simon king

Not often you see articles on the restoration of Japanese MVs http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610120007.html

its in the same position on mine as well

You must post the results of your endeavours so we can see the finished image

its cold and I'm old, so im not scrabbling around on a cold concrete floor - sorry centre to centre, measured from the carriage bolts holding the floor planks is 10"

my trailer, my dimensions

thanks Chris - it was for the aerial base end that I was inquiring - so all that was different was the retaing spring. I suppose that makes sense really. Something else to ponder

sorry to bring this thread back from the dead but how do the in line and right angled male Pye Connectors differ? Looking to reproduce the B set aerial insulators so it would be helpful to know

That is a SS Cars built example according to the census number. Interesting that most of the trucks are a single colour (possibly SCC2) with no disruptive pattern - unless the paintwork is covered with a thick layer of dust. The third 15cwt in on the LHS is an MWR I think as it has the vertically split rear canvas curtain to take account of the spare wheel carrier on the tailgate. Perhaps I might be able to do a "then and now" with that picture one day.

According to the Chilwell list, SS Cars only received one contract for 10cwt 2 wheeled GS trailers. They received at least two others for the lightweight/airborne trailers. Contract 23S2490 Census Numbers X5391001 to X5392640 1640 units I have found pictures of two original data plates correlating census number to chassis number for trailers from this batch chassis no 1500 (SS/GS/1500) Census number = X5392500 chassis no 0648 (SS/GS/0648) census number = X539?648 (presumably X5391648 on basis of census number block above) Note correlation of last 3 in census number and chassis number so the first three of the census no are "539" and the last 3 are likely to be "072" and the middle digit can only be either 1 or 2

Hi Maurice that looks nice and strangely familiar. I see you decided to mount the t-plate in its original position rather than screwing it to the tailgate. I have seen both. That's an interesting modification to the handbrake handle to stop the release handle from engaging the ratchet as well. There was a Butler teardrop socket to secure the wiring plug on the right hand side of the neck still remaining on mine. The curved back edge for the brackets which are used to mount the handles on the neck suggests that your trailer was built by SS Cars. The census numbers for these and all trailers are listed in the "Chilwell List" of census numbers for B vehicles. A copy of the list can be purchased from Rob van Meel. There seems to be some correlation between the original census number and the SS Cars chassis number. If you have the chassis number on the WV3 rebuild plate, you might be able to tie back the "last three" of the chassis number to the "last three" of known SSC trailer census numbers from the Chilwell list The Royal Logistic Corps Museum at Deepcut Barracks holds B vehicle records which generally relates post war VRNs to wartime census numbers. You can download a request form from the RLC Museum website. There is a non returnable search fee of £25 though and as I wait for further details on my MWR, I can confirm that the service is definitely not by return of post.... Rob at Datplates4U can reproduce SSC GS trailer dataplates by the way.

Thanks Alastair that was always my understanding as well but I remember seeing a photo of the inside of a truck which seemed to have a black canvas roof on the inside so it set me thinking and doubting myself. Thought I had better just check rather than assume anything.

Thanks to Richard Farrant , I have now found a brown canvas perfectly suitable for mid war vehicles painted SCC2 overall. I have assumed that the black uppersurfaces on canvas tilts are painted on with suitable canvas paint but am I right with this - or were those uppersurfaces made from precoloured black canvas? Any ideas before I order a set for the MWR Thanks

I'm no expert but could you not just make two flanged spacer tubes to fit between the top of the block and the bottom of the spigot tube? That way the spigot tube is raised to the height of the radiator inlet without materially damaging it. You would be introducing a couple of more joints into the system but presumably that can be resolved. (Edit) Oops - I seem to have come up with the same idea as Andy Pugh - if two of us came to that conclusion independently perhaps it's worth a thought

Isn't that a Crusader based 40mm SPAAG rather than a Covenanter?

Thanks all - Your advice is much appreciated - I see that AES do brass buckle ties so I will get some of those as well as the rubber type. Always useful to have both types available, particularly for when the radio is installed. I've used p-clips and chassis clips often but just didn't have a clue how to secure the wire to the tilt frame. Electrical tape didnt feel right.

In the back of the Bedford MWR there is an interior light fed by a 2 pin plug on the back of the cab. The wire then tracks up the framework supporting the canvas tilt to a standard Lucas interior light in the centre of the roof. Just wondering the correct way to attach the wire to the framework. (Edit) thanks Clive I've always assumed that type was just for electrical installations with lead sheathed cable in the house but certainly a possibility

What was used before plastic cable ties were invented In the 1940s, how would the cable for an interior light be attached to a tilt frame as part of a factory fit? one of those things you never think about until you have to thanks

As ever, thanks Chris! Good to know I can adjust the A set cable length if necessary. I will wait until assembling the rig before making a decision.

Nicky Must admit I got many of those parts from my second set the Pye connector plugs for the aerial leads are the same for A and B sets. Have you looked on Mullard Magic or C Beagle? thanks for the info on the lead. (Edit) Just checked - my lead is actually 42" so must be correct simon

Was the aerial lead between the set and the variometer supplied in specific lengths? I have a long lead (that probably needs shortening) to connect the set's A aerial connector to the variometer. Can somebody please tell me the length of cable used on the ground station no 23 board which has the variometer attached to the side of the power supply on a mount that includes a base for the aerial. I have loooked through some of the manuals but I cannot find the length of cable needed. Many thanks

Although I have the push/pull switch, I guess the principle might be the same. I took the feed for the brake light circuit from the screw that attaches the switch to the in line circuit breaker - i.e. Bypassing the switch but keeping the piece of mind afforded by the circuit breaker. After that it was just a case of using a meter to determine which terminals were needed to get the sidelights/sidelights + headlights options. The brake lights now remain operable as long as the battery is connected. Does that help?

Thanks Chris - that helps considerably. Looks as if I have two flexos and one other. The "other" has survived well but the flexos are scrap. Sounds as if replacement is the only way to go on this one.

Applied the transfers I have printed to the refurbed control box today - although I am not entirely happy with the opacity of the new decal sheet I am using so may reprint on the previous type of paper and reapply in due course. During the strip-down , I discovered that at some time in its military service, it had been blast cleaned to remove old paint prior to rebuld, although the blasting media used seemed to be more suited to the removal of rust from a ship's hull than electrical equipment as the surface was extremely rough. Once the transfers are sorted there remains the question of what to do with the drop-leads. They are the tropicalised type but well perished and essentially unuseable. Being the tropicalised type, I dont see how I can separate them into component parts to refurb individual pieces so it may be a case of looking out for replacements. Some pictures show rubber grommets/wire protectors whereas most of the survivors seem to use the springy metal type of protector. Are the springy metal type late war, introduced to save rubber in much the same way as jeep parts were redesigned or removed altogether as the supply of rubber was reduced due to Japanese advances in the Far East. Went to Hamfest today to see if I could pick up any pieces - found i shouldn't have welded up the four holes in the top of the PSU case - doh...... Oh well you live and learn. It should be easily remedied - and if it isn't I have three other cases which might not have been messed with when I check them.

Also available from Auto Electrical Supplies/AES. These are the same bulbs as fitted in the pilot lights for 19 sets http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/499/category/92

The waterslide transfers for the 19 set radio and power supply arrived yesterday from Fantasy Printshop in Bodmin. Of course I had to spend most of today putting them onto the repainted faceplates. This is the result I'm quite pleased with how things turned out.