Richard Farrant

Another mystery solved

Mike, I have a parts book here for Contracts 5067 and 5820, it lists the Slave Battery Socket as LV6-MT3/10166. The location appears to be on drivers side of bulkhead, but unclear whether in or outside. Obviously the latter, from your photos. Now going to the MT3 Vocab, more info is available; SOCKET, 3-PIN 10166 Round, 1 inch pin centres, waterproof with covers. To Drg. CIM(B)894. For Bedford slave battery carrier, Leyland, AEC, Matador, Albion and Thornycroft, Dennis. That is all I can find at present.

Thanks Mike, My posting is now irrelevant in this case, as that socket is totally different to the US socket to which I was refering to. :tup::

The two pin types are usually on US vehicles. I worked on some British Army Lance missile carriers and they were fitted with this type of inter-vehicle socket. There were adaptors available to plug into the end of the normal British jump lead with single pin. At a guess, I would say the Scammell with the twin pin socket, was used by a unit with some US vehicles on strength and could be used to jump start them.

Adam, I will stick my neck out and say those strike marks are not to test the hardness, but part of the process of straightening precut plates after or during the hardening process. I have noted that those with most strikes are often plates with ports or hatches cut into them, presumably they distort more than plain plates. On Daimler Scout Car hulls, these are often seen as I previously described, also on each plate, can be found a small ground patch, about 1/2" x 3/4" with a neat indentation on it as if a ball bearing had been pressed in to the plate. This is what is known as Brinell hardness test, the Rockwell test was of similar appearance. These tests consisted of a ball of certain size being pressed on to the machined surface with given force. The depth of indentation would give the hardness. The ground or machined surface was critical in order to get an accurate depth measurement. I am going to have a guess, but HLD might indicated the maker of the armour plate, in this case possibly Hadfields, in Sheffield. The Daimlers were usually stamped S&J.....Spear & Jackson.

I know it exists.....as it is kept at same place a friend's vehicles. :-D

Tim, He keeps talking about but I think it might be a myth :-D

Hi Pat, I bet there is long story there somewhere :-D

Degsy, after I posted, I noticed he was on the forum, so obviously not still in the bilges. :-D

Where is CW ? Not heard anything since he went down to finish his boat engine :???

After looking at that Crossley photo, I agree, the wheel type and hubs are as near as identical. Definitely does not match a Morris and engine looks to big anyway. The fact that the steering column is so tight to the engine, suggests a narrow cab, and of course the Crossley has a narrow hull. Usually these MT schools start by teaching basic mechanicals, so the origin of the chassis is not important, there for the parts laid out nearby are just examples for the instructor to work with.

Thanks Mike I would think it was MoS or WO who instigated the prototypes, there was even a old Leyland Hippo converted. Thornycroft had some lighter 6-wheel trucks that were B80 powered, I do not think they made it in to service. They were later developed into the Nubian crash tenders, and finally the LMD trenching machine which was B81 powered on what was essentially a Nubian 4x4 chassis. A B80, or even 81, Militant does not bear thinking about :-D. A good engine......but in the right application of course.

Although they are predominantly the same threads per inch, from 1/4" to 1", excepting 1/2", the thread angle is 60 degs on UNC and 55 degs on BSW. It is not good practise to mix and match male and female threads, even if they are on non-critical locations.

Maybe it was down to engine speed being too high for the gearbox and axle, also the capacity about half that of the Meadows, which would have had more torque. Although the War Office intentions of using the B range as standardised power units, practicality came into play. The Leyland Martian recovery was a joke, being classed as a "heavy recovery", with a smaller engine than the Explorer "medium recovery". The Martian recovery having a job to pull it self along, let alone another on the hook.

Hello Tim, Welcome. Good to see you on here. We keep bumping into each other (on the web) . There is a Mustang owner in the next village, it is a pleasure to watch him flying it around the area.

Niels, It looks like a twin GM 6-71 diesel pack being removed. That would need more reach and height to remove and refit, most likely a local modification to the Scammell as it could well be from the support workshop attached to the tank unit.

M4A3 I believe, Jack. Is Mrs. Beckett having meaningful discussions on MV's again? :-D

:??? :??? :??? All I can say, is that Graham's K6 was painted in post-1945 colour scheme on restoration, being built too late for desert war. These semaphores were often adorned with red and white tips in postwar service ( along with red and white wheel nuts ). Just looked at some wartime Bedford photos and most of them are same colour as vehicle, no white at all.

Graham, I do recollect a Carrier there, the time I went, it had been converted to a diesel, with 4D or Major engine, pretty rough then, but driving.

Last time I was at the steam rally, about 1988 I think, they were rusty remains then, notable ones were a Tilling Stevens searchlight lorry and cab chassis of a rare Dodge WK60 brakedown gantry. The Dodge has gone to a friend who is restoring one and I think the Tilling went years ago if I recall. You might not have given these a second glance, Paul.

Not quite "across the road", just down the village a bit........Tinker's Park.

Paul, They were the only ones I could spot when driving by, but I did not realise there were that many there. Another place across the road had some interesting vehicles laying around at one time, I am sure you know where I am talking about

One was an ex-army Leyland Hippo Mk2, there was a civvy AEC, possibly a Mercury.

Hi Hanno, Time flies.....there is no doubt on that. I understand one of the M5 Stuart gun tractors was in that film. The five laid around for some years, but they would have all sold within the last eight years.

Mark, I think you are right here, not 633, but Mosquito, thanks.