utt61

It can still be taxed as Historic, but, yes, it must be tested if the trailer is legally laden.

The note on the V112G is stating that the following can be exempted:- a) a pre-1960 vehicle used unladen and not drawing a laden trailer, and b) a pre-1960 trailer used unladen The two are seperate items. There is no reason why a pre-1960 vehicle cannot tow an unladen post-1960 trailer but in this case the trailer must be plated and tested. There is no reason why a plated and tested post-1960 vehicle cannot tow an unladen pre-1960 trailer without the need for the trailer to be plated and tested. In this case the towing vehicle need not be unladen (since it is plated and tested) but the trailer must be unladen to qualify for the exemption from plating and testing.

V112G is for exemption from HGV testing not exemption from tax. The vehicle and trailer must be unladen if using the pre-1960 exemption from testing provision. An HGV taxed as Historic can be used laden and can draw a laden trailer provided that it is tested and is not being used commercially.

Knowing the huge diversity and depth of knowledge amongst the members of this forum, I wonder if any can help with a question re. Lucas lights... My ex-ROF Bridgewater 1961 Iron Fairy "Six" mobile crane was, according to the manufacturer's build sheet, originally fitted with two headlights, two jib lights, and one reversing light, all of which were "Lucas GLV.1145 Bulb Fitted 12V 36SE/36 watt". The original lights have long since been replaced by more modern (and plastic) replacements, and I would like to locate if possible some genuine (or replica) original type in anticipation of the day when I restore the crane. The trouble I am having is that I cannot anywhere find any reference to a Lucas GLV.1145 light unit. Google throws up a mention of a Lucas type 1145 sidelight, which is quite different. The IF lights are single filament units which bear a considerable similarity to "Butler" type lights, i.e., they are self contained pedestal type lights. Annoyingly I keep forgetting to measure the diameter, but I think it is either 5" or 6" (so rather smaller than a normal headlight). Some vintage tractors seem to have similar units as ploughing or implement lights. My question is does anyone have any information about these lights that might help me find a reasonably accurate replica, or know where I might find some originals? Many thanks in advance for any suggestions!

One of the five BL18 howitzers - serial number L1 - survived the post-war scrap drive and lived on at Shoeburyness, later moving firstly to Woolwich and then, in 2008, to Larkhill. This howitzer differed from "Boche Buster" in as much as it was only ever fitted on a proofing sleigh, rather than an RTM or Railway Truck Mounting (the proofing sleigh has very limited elevation compared to the RTM). Earlier this year L1 and its sleigh were loaned to the Dutch Railway Museum at Utrecht for a period of 6 months, and both were cosmetically restored at Larkhill prior to the move. The task of dismantling the howitzer and moving it by road to Utrecht was the subject of an episode in the Channel 5 series "Monster Moves", broadcast last Friday evening. The episode is available online (http://www.channel5.com/shows/monster-moves/episodes/gigantic-gun-monster-moves) until 26/10/2013. The howitzer has now returned to the UK and is on display at the Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson outside Portsmouth.

Correct, since if they're not removable they're part of the vehicle and not a load. I suppose that it does then constitute a modification so your insurance comapny should be notified! (I would stress that they're not real bombs when telling the insurance comapny too!)

You will probably get away with this provided that the quantities are reasonable. One jerrycan probably OK, 20, no chance! Not a chance! You don't have an earthly of getting away with this. Camping equipment is a load, the only stuff which is allowed is the tools, equipment, etc which is reasonably needed to ensure that the journey can be completed successfully. In the eyes of the law, a packet of sandwiches is legally a load, since you can stop and buy/eat it during the journey and don't need to carry it. Not a grey area at all - illegal. You will not get away with this. Commercial use probably not a problem at all, but you'll need the right licence, insurance, O Licence, and maintenance regimes. Some modifications may also be required. You won't be able to tax it as "historic" if you use it laden for commercial purposes. The answer to the OP's question is yes, you can drive it on a "B" licence provided that it is genuinely unladen. To tow an unladen trailer I believe you'll need B+E (unless the trailer meets the exemptions that allow it under a "B" licence, which is unlikely). If you carry your sandwiches with you, ie it's not unladen, you'll need a minimum of C1 (or C1+E with trailer). C1 is sufficient since the MAM is under 7.5 tonnes.

Your link doesn't work for me:- We're sorry, we cannot find the page you requested. Please check the URL for correct spelling and capitalization.

It took me quite a while even to find the vintage commercial vehicles! I did get the impression that the number of commercials was much smaller this year, so your comment is interesting. I only saw 1 Unipower, for example. One of the regular traders did comment to me that many of the long-standing established stall-holders are no longer attending due to the very high prices charged for a stall, and the consequent need for very significant sales to break even, and this does seem to be born out by trends over recent years. On the other hand, the volume of "junk" stands is on the increase, with the amount of rubbish for sale rocketing! I suppose that there must be people who do buy some of it! The trader who commented about the cost of attendance did also say that much of the unsold "junk" is simply left behind for the organisers to throw away, but I don't know how true this is. I thought the MV section was very good this year and very well organised, with some cracking vehicles and great displays.

Great film, very evocative! Impressive traffic queue behind the recovery vehicle and casualty when the journey home started, also I have to wonder also why the banksman towards the end is wearing gumboots and a raincoat on a sunny day.

Never seen one of those before. I know that in addition to Tirfors the army uses (or used to use) the Trewhella Wallaby (5 ton) and the Trewhella Monkey (12 ton) winches.

