mtskull

Looking very, very closely at this truck, the bonnet, radiator and front mudguard are in fact visible in front of the cab; it looks very much the same as the truck nearest the railway line in front of the steam wagon. What appears to be it's front wheel is, I think, another wheel which has been leant against the cab door.

Having studied a higher quality copy of the photo (thanks Keith), a few more clues are evident: *Wagons belonging to the London & North Western, Highland, Midland and Caledonian railways. (Not conclusive in itself but possibly suggestive of a Scottish connection?) *The letters "RAF" can be discerned on two trailers and one lorry; the lorry also bears a circular panel painted on its cab, which corresponds with those in clearer photos of RAF lorries which bear details of which squadron the lorry belonged to. So, certainly 1918 or after, can anyone pin down the design of those limbers?

Can we be certain that this is Longmoor? Several points for discussion: 1) A lot of civilians in the photograph. 2) Although the railway with the train on it looks as if it could well be standard gauge, the stacks of track panels to the left are certainly of a much narrower gauge, possibly 2'? Maybe this is a military depot which was served by the main line but also has its own internal narrow gauge system. 3) The wagon behind the locomotive bears the initials of the London & North Western Railway. Longmoor is way outside this railway's territory. Not conclusive in itself I know, but raises a question. Still trying to identify the locomotive....

I beg your pardon. External differences subtle but significant :red:

That's an Autocar. Sorry, I am not knowledgeable enough to give you specific model details.

Ferret flotation screen supports?

I was chatting to a former REME mechanic yesterday, who reckoned that water contamination of the hydraulic fluid could be the cause of the steering problem; apparently the water in the fluid can boil, leading to exactly the symptoms described. When the fluid cools down again the problem goes away. A fluid change should do the trick.

Not many years ago, I visited a museum in Frankfurt, mainly dedicated to the history of the city. One thing that struck me was the way in which the most terrible and shameful period in that history was only obliquely referred to in passing, in terms such as "the period from 1933 to 1945" and "the time of the national socialist regime". It left me with the impression that what they were really trying to say was "this had nothing to do with us". Instead of trying to educate people into understanding the circumstances in which a monster like Hitler can rise to power (and so hopefully reduce the chances of it happening again), they would prefer the world to buy into the myth that all Germans were nice, peace-loving folk until 1933, when the Nazis suddenly appeared out of nowhere, enslaved everybody and forced them all to do bad things. Sorry, that isn't how it happened. Hitler was elected to power in 1933, let us not forget that. Noel Coward very satirically summed up the attitude: Don't let's be beastly to the Germans When our victory is ultimately won, It was just those nasty Nazis Who persuaded them to fight, And their Beethoven and Bach Are really far worse than their bite!

I don't know whether there are Jeeps buried there or not but as large concentrations (hundreds or even thousands) of vehicles on the surface, such as at Bruntingthorpe or Upper Heyford, do not make aircraft compasses play up, then it is hard to see how a pile of buried Jeeps could have that effect. It isn't unusual where myths of buried treasure are concerned, to find a secondary myth that supposedly corroborates the first.

If you are setting the valve clearances hot, then 12 thou. will be plenty. The danger lies in setting too tight a clearance when cold, in which case you run the risk of the gaps closing up when hot, resulting in burned valves and seats. Magnificent work, by the way; I have been following this thread for some time and am amazed at the skill and ingenuity shown by your team.:bow:

So let me get this straight: The French government will quite happily sell you their obsolete tanks but they will then find a pretext to seize them back again and fine you for possessing them into the bargain. Words fail me! I wonder what happens to the confiscated tanks; perhaps they re-sell them and confiscate them again? No wonder the French aren't worried about their budget deficit, when they have a never-ending source of revenue!

Presumably it is possible to cut or grind back a little of the material surrounding the valve seat in order to minimise the "well"? Looking closely at the last photo, I hate to say this but isn't that a crack in the valve seat, at about 11 O'Clock? Just in case that sounds a little negative, may I just say that I think you are doing magnificent work with this restoration and I very much enjoy following this thread.

That is the beauty of this forum: whatever the question, you will always find someone who knows the answer! :-)

Good spot! How did I miss that? So the destroyed armoured car can't be the very same vehicle as the one pictured on patrol; the fact that everything but the grille looks the same suggests that the destroyed vehicle has an identical body, but that it is fitted to a 1937 Ford, which had a different grille with horizontal slats and other features consistent with the wrecked grille. It is a pity that the bonnet and side panels are missing, as they might have provided further confirmation.

Spare track links on a tank....

If you look closely behind the cab, the chassis appears to be straight, so it is probably just the cab that is beginning to sag.

No, they are all Fords (except the ancient-looking railway vehicle; no idea what that is). 1936 V8's in the case of the truck and railway-modified pickups; the other railway vehicles are model T. Fascinating pics; please keep them coming!

The link appears to be broken; try this: http://luirig.altervista.org/cpm/albums/matson-12/09197-Hebron-attack--August--19--1938--Closer-view-of-armoured-car-wrecked-amp--burned-close-to-Barclay-s.jpg Looks as though a fairly substantial bomb has exploded in front of it... That is a 1936 Ford utility for sure. It is identical to, if not the very same vehicle as in the second pic: http://www.warwheels.net/PalestinePoliceForceTrucks.html The rail-converted armoured truck is a 1938 Ford, identifiable by its distinctive radiator grille. http://www.network54.com/Forum/330333/thread/1233528456/British-Palestine+armoured+cars Fascinating stuff! I wonder, were these converted locally or were the modifications made in the UK?

That is absolutely fascinating! Ok, this is a bit off topic, but of further interest to somebody with an interest in railways as well as MV's is the locomotive in the background, which is one of a number of 2-2-2 locomotives supplied to the Great Southern and Western Railway in 1847 by Bury, Curtis & Kennedy of Liverpool. These were withdrawn in 1874, so it would seem likely that this is No. 36, which was preserved and is currently on display at Cork Kent railway station. I'll get my coat...:nut:

Well, pardon me for posting

Spotted today; might be of interest to someone on the forum? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORDSON-WOT2-H-1942-/110960587512?_trksid=p2045573.m2102&_trkparms=aid%3D555003%26algo%3DPW.CAT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33%26meid%3D2990408678118755571%26pid%3D100034%26prg%3D1031%26rk%3D4%26

Isn't that a date stamp at the top of the engine data plate in the last photo? If so, 30/5/21 makes it decidedly post WW1...

Dan, what you have achieved so far is nothing short of amazing, and a credit to your skills and perseverance. :wow:

A spark eroder in reverse is called an arc welder!

Hi I have just read this thread from start to finish, and may I say what a magnificent feat you have achieved in bringing this truck back to life from what was, essentially a pile of scrap. I am following the Thornycroft thread with avid interest...