cordenj

Can I join ?

 

sk

Looks like you have!

Hans,

You may find this album of one of my trailers of interest: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/album.php?albumid=541

Cheers

Excellent Ian. The HMVF 10cwt trailer "club" continues to perform!

Good trailers Hans,

I had a No2 10cwt but moved it on a couple of years ago. It was useful in that as it is aprox 15cms longer than the No.1 version, I could sleep in it!

Note you have a slightly differnet convoy plate light to those I've fitted to my trailers.

Like the T-shirt too!

Looking smart Ian.

Started the restoration of the MUREX Welder.

No firm timescale for completion, but first job was to remove the agricultural ironwork from the tow hitch and see if it had been damaged by the welding:

Easily cut away and the agric welding was poor quality as it had not really keyed into the steel eye.

The trailer had clearly been used and towed on a draw-bar as the pin had elongated the holes, given the quality of welding it is a good thing that the conversion had included a large bolt, as I suspect thais was really taking the weight of the trailer.

Towing eye cleaned up perfectly:

Repainted and "good as new" with my spare tow hitch for comparison:

Hi Hans,

Very nice truck. Will watch restoration with interest.

Cheers

The whole garage is spotless but it is the nearly empty bottle of Talisker that is worrying - it was full last time i saw it.

Well done John, a superb restoration.

Happy Christmas and a Murex New Year!!

Don't worry Mr Lawrence......Santa made sure it is full again now!

hi Tony,

Like the nearly empty bottle of 30 year old Blue Hanger here, that was full once

 

Best wishes to you all. Looking forward to an arc welding demo at W&P Revival with the Murex welder. Hope that is not putting too much pressure on you John?

 

best regards, Richard

Thanks Richard: May not be as quick with this restoration ....so MuREX probably will not be done for the first Revival, so I'll have to just drag along the Electrical Repair trailer.

I am looking for a murex trailer to add to my unit, anything considered; if anyone has or hears of one I would be interested. At present I have a 5kva cov climax gen trailer, and I would be up for part ex or swap, even sale, after i fill the murex requirement. Restored and running, it is post war but with wartime stenciling and is still a nice item.

Regards, Neil]

 

Below are some photos of Neil's Genny trailer that he is offering in part-ex or swop:

 

Thanks Neil. Will let you know if I hear of another MUREX for sale.

Painting of workbenches all finished (in British olive drab in the end).

While may not have been designed for this, I've found out what they also perfect for :-):

This is just a trial for next year's events.......

Cheers and Merry Christmas

Geoff,

Although I don't believe your unit is ex-military, it would be a shame to break it for parts.

As a guess, I'd say it was 1950's vintage and links in with cold war Civil Defence. But I don't know anything about this specific unit.

Have you been to the Cold War Museum at Cosford? They may have more info on your chlorination unit, and/or may be interested in it if you wanted to move it on

Post-nuclear strike, having a mobile and effective potable water supply for the remaining population was a priorty for emergency planners. There were national plans to instigate small emergency reservoirs (rubber walled tanks) which would have required mobile chlorination plant like yours.

All this equipment was regularly updated with more modern versions (right until late 1980's), and held in stores across the UK as part of a co-ordinated response.

When the water companies were privatised in 1989, each company was then allocated equipment from the national register; but as the threat of nuclear war rescinded, the old equipment was mostly disposed of durng the 1990's.

However, some equipment from 1950's was still tucked away in storage by some companies until very recently, when it and later versions from 1960s and 1970s was finally disposed of for use abroad.

Thanks Geoff, and you've now got a very unusual trailer with your ex-Civl Defence Chlorination plant.

but reading this thread has given me a new respect for the genre.

Thanks, Geoff

Thanks Brucie,

I've contacted Clive re the Vol 1; but suspect that much of the equipment info is in Vol 2. Will have to look out for one of those.

Re the vice mounting: I plan to start some dismantling of the MUREX over the Christmas break, so will investigate.

Hi Geoff,

Welcome to the forum.

Does your chlorination unit have any makers plates, either on trailer or equipment (e.g. Wallace and Tiernan?).

There is an excellent overview of military water Supply by Clive at:

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?2446-Army-Water-Supply

He doesn't show a picture of a trailer like yours, but makes reference to specialised higher capactiy chlorinators that could match your pieve of kit.

Brucie,

Your quote from the REME book (could you tell be the title please? I should try to find a copy) includes:

"...... and an all-metal welded bench with removable legs is carried in a space in the side of the trailer. "

This bench will be of a similar design to those I've built for the Electrical Repair trailer, but a smaller size. It could be that the extra steel framing in your photo are workbench legs and bracing bars.

The only photo I have of MUREX trailer in use is this quite well known one, that includes one of the benches your post refers to. Will be easy now to make one (although I'm sure this is a "staged" photo as I can't believe anyone would carry out extensive MMA welding using what looks like gas welding goggles without developing a good suntan!). The benchtop may fit alongside the engine in the gap between the chassis and top/fuel tank and also explain the short webbing securing straps on my trailer that can also be seen on this one :

While looking online, I did find this nice photo, I'm guessing it almost certainly would have been some kind of mobile welding plant.

