamond in Hertford and having a look around close on forty years ago. I was working in Hertford and just out of my apprentiship. The site of Chaseside Engineering was still there in the station yard and was littered with all sorts of buckets and frames from the cable era. The colour of the 980 was black and red with the name Chaseside on the ballast box. Regards Tony G.

I do not know about loadings per tyre on the 45 ton Rogers trailer but they ran on 8.25 x 15 14 ply tyres but were classed as 12 double tyred wheels. Perhaps they were rated at 4tons per double wheel. Didn't stop peeople overloading though!! Tony

Sorry photos are late. 1.Photo of my first Diamond, which I purchased in 1978 and sold with my Rogers Trailer to Denis Roberts in 1985, pictured at Pegasus Bridge in Normandy in 1982 with Dale Johnson who was Chairman of IMPS at the time. I bought this Diamond from Joe Sullivans yard at Portsmouth. The collection of Diamond 'T's and other famous trucks in the yard, looking back, was amazing. 2. Yet another of my DT's at Longues village in Normandy 1994. 3. The same 'T' at Beltring with another 'T' of mine, a wrecker, in the background. 4. A shot of two of my 'T's at my yard in Brasted in Kent. All the best, Tony

I have been searching through my photo archive and came across this Box Brownie photo given to me many years ago showing yet another case of overloading, this time British culprits. I think the tank is the German Elephant which came in at 66 tons and is loaded on a 40 ton crane trailer. Tony

Sorry, here's the 2nd photo - I'm not very good at this !! Tony

Is this overloading or not?? A 69 ton King Tiger on a 45 ton Rogers trailer. Two very rare photos of an American Diamond T taken in Belgium 1944. One of the photo's shows the Tiger loaded on the Rogers trailer having blown eight tyres.The other shows the tank and 'T' at the railhead. Please note the angle of the two rear axles of the trailer. The tank was later taken to a museum in Germany. Enjoy!!! Tony Graves

V8 BUBBA - Pictures of Star Autos DT when she was complete, circa 1998. I think several buyers were probably put off by the said speed of 45mph. I don't know of anybody who hasn't had problems with engine transplants on Diamonds. Leave 'em with a Hercules or C6. All the best. T Graves

I took this photo in the early eighties at George Hardwicks yard at Ewell in Surrey. Also in the yard were the two Leyland 1201 prototypes. I have some pics of these somewhere and will try to find them. To the extreme left of the Mack photo is one of the prototype Leylands.

v8 bubba the diamond t you mention has been for sale for eleven years. iwent to see it all those years ago and was told it did 45mph it was complete with crane and engine a cummins 220 was in it. i guess the transmission is shot to pieces. i was also told it was not to be used within a 100 mile radius of base . i have some nice pics of it. hope of some use. all the best . tony graves

Dear Private Dave. Re the alterations to the bonnet. I have kept the original air cleaners on GLU and only used one side of the hercules bonnet. when I built GLU I bought a brand new C6 engine which made starting 100% better. I have owned GLU now for over 25 years and my purchase of 'Bishops T' will be number eight of T's that I have owned. If you wish to call for any info or a chat please do so on 0033 231 10 11 98. All the best. Tony Graves.