A similar platform was to be used for the (cancelled) LIMAWS® and LIMAWS(G) projects:- http://www.army-technology.com/projects/limaws/ http://www.military-today.com/artillery/m777_portee.htm Intersting (but very ugly!) vehicles, I wonder what will become of them.

Interesting. How come it's taxed as Private HGV? Doesn't it have to have a 'revenue weight' in excess of 3500kg for this to be the case? If so, the driver would also need C or C1 cats on his/her licence.

Doesn't look like Land-Rover to me - the hole in the centre's too big.

Too high for what? Getting in or out of the yards? There is no height limit for vehicles on UK roads, but your route might need careful planning. If the yards at either end are limited you could drive it the first/last bits.

There is also a 'before' photo on Flickr:- Very sobering indeed! Considering that the Scammell ended up upside-down, the driver is very lucky to escape with his life.

The book I mentioned above, as far as I know the only book sofar written on the subject of rail guns, is "RAIL GUN" by John Batchelor and Ian Hogg, published in 1973 by John Batchelor Limited and distributed by Model & Allied Publications Limited. It covers American, French, British and German rail guns, and, if you can ignore the inexplicable blue print is not bad. It seems hard to find now, and I suspect wasn't taken as seriously as it deserved due to the bizarre blueness! Hogg's "Allied Artillery of World War Two" has a rather inadequate chapter on railguns and coastal artillery. Squadron/Signal Publications' "Armor No 15 German Railroad Guns in action" is well illustrated but (obviously) only covers German guns.

Winnie and Pooh were not railguns, though they were rail-served. The same goes for the other batteries in the Wanstone Down area, namely Clem, Jane, and the ultimately unsuccessful experimental hypervelocity (i.e., supercharged) Bruce. There were four true railguns at large in Kent in the early days of the war, namely the 13.1/2" Piecemaker (often mis-spelled Peacemaker), Gladiator, and Sceneshifter, and the 18" howitzer Boche Buster. One BL18" tube has survived and until recently was at Larkhill, it is at present on loan to the Dutch National Rail Musuem. As far as I am aware no decision has yet been made where it will be located upon its return. There is more information on the Breakdown Crane Association's forum, http://www.bdca.org.uk/forumtwo/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=117&p=436 , and I quote part of one of my own posts one that site:- The story of the coastal defence batteries around Dover is fascianting and worthy of a book in its own right. The first guns constructed were intended as cross-channel guns and used spare 14" calibre “King George V” class battleship guns, modified for use as coastal artillery pieces. Manned upon completion by men of the Royal Marines Heavy Siege Battalion, these guns were named “Winnie” (after the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill) and “Pooh” (after Winnie-the-Pooh!). These were joined shortly afterwards by the Coastal Defence batteries at Wanstone Down, which used even larger bore 15” battleship guns. All of these guns had barrels so heavy that it needed all three cranes lifting together to lift one. The Wanstone batteries were later augmented with the experimental (and ultimately unsuccessful) hypervelocity gun “Bruce”, which was designed to be able to fire at targets well inside occupied France, but in the event proved less than ideal – the rate of wear in the barrel was such that a barrel would be worn out after only 35 rounds had been fired! Not long after Wanstone Battery had been completed, the four surviving WWI railway gun mounts, rebarrelled with contemporary ordnance, were also moved to the area. These guns were named “Boche Buster”, “Scene Shifter”, “Piecemaker” and “Gladiator”, and in truth played little strategic role since theit limited range meant that they could not fire across the Channel. The were used to harass German shipping in the Channel, and would have been significant had the Germans actually invaded. “Boche Buster” was upgraded to carry an 18” howitzer and became the largest bore railway gun that Britain ever constructed. As far as books, diagrams, and literature on the railguns is concerned there is sadly very little. I do have a fairly old (and rather disappointing) book entitled IIRC "Rail Gun", which is about the only book on the subject I know of. It is quite scarce and i cannot offhand recall the author etc (if I remember I will look this evening). For reasons I have never understood it is printed entirely in blue (illustrations as well) thus rendering it less than satisfactory! There is also a Squadron publication about the German K5(E) rail gun, currently listed on Amazon. One of the German model railway manufacturers (Trix or Marklin perhaps, I forget) used to make an HO scale model of one of the German guns.

As stated above, it is an aftermarket conversion to the high/low/4wd selector to make it more like the type fitted to vehicles such as the Suzuki SJ410. The main aim was in fact to allow 4WD to be disengaged in high range on the move, something which cannot be done with the standard LR configuration. It is not a Land-Rover produced conversion, it could even be home made. The box in the photos is also fitted with a Fairy overdrive unit in the top PTO position.

A tragic incident, and my thoughts go out to the victims. More than ever this sort of thing highlights the fact that the roads today are dangerous places filled with barely competent people, and in order to be safe we have to drive in a very defensive manner, especially in vehicles which are slower, less conspicuous, or different to the run of the mill. Nowadays if driving at a speed slower than might be expected, or if slowing or stopped in traffic, I am always glued to the rear view mirrors and ready to avoid the moron behind (it's quite a joke with my family, but one day it may keep me and them alive). Those of us who drive unusual vehicles have to anticipate and allow for other drivers' mistakes and stupidity. Very, very sad!

How about this -> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECALEMIT-SANKEY-MOBILE-GREASE-LUBE-TRAILER-COMPRESSOR-LISTER-PUMP-OIL-EXCAVATOR-/370840459710?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5657d059be Overkill, perhaps!

Outstanding! I wish I had the skill and patience to model to that standard!

Stunning work, and a joy to behold!

Oops! Yes, UK law. Sorry, I didn't spot that you were across the pond!

You do know that that is illegal, don't you (having the hazards on that is, not being followed by the wife)?