WWII vintage?

Could even have been a MUREX trailer :

What's the welding plant like?

Tony,

Here are some photos of it:

Seems to be threaded connections for major steps in Amperage. I'm not entirely sure what the alloy box at front is. It has the circular knob that can be rotated to marks from 1- 30, could be some kind of way of finely altering welding current?

The Austin engine seems to be directly connected to the DC Dynamo (looks very similar to DC sets I've seen on old fairground rides), no clutch.

There is very little on the web about these mobile plants, so I'll only really know when I start to dismantle/strip down of each major part.

Hi Richard,

The engine has oil in it and no water in massive radiator...which is all good.

I suppose the rad is so large because there is no water pump and the flow is by convection?

Engine turns over freely by hand, but I've never had any experience of magnetos before, so that will be interesting!

Looking at the photo of the vice mount again, I think it may be a sliding type after all. Will see when all stripped down:

The only ID plate on the trailer chassis is this:

Post War number was 57YM71 and looks to have been refurbished in May 1955, could have been when the WWII smaller gas bottles where removed from the side lockers and the larger horizontal bottle clamps were installed.

The holes are visible in usual place on main chassis for the original maufacturer's plate and Contract No and "X" number, but unfortunately its missing.

Selection of photos of MUREX with cover/petrol tank removed:

Brucie: thanks for photos. The nearside Front View is same as appears in W.O. Code No. 5461 "ID List for Trailers, Wheeled, Lightweight"....except your one is mich better definition.

[quote name=

[ATTACH=CONFIG]70533[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]70534[/ATTACH]

Missing modified parts to my knowledge.

Vice mounted n/s body on a runner & possibly a swivel base?. Yes, a large Vice (a Record. Number?) is missing, although on my trailer you can see "L-shaped" plates still welded to top of nearside locker for vice to mount to. But these plates look similar design (although larger) than the pair fitted to the Electrical Repair Trailer, where the vice rotates by 90 degrees between travelling and work postions. In you photo, I can now see that there was clearly another version with the vice sliding backwards and forwards....but I can't think why as it doesn't effect the overall width of trailer.

Item mounted o/s body could possibly be an engine crank handle? Very likely, and I am currently looking for a suitable crank handle for the Austin 10 engine.

Looking at photo possible bar missing from under engine hood or the hood could be tilted covering it. Yes, I think you are right there. I'll post some more photos later of the trailer with cover/petrol tank removed.

Rear tow hitch is of a different type? Yes probably the early WWII version. I beleive a lot where changed to the later/larger rear hitches at same time thast the towing rings were replaced with the larger diameter versions (as fitted to all my trailers)

The quality of the pictures in my book are poor so hope this helps - Yes, thanks again.

Hi George,

I'm aware that the side mounted gas bottle clamps are post-war and I'll remove them as part of the restoration; but are there other alterations you can see?

Also, do you have any original photos drawings?

Thanks

Photos missing from Post #140.

Thank-you Anthony, your input is always valued. By the way, when are you going to post up some photos of your own four trailer collection?

Anyway....

Recovered the Welding trailer from Norfolk. Appropriately, we used my mate's Gulf War V8 REME LR.

Swapped over the tow hitch with my spare. Additional lights and reflectors to be seen.....and we never exceeded 50mph, (which puts the typical 45-50 mph of my Jeep into perspective)

Took two spare wheels, but ran trailer back on it's old tyres without any problems.

Next will be to fix and refit the original tow hitch.

There are 5 trailers (not 4) to my knowledge in the collection you mentions if you are completing the set which are illustrated in the REME Technical Book apart from the laundry trailers.The book also mentions the mobile workshop shelters that would have probably being used alongside these trailers?

Trailer 2-Wheeled, Lightweight, Type 5Kw Generator(Also battery charging):- The function of this trailer is to provide power for the machinery and electrical repair trailers, for charging batteries, and to illuminate the lightweight portable workshop shelter.

Trailer, 2-Wheeled, Lightweight Type"Machinery":- For use with airborne formations. Normally associated with other types of trailers to form a unit. The 5Kw generator trailer is used to provide the power to drive the machine tools.

 

Trailer 2-Wheeled, Lightweight Type Z (Calibration & Repair of Telecommunications Equipment) This trailer fills the role of mobile testing, calibration and repair workshop for wireless sets and such other telecommunications equipment in the need of overhaul and repair

 

Trailer, 2-Wheeled, lightweight, Type "Electrical Repair" No explanation needed here!!!!!

 

Trailer, 2-Wheeled, Lightweight Type "Electric Welding"

Thanks Brucie,

Yes I always forget the "Type Z".

None survive, that I'm aware of; and there doesn't seem to be any photos (just a line drawing).

BUT I believe "Type Z" and "Electric Welding" (MUREX) were the only types flown into Wolfheze by glider as part of the airborne REME in September '44. The other trailers formed part of the Airborne Div's seaborne tail.

Admit it: you're just trying to collect the full set! QUOTE]

 

Im not....honest.