Richard Farrant

Thats the book, really opens your eyes to the conditions they had to endure, with climate, no roads and less than suitable trucks at the time. There is another book, which I lent to someone and lost track of who, called "To the Back and Beyond" (?), Rick will no doubt correct me on the title. It is about the mailmen in southern Australia, who were hauliers contracted to carry the mail to outlying properties and communities. Mainly prewar, the tricks they got up to to get a broken truck going again while stranded in the bush.

Hi Rick, I was not aware about the Mack back end, but not surprised, those old truckers would do anything to keep the vehicles going. Kurt built his own trucks in the pre-war days assembling them from parts off Thornycroft, AEC, Leyland, etc.

Jules, It might well be "Wog", although it was not written on the truck, he mentions it in his book.

The first photo is of Kurt's truck, Bertha being restored in the museum, they were cutting it fine as it had to be in a parade in two weeks time. The second photo is of another Kurt's DT trucks, the outer rear wheels are missing. The body is a flat tray, with cattle body clamped on to it.

Jack, That would have been Kurt Johanssen. The trailers were self tracking with a 4-wheel bogie at each end. The DT was a prime mover with lengthened chassis, so that it could also carry a load. He re-engined it with a GM 6-71 two stroke diesel, apparantly after the war, there were heaps of these engines in the surplus sales in Darwin. I will dig some photos out, one of Kurt's DT's is in preservation at the Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs. The last time I was there, they fired it up, the silencer is a huge bomb casing ! Kurt wrote a book about his life in the outback and the transport pioneering days, fascinating. He has converted a car to run on wood.

Clive, I have used a preservation additive produced by Briggs & Stratton, aimed at the lawn mower market, where they are laid up for months, used it a few times and had no problem...............but then I have not had problems with my Bedford that is often not started over the winter and never had the preservation additive in it.

Andy, That is the puller as we had, but that support block is a bit heavy and awkward to move around, we just used a large wood block shaped at the top to suit the spanner.

They are good, you ought to get a pair :cool:

:-D:-D:-D:-D logic and cunning, very good. I did try and reckon up how many, but I think with the lost threads, I lost count, but would have though around the 60 mark. So what is the prize for a Triple Bullseye? ...................no, no........not a day out in a Humber Hornet :shake::shake::shake: :tup::

Les, I know Iveco was a badge engineering concern, but looking at the photo, I would say this truck is a Magirus-Deutz, in fact you can just make out the "rocket" symbol on the grille. Also it has West German plates on it and by the looks, a German Leopard on the trailer. Splitting hairs I suppose :confused:

Clive, I did'nt know you went to the museum, might not have registered to me if I had heard. I just know how your mind works on some of these mystery objects :-D

Could it be calomel fumigation, used in the treatment of Syphilis ? and the link to the forum...Mr. Henry Lee who devised the treatment :coffee:

CW, He does this, gets us all going then will not reply till tomorrow

I would have to wax it..........oh and I would need Brylcreem :-D

He has constipation and the steam from the pot loosens him up, perhaps some infusion is added to the pot as well :confused:

Mike, Those MVEE catalogues were for exhibitions of what the British Motor Industry could supply, some vehicles in the early books were never in service with the British, so it was for Defence sales. It might be that Thornycroft had specified overall tracks as an option and the War Office did not take them up. Just an idea ...........

Now why does that not surprise me :-D

He appears not to have clothes on, so is it so he can dress / undress in privacy?

Think you have already let slip what you are going as :???

You have it in one .........reckon he was an APC driver in the mob.

Is he sitting with his hands on his knees? Boy, these glasses are good

You should have gone to Specsavers.......theirs work :cool2::cool2:

Mike, I reckon Grasshopper will not have so much time to play from now on, so you could be on your own with the WLF :-D

Clive Reckon it to be from the 19th century period. I think you had edited out the image of his body from the picture, you can just make out the outline and think it to be for washing body in private :-D

I once knew a chap who owned a GPA amphibian, and he used to enter the river at speed, down a slipway, when it entered the water, it virtually stopped and the water would splash over the back. :shake:. I always declined his invitation for a ride in it, sadly he is no longer with us. As for the Stalwart driver here..............must be mad :-D