NWCB.

I am interested in the Lister A bowser original engine, as i rescued the bowser featuring at the beginning of this thread but unfortunately it had lost it's engine (And pump) many years previously. I understand it's original engine was a Lister A.

Hello Gary, long time ago now but do you still have the Brockhouse 3 & 1/4 ton trailer ? If so does it have the four wheels and turning, ie. is the trailer able to move ? I try to save militay iron where/if i can. Nick

Oh well and many thanks all the same N.O.S. for the trying ! It seems a nice trailer, still having it's plates: let's hope it is now somewhere under cover. Thanks again.

Many thanks N.O.S., i'll keep my fingers crossed - i hate to see good 40s/50s military ironwork rusting in the rain in a field or alongside a track ! I believe this is invariably because the 10.50 x 13 tyres come to the end of their life and they cannot be sourced anymore and the previously much used trailers are, up and down the country, being put out to grass (And rain) ! Yes it is a British J. Brockhouse 5ton chassis for sure: these were employed for many uses including often to carry a 900 gallon fuel bowser body.

N.O.S. hello again, we have spoken before much earlier in this thread. Back on 03/04/2014 you wrote that "This one is available - but it is on the South coast in Hampshire". Please are you aware whether it is still available or if you do not know do you by any chance have the owner's contact details with which i could find out of the trailer's present status. I ask this as in the photo the trailer looks like it needs rescuing and i may be able to do just that if it is still in existence and at the right price. Also, my area is the South West these days and anywhere in Hampshire is near enough from me for a rescue attempt. Thanks

This trailer looks to me to be a standard Brockhouse 5 Ton GVW Mk2: i see no extensions on it just the ends of the chassis sticking out from under a farm made wood not-full-length flatbed. M.O.S. on the plate may (But it is a guess) stand for Ministry Of Supply. The torsion bar suspension was used on the 3 & 1/4 ton GVW Brockhouse trailers and the leaf spring suspension on the 5 ton GVW Brockhouse trailers. What has happened to it does anyone know ad what is the rust like where the chassis members meet etc. ?

Are there any updates please ? Is the situation now that the worst has happened and that there is no hope for the trailer ?

I also saw advertised the 'Airfield Trailer Lamp with Engine' and thought how interesting it is, so i happened to enquire after it: although still at the vendor's premises i am advised that it has been sold to a museum.

Sorry one other matter i thought of is, when you next see the bowser would you please try and see whether the drawbar is bent/distorted any or should i say how much 'cause most are and if the drawbar is straight that would also be a big deciding factor. There is quite a number of these Brockhouse chassis up and down the country having been used on farms etc and it appears the drawbars get hit by the farm tractor wheels and consequently get deformed. I expect once distorted they are near impossible to straightened due to their size and strenght Thanks again whether you manage to or not.

If i was sounding a little urgent, it was only as i was believing the bowser's demise was this week. If when the photo's are posted up the bowser looks worth the expense of saving, then there is the problem of finding the suitable 'Recovery' truck for the journey from Manby Lincolnshire to near Milton Keynes: it will need to be a HGV Beaver-tail or HGV Tilt-and-Slide (They are business enough and wider then the bowser's 7"6' width). I have used www.shiply.com before which are quite good transport finders but the process takes a while. Also i have the details of a chap and Recovery truck but he is only available some of the time: i will contact him to see when he is around next. Other than these let's hope an HMVF member with a truck is out there reading this and happy to assist for a reasonable figure. When you take the photo's if you manage to do so, will you please if possible take one of the pump so i and anybody else can see how much of the pump has been stolen: 'cause that is a big determining factor. Thanks

Any news re. the photo's ? Thank's, NWCB.

DATA BOOK OF R.A.F. VEHICLES, (Leaf issued OCT 1948). Brockhouse Mark 1, 4-wheeled trailer with 450 gallon oil tank. (My note: This trailer though was extensively used also as a fuel trailer). OVERALL DIMENSIONS Length: 15 ft. 6 in. (22 ft. 0 in. with draw-bar) Width: 7 ft. 6 in. Height: 6 ft. 9 in.

First must say, if the 'Someone who is interested in saving the bowser' can actually save it, as far as i am concerned he should make haste and try to manage the rescue as he could be in the better situation to be successful. It saddens me to hear that parts of the pump have been stolen, 'cause of course where could they be replaced from when the pump is probably the rarest item of one of these bowsers, and a pump is one of the items i need for my skeletal Brockhouse bowser. I have thought of a place i could temporarily store the bowser safely just outside Milton Keynes but my problem is finding a suitable vehicle to transport it at a reasonable price within the very short time apparently available. I look forward to viewing the photo's, if they are managed to be taken.

