Richard Farrant

Les, I think your pic shows an early one with 32 x 6 civilian type wheels and tyres. They would be 10.50-16 tyres on the truck in Tony's photo.

I had a standard M20, pannier frames, etc, the footrests are quite low, and not the best to go scratching around Brands, but good to try it out on a sound road surface. Used to go there regularly for shows and once, they had a military event, it was foggy and the air display was canceled so they told us to keep circulating the track, began to get a bit bored in the end :-D

They still sound like a Rotavator :-D

Rick, Not knowing the source of your paint, you should contact the supplier and ask those questions. With the paint I use, it is synthetic, and an approriate thinners is used at about 10%, does vary if paint is a bit thick though and dependant on temperature.

To continue........... The day before the train left Sydney, all the NSW vehicles and crews met at Lady Davidson Hospital to the North of Sydney, here we met the group of Veterans who were to accompany us. My new friend, Dave was taking his ex-Australian Army Land Rover 2a LWB on the trip. I soon found out that the Vets were to ride in the vehicles in convoy with police motorcycle escort down to the City over the Harbour Bridge and in to Central Station, not only that, but Dave had found something to do and had nominated me to drive one of the Vets. I had only been in the country for a few days and already getting involved. The convoy went well, the army were ready to recover any that failed. We drove through the City to wail of police sirens, peole waving, tv helicopters and such like, terrific stuff. Next job was to load the vehicles on flat cars in the station, straight off the platform, all this was acomplished without too many problems. Strapping down was done by the drivers. Following day, we had to be at the station bright and early, for the big send off, speeches by government minister, dignataries, etc. bands, re-enactments of Diggers going off to war and so on. The steam engine was to take us to the first stop at Moss Vale, then a diesel would take over. The pictures here are the train leaving Sydney, carriages were behind the flat cars and we were able to film from first carriage. Second photo is at Moss Vale, with 3801 after it had handed over to the diesel engine.

You would be a brave man to get a M20 up to 60, fastest I ever had mine was 55 at Brands Hatch.

Quite right, Jack. I know Bob and Jennie Dimer loaded their FWD on the train at Adelaide, cannot remember if any other WA guys did, some may have driven up to Alice I think.

Thanks guys :tup:: Just to put this all in to perspective, hopefully the attached map will show the route and stopping places.

Graham, Have you dug up the wood yet, might be some bits and pieces buried there. Will bring my shovel

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Tony, That looks like a Bedford MSC 30 cwt Tender.

Item 1 should be to work out if you have equipment capable of the task.

It was at Beltring in 1994 that I first got wind of an event in Australia the following year. A car was parked in the show, covered in maps and photos promoting interest in an event to commerate the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific. Two contacts were displayed on the car, one in Queensland the other in Sydney. I wrote to both, but the first positive reply came from a chap in Sydney and through discussion with him, was offered the chance to drive with him. The whole structure of the event was evolving and it was not known at time of contact, quite what was going to happen. To move on..........The event was to be known as Back To The Track 1945-1995 and would be a major event in the Australia Remembers campaign which was run by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. The aim was to promote the Australia Remembers theme throughout the country to as many far flung places as possible. BTTT would be an ideal medium for doing that. Without going into too much detail of how, why and where, the basics were that Australian military vehicle enthusiasts were invited to take their vehicles on a convoy run from Alice Springs to Darwin on the North coast, an important wartime port, supplying the forces in the islands, and a target for the Japanese. During WW2, there were no main highways from North to South, a narrow guage railway went from South Australia, north to Alice Springs, this was subject to the wet seasons, with the track being washed away. Trucks, troops, supplies, etc went on this railway, called the Ghan. Once in Alice, the trucks took over and convoys went North, but there were no roads and conditions were unbelievably harsh, not only on vehicles, but crews too. So the convoy run in 1995 was to trace the route of the wartime supply line, visiting old camps, airfields, towns and communities on route. Obviously, getting to Alice to start the convoy was some feat, it being right in the centre of the country. The idea of a troop train came up, starting from Sydney, loading with restored military vehicles and crews, travelling to Melbourne, picking up more mv's and crews from Victoria, then on to Adelaide for the South Australian contingent before continueing to Alice Springs. As the Australian government were now on board with Vet. Affairs, plans were moving and a small group of Veteran Diggers who drove on the supply convoys, were chosen to travel on the train, accompanied by a nurse, goverment officials and two Army staff members. The train was to be pulled on the first leg of the journey by a famous steam engine, 3801. There would be a carriages for crews, veterans, admin, a generator van and flat cars for the vehicles, also some double deckers for carrying the jeeps. That is the background to the event, if you are not bored already, next installment coming up, with pictures!

Funny you should ask, just about to write the first instalment :-D

Les, That would be a Royal Engineers vehicle. The XII formation sign was also used on 36 Engr Regt vehicles, but their number was 175, I think, and on a blue square. The trailer could well be a mobile map printing room, I saw one operating once.

When I was involved in winch testing and calibration at REME Workshops, we had two bonedomes converted with small tranceivers. They were originally used when "A" vehicles were road tested, as all Comms. equipment was removed before going in to Wkps. We could be about 200 feet away and they still worked well.

Rick, Some mv paint is rather thin and does not need too much thinners in. As you had a good result brushing, my guess is it has too much thinners on spraying..........or the wrong type of thinners.

Hi Kuno, Welcome to the forum. I have read your posts with interest on the MLU Forum and feel sure I have helped identify a desert find for you, an AEC, I think. regards, Richard

How right you are, Bernard. Some of these old photos have terrific detail because of the size of negative, or glass plate used. By looking at the two engine photos together it is possible to understand a bit more.

Mike, I thought the same, tracks not wide enough either, and road wheels are smaller diameter on a Conq', I would go for Centurion.

Bernard, That is quite possible, I seem to recollect that Rolls used to motor new car engines with electric motors, for a period, to bed in before starting them.

Hi Graham, That is the complete trailer, 6 wheels, remember in those days, the speed limit would have been about 20 mph for that weight. Not really possible now, but would look good. The vacuum brake connection on the K6 is for this trailer.

Is that right? I know where I was that night, in the RSL, getting a little drunk, being led astray no doubt :-D

Hello Rick, Have been waiting for you to spot my photos I recollect the bus journey across the desert from Coober Pedy and stopping to get that photo at the bottom. A great experience that trip was. Look forward to seeing some of your photos, and I will add a few more.

I think these engines could well be on load test, coupled to dynamometers. Another photo show a lot of the same type of engine, being assembled and these installed engines can be seen in the background.