Richard Farrant

I remember reading that, reckon the bloke heard that Rolls engines were being fitted, unaware that they were diesels and assumed they would be Meteor or Merlin. I have heard a few tall stories over the years, you just smile and nod your head !

Rob, Don't tell me they still had Champs in service in 1990/91? Must have been the last one !!

Hi Hanno, I know a little of the history of the Quad at the Firepower museum. It came to the Royal Artillery museum at the Rotunda in Woolwich from the Muckleburgh museum and was reputed to be an ex-garage breakdown truck. This was borne out by the top of the rear body being cut away for the crane. The engine was a Bedford 28hp, which I distinctly remember having a Vauxhall Motors rebuild plate for the 1950's on the block. It went to the REME Workshops at Colchester as an apprentice project to restore. For a reason that I do not remember, it was later sideloaded to the REME Workshops at Ashford for apprentices to once again work on it. Somehow it ended it up in my section of the Workshops and I had to supervise an apprentice doing some of the work on it. The restoration was done with materials available and not to the greatest detail, the curator at the time was just happy to have it running and to closely represent its original appearance. There was no budget to go out and procure correct parts. I seem to think before it came to us it had 11.00-20 runflat tyres fitted and it gave a very hard ride. To sum up, it could have gone from Duxford to Muckleburgh originally. I am sending you a PM regarding this. regards, Richard

Hi Keith, Good to see you have made it here at last! regards, Richard

Hi Marten, Welcome to the forum. I have replied to your other thread, but notice here that you think the axle could be adapted from a WW2 military vehicle. I believe that was the case in the early days, but as your tractor is a much more recent one, they made axles specifically to suit the tractors. The original Selene conversion for the Ferguson TE20 used an adapted Willys jeep front axle. regards, Richard

Hi Marten, I assume you are not in the UK, from looking at your photo. Back in the early 1970's I converted two Massey Ferguson tractors to 4WD, I think they were a 165 and a 178 models. The kits came from a company called Robert Eden and I know they were associated with Selene. The axles were pretty crude and not a split type as you have. Just found this link; http://www.cheffins.co.uk/news/four-wheel-traction---a-brief-history-237-vintage It looks like Robert Eden company actually produced their version of the Selene, so not much of a help to you. I have seen articles referring to Selene 4WD in some of the tractor magazines in recent past. regards, Richard

Google Earth has recently been updated in our area, so I had a trawl around and noticed that it shows the War & Peace Revival show site in the week preceeding show week. In Kitcheners field you can see the Twickenham Off Roaders camp, it also shows the ineffectiveness of Lee's cammo net, it sticks out like a sore thumb !! A great pity the images were not done the following week, would have been very interesting.

I am pretty sure the first tanks were shipped out of Richborough for France

and another called Palletline. The are national networks with local companies taking them to and from a central hub depot. All very efficient and I doubt there is little cost difference. I usually receive not send, but did have to send some frameworks which was 2.5 metres long on a pallet, from Kent to Scotland and it was around £80 which you cannot complain about and it arrived there the following morning.

I get my seal kits from Past Parts Ltd at Bury St.Edmunds. If there is any doubt on the state of the bore, I send the whole cylinder to them to recondition. Cannot fault their service, have been using the regularly for about 16 years now.

Hi, You may have misunderstood the manual as the bisector is normally lubricated with special expander grease, I use Lockheed Expander Grease, do not over grease. For the transverse wheel cylinder, it is Lockheed Rubber Grease as it is safe to use in the seal area. The Lockheed name is now changed to Delphi, and if you cannot get that brand there are other suppliers. try this one; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K12-Red-Rubber-Grease-250-grams-/140695648484?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20c21d38e4

I think you have been visiting Mains

Don't forget that the leading shoe linings are twice as thick as the trailing when new, so there is normally a distinct difference in thickness throughout their life.

Tony, The contract for these trailers was for 200, so there is bound to be more than one copy of any document regarding its installation.

Hi Nic, These tools are not specific to Saracens, they are a standard issue shovel or pickaxe (stowed in two parts, helve and head) that fit all vehicles. Unless you come across a short shovel as on Land Rover 1 tonne

Here are a few other views of the sad remains of a Thornycroft searchlight lorry. It had a generator under the bonnet and engine in the cab. It is in a far off land in the back end of no where, the exact location was not revealed.

I would not want to Foxtrot Oscar too fast with that trailer :-D

Well done Nick, you win the coconut ! Thought it might have gone longer, I purposely did not show the photo showing the empty bonnet area and engine in the cab. Will post a few of the other shots later. I thought the following advert was interesting, Thornycroft quick to cover their backs on the ZS/TC4 when they we demobbed in to civvy street.

Ah good, a few have had a stab at it. I will say that I do not know of another one still existing, this one is past its sell by date sadly. As for Enigma's guess, not a Liberty, but someone has taken a liberty and removed the crown wheel leaving the casing behind! Gordon, I think you are closest so far regarding the age.

Thinking about drawbar heights and this being a specialised outfit, there is a possibility that the QLR assigned to this role had a special lowered towing hook to make the trailer tow level.

Hi Gordon, The person who took the photo had known of it for many years, but only just had the chance to snap it. :-)

Right, here is a vehicle to identify. I know what it is and will not give clues until the first person gets it right. Should keep us amused for a while!

Martin, you have to change the small threaded adaptors over to the new filter.

Martin, That filter fitted Bedford, Austin and Humbers, same threads, I have fitted one of these new types to an Austin.

According to the Ministry of Supply publication, Data Book of Wheeled Vehicles, the draught eye on this trailer has an ID of 2 21/32" so that it can be towed by a 3 tonner. I have my doubts about it being towed by a 4x4 though as a QL has a tow hook height of 2' 9 1/2", where as an OY is 2' 3 1/2". The height of the trailer eye is 2' 1 3/4". All this from the data book, it also states that if the lorry were laden the tow hook height would be 3" less than given, this would still make the trailer tow too high at the front if behind a 4x4 (QL).