This sounds bad ! A WWII Brockhouse Fuel/Oil Bowser should not go to the breakers yard. You advise that it has it's pump at the one end: do you know whether it still has it's Lister stationary engine up the other ? From looking at your Profile jpg1982 it appears that you are a "Maintenance Technician and an Instructor" at the Manby Motorplex. Could this mean that there may be the possibility of a photo or two to see the endangered historical bowser or would that be difficult ? Also please might you be able to advise of the name of the person to telephone at the Motorplex to enquire after the vehicle, if that transpires to be appropriate. I do not know whether i can do anything to help this bowser but i might be able to if it appears worthy enough and there is not too much missing, and the concern person can give some time for it's removal, and that he would not require too much monetary compensation !

Peter, The contents of your message are okay with me. If it is wanted up on the Little Staughton airfield that is probably where it should go and of course in that case will in due course do so; if it is not wanted up there, i am pretty sure it's future can be secured. Thanks again for your efforts. Nick

Hi Peter, Have you been able to contact the helpful lady in the farm office as yet and find out any more ? It is all very interesting ! Nick

Thanks ! Nick

Yes, there was a 'torsion bar with swinging-arm attached with wheel attached' x 4. They were off a Brockhouse Office Trailer chassis that was cut up for the torsion bars: two of these torsion bars were/are to replace two of the torsion bars of the Oil/Fuel Bowser Trailer that has now been rescued as the Oil/Fuel Bowser Trailer's two front bars snapped many years ago hence the front of the Oil/Fuel Trailer in the photo's is lower than it should be. The HGV Slide & Tilt that transported the bowser was equipped with a HIAB, so two of the torsion bars were hoisted onto in front of the bowser on the HGV bed and the other two hoisted onto behind of the bowser on the HGV bed. So all rescued. Nick

The more interested parties the better. I was busy endeavouring to upload the photo's in the correct order and i had to delete and re-upload them as they were not staying in the necessary order: this was while you were in the process of trying to look at them. I got it correct in the end. The bowser before the photo's were taken, was well brushed down to make it look a little less work to restore. Nick.

There is another padlock and chain on the other end aswell, for good measure (And they cost a total of more than the bowser itself) ! Nick

I viewed HMVF on my first visit as a passive observer (I thought) but on seeing all those months ago your 'Brockhouse in need' thread i thought i had to inquire regarding whether it had gone to the scrap heap. Due to the thread not being active at that time for many months, i though the bowser would have reached it's end. Thanks Maverick for travelling to see whether the bowser was still in existence. The tank is a bit dented here and there but fine otherwise and got a few gallons of farming diesel remaining in it indicating no tank rust holes, so i think i will be using it (In the longer term) for that very use: diesel storage. At the same time i would like to restore/improve it's condition and get it road worthy if possibly (The vacuum breaking system looks a challenge). Thanks again, Nick

To: Maverick (Thread originator), HWade, Ford369, M.Rimmer, Listerdiesel, Mogmaner, RattlesnakeBob, Scarab, and Other interested subscribers. Rescue Completed ! 2011 April: North of Basingstoke, Hants. 2011 April: North of Basingstoke, Hants. 2011 April: North of Basingstoke, Hants. 2011 Sept: Transportation. 2011 Sept: Transportation. 2011 Sept: Unloading. 2011 Sept: Undercover, reposing. 2011 Sept: Undercover, reposing.

Hi Peter, Good work r.e. your investigation of this bowser's circumstances and the photo's taken ! Did the bowser have its cabinet doors on it's far end in place ? I wonder if any forum member knows of it's likely period of manufacture. I will be watching to see how this bowser's welfare develops, it’s a hansom vehicle ! Nick PS - i have now rescued (At last) the Brockhouse 450 Gal bowser from near Basingstoke: i will post a few photo's soon.

That will be good !

The oil/fuel bowser I recently bought from the farmer/owner (Bowser presently still at farm a number of miles above Basingstoke awaiting transportation but now HGV beaver-tail with driver [At reasonable cost] sourced and soon to proceed) I have been advised Peter by RAF Museum London Hendon (Thanks for the RAFM suggestion Matt) referring from their copy of ‘Data Book of RAF Vehicles’ is probably a wartime “Brockhouse Mark 1 Four Wheeled Trailer with 450 Gallon Oil Tank”. Thanks RattlesnakeBob and Scarab for the transportation various suggestions/offers of help: at the moment though I am hoping the current transportation arrangement will be successful. Listerdiesel (Peter), if Danny152 after investigating the similar bowser you have mentioned near Eaton Socon wishes to proceed no further, I may be interested in visiting it for interest and to see whether it may have spares that might be correct for my largely stripped bowser. Nick