Sean N

Thanks Chris, that's very helpful. I think this would be military (1) because it has a broad arrow on it, though I appreciate that might apply to other government surplus, (2) because it came with a load of military vehicle spares from a vehicle repairers whose bread and butter work was contract MV repair for the WD. There was a lot of stuff for signals vehicles with it though, so maybe they were issued for signals linemen - so there's a new accessory all you signals types can hunt down for your MV!

Had another look at it this morning. The only markings are 'Wynn Timmins', a broad arrow and a 1940 date. Wynn Timmins are apparently a Birmingham general toolmaker. The jaws, once the grease and muck are cleaned off, are obviously for wire - they have a semicircular groove in. It's quite small, looks like it'd be for about 1/8" diameter wire or thereabouts, and you'd only get two or three fingers through the triangle if you were pulling on it.

That's a good thought, David. I'd been trying to think what could be gripped in such small jaws and for some reason I didn't think of wire. It'd certainly work in the way you suggest. Question is, what wire and - given that it came in a lot of WD MV associated stuff - is there an MV connection and if so, what? I didn't note if there were any markings on it, but I can have a look tomorrow.

Andy, take a look here for more information - I found a couple of them as I was clearing out: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?44616-Blackout-cycle-lamp

All the CVR(T) family seemed to make very good money as well. Definitely an interesting sale and probably one of the better live sale relays I've seen, as well.

OK, here's another. This device consists of a rope attached to the eye of a small pulley. On the other end of the pulley is the metal apparatus you can see, which consists of a U shape piece pivoted in a slot. Pulling up on the U slides the pivot along the slot, causing a pair of serrated jaws to close. The triangle is fitted through the U shape. It's obviously for gripping something, but what and why?

Thanks John, that was easier than I thought. Based on you answer I searched t'interweb and found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bren-Gun-Carrier-Universal-Carrier-MKI-MKII-Speedometer-/271523123160 I thought it was an interesting item, given the anti-clockwise rotation and the way the face is marked up with gears and speeds. I'll obviously have to try harder for the next one!

John, it's probably 61 BG 80 badly stamped; BG would be in age / sequence for a K9 whereas RG would be a much later vehicle. BC is too early for a K9, I think. If it helps typically a K9 would start life in deep bronze green gloss, then later in life ('70s) would go matt NATO green and matt black camouflage, finally ending up in plain matt NATO green if they stayed in service long enough. RAF ones could be blue/grey from new, and I've seen ones that went to the middle east in the '50s / '60s in matt light stone or matt light stone and matt black camouflage.

Hello John, welcome to the K9 world - I had 9 of the things at one point! Still have 2. Great trucks.

John, the wing piping I use for K9s comes from Woolies and the like.

Yes, I agree. It was the transport costs for the parts that seemed odd to me - two seemingly identical items in terms of size, weight etc. might have widely differing transport costs. However looking more closely, it seemed that some of the ones with apparently high costs were stuck out in odd places on the ranch, not on hard standing etc. and thus perhaps more awkward to move. From the part of yesterday's sale I watched it seemed the WW2 stuff went well (very well), but the post war gun tanks seemed to make very much less than they expected (though still up with the market) Some of the apparent over-inflated prices I think result from us looking at UK kit with UK prices in mind. For example, there are plenty of nice Ferrets over here, there probably aren't over there so will command a higher price. Inevitably, though, much of it is just a reflection of different marketplaces. If I sold a car through Bonhams it's very likely to make considerably more than, say, through eBay or in the local free ads. A sale like this will attract many buyers and will attract moneyed buyers to whom such expenditure isn't significant in the way it is to us plebs. I'm not sure I'm convinced of the argument that it pushes the value of vehicles we do own up. I don't think the rarified atmosphere of a sale like this really affects the general market; that only happens if the market as a whole goes up, for example in the way the increase in VW Type 2 prices has dragged up the later watercooled vehicles, or Willys and Ford prices have dragged up Hotchkiss'. I'm also not sure that's a positive thing anyway. The price of your MV shooting up might give you a cosy feeling in the wallet, but if the market as a whole is going up by the same rate it only helps if you want to sell up and get out of MVs, or if you're in the lucky position of being able to buy, store and maintain a number of vehicles as an investment. If you want to change your MV for another it's no help because the other has gone up by just as much, and higher prices are a barrier to entry to the hobby for young and impecunious enthusiasts, which ultimately will hurt the hobby.

1. Have you definitely got enough airflow? (the manufacturer's figures are probably over-optimistic) 2. As it's been sat has the grit got damp? The grit won't lift if it's damp, it just wants to stick together - try drying it at low temperature in an oven before use.

Very good money I'd have thought - would a UK ferret make £25k plus 15% and transport?

Just starting now (7.20) Only in America would they play the national anthem before a sale. Thanks Richard. Just heard them reading the sale conditions. Apparently due to the ground and road conditions they're imposing a compulsory requirement that their movers remove the lots from site to more easily accessible storage elsewhere. They're passing on the charges to the buyer. The charges seem to be a bit all over the place though.

I'm having a big clearout, and keep coming across mystery parts. Often I've either forgotten what they are or didn't know in the first place. I thought it might be interesting to post some of them up here as an on-going quiz and see if anyone can identify them, rather along the lines of Clive's Mystery Objects (though probably much less mysterious) - the difference being that I won't be able to tell you if you're right or not! Most are vehicle parts, so it'll probably be obvious what they are generally - a light, a speedometer, whatever - but perhaps not the details or what they're from. Given the sources they're probably mostly British, as well - I don't think that's giving too much away! OK, first item, maybe obvious but I don't know what it's from and I find it interesting:

Be nice if all the Mosquitos from 633 Squadron turned up like this!

What are the transport costs they keep referring to?

Lovely restored WW1 Berliet at the side of the road on today's Tour de France stage, with a big banner reading 'Royaume IX 1914 - 1918'

I think like everyone else I'd say '60s or even '70s. Compare with http://www.canalarchive.org.uk/Tpages/html/T2424.html, http://www.train-photos.com/picture/number8836.asp, http://www.jameshoyle.co.uk/products/9/58/hudswell_clarke_0-6-0_d2511/, & others. Should be simple enough to get running. Possibly Gardner or Rolls-Royce engine?

Alternatively just try by the dimensions (bore, outside diameter, length, bearing type, any oddities such as an extended inner race) - if it is still supplied, those, plus what you have got of the numbers, should pin it down.

Bill, if the photo is copyright but there is a sample online could you legitimately post a link to it, so people can have a look? Might help?

If you clean the bearings up you should find the part number on the face of the races. There's a fair chance they might still be available from a good industrial bearing and power transmission suppliers.

That's exactly my experience, Tony, though 5" to 6" high for the lettering (or none at all) is more what I've seen.

If it helps, I bought quite a few vehicles of that era out of the Navy in the early '90s, mostly Bedfords, mostly in their original paint. None of them really had any lettering to speak of apart from 'RN' on the sides (and only some had that), tyre pressures and 'diesel' or 'petrol' by the fuel filler. The lettering was occasionally vinyl but normally painted (proper signwriting, not stencils).

Stage 1 on the Saturday shouldn't interfere as I guess most exhibitors will be there by then, but if you're coming from North of Bradford the route goes Leeds - Ilkley - Skipton then up Wharfedale, so be aware. Stage 2 on the Sunday comes across the A59 and down from Ilkley to the West of Bradford via Keighley, Hebden Bridge and then to Sheffield. Anyone who is worried there's an interactive map of closures etc. at http://letour.yorkshire.com/travel/travel-information-map