Richard Farrant

Hi Wally, Around 1994, give or take a year, I was involved in restoring that actual Honest John launcher vehicle at REME workshops for the RA's Rotunda Museum. The brakes were inoperative and a few mechanical jobs, recall the gear selectors were seized as well. Once running well I took it around our test area and it was a lovely sounding engine, glad I was not paying for the petrol. I recollect cleaning the carburettor and it was the size of a saucepan., It was then repainted and eventually went in to the Firepower museum. The axle width of the rear bogie was considerably wider than the front, which you had to be aware of. The supply truck was not so 'glamorous'. Will have to dig out my photos of it when it was taken back to the Rotunda. cheers Richard

Hi Trevor, That cab is not a DAF, but a Steyr cab regards Richard

Sounds like the International M series launcher truck was mistook as an Antar!

It is on the online booking form that you can bring other military vehicles for free, just pay for the first one, so if you load a transporter up or you shuttle your MV's to Beltring you can bring as many as you like, it is any extra drivers who would have to pay. See this quote from the website: Additional Military Vehicles We only charge for the first military vehicle you enter, you can bring the rest of your collection for FREE .

Maybe it is the vehicle in this link; http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.asp?SectionID=31&SubSectionID=135&ArticleID=67692

Mike, Disregard my comment on the securing nuts and Thackeray washers, I was thinking of Austin lorries which had slotted back plates. The Bedford cylinders are tightened up as normal as they are not slotted. regards Richard

Mike, On the hydraulic piston are two seals, between them should be a short spacer sleeve. Just wondering if this is missing and a seal is blocking off the hole to the brake pipe, not allowing the fluid to return towards the master cylinder. I would normally suspect a faulty hose acting like a one way valve, but as there is only one hose feeding both rear brakes and the other brake is working well, then the fault has to be somewhere from the tee piece on the diff to the wheel cylinder. Regarding the nuts and double coil washers, you nip them up then back off about half a turn. This allows the cylinder and expander to slide in the backplate to centre themselves. Richard

Mark, I see you have had this brake apart, when you refitted the cylinder on the two studs, did you tighten these up? They should be fitted with double coil spring washers (Thackery type) and not fully tightened so that the expander and the shoes can centre themselves. regards, Richard

Tony, Your memory must be failing you, there are no snail cam adjusters on QL rear brakes. The adjuster is a 'wheel' inside the backplate that you flick around with a screwdriver or similar, through a hole in the plate.

A TCV was the term used for a Bedford QLT troop carrying vehicle or ‘Trooper’.. photos of the time show these lorries with the tanks.

I have a booklet produced by the Army School of Transport, Bordon, specifically on the QLD and pressures are 36 front and 56 rear. I actually run my front tyres at 40 psi as it is not so heavy on the steering then. Hope this is of help. regards, Richard

Hi Steven, A few years back I contacted Surrey Archives on behalf of a friend in NSW who had a 1929 Dennis fire engine, ex-NSW Brigade. They were able to send me a photocopy of the build sheet for that actual chassis number. I don't think they were available off the website at that time, you had to get them to locate and copy it. regards, Richard

No problem Steve. It was just that I remembered coming across problems with cylinder blocks that had not been allowed the time to settle and thought the same could occur to a piston and it would not need to alter only a few thou to cause a problem. Hope you can resolve the problem. regards, Richard

John, Your lucky day. The Blenheim was a late change as the Vampire pair had mechanical issues and could not display. We have had Spitfires passing over to and fro all weekend. Have to stop and look up every time I hear them. Richard

John, The Blenheim is flying at the Torbay Airshow this weekend.

Hi John, it is very likely to see these Australian vehicles, and staff cars in photos of the war in North Africa. Regards Richard

Looks like an Australian army Ford 'ute', see this one, owned by John Hedges in NSW, rear mudguards slightly different but cab and bonnet the same. :

Have you tried B&Q plumbing section?

I think the lorry on the right is a Thornycroft Nubian (not an Albion) and tractor on extreme left is a Fordson.

A fungus can occur in the system, never seen or heard of mushrooms in a diesel tank. The fungus is a black slime and can occur on the clean side of the filter and contaminate the injection pump.

Doug, I am aware of iron castings having to be weathered and it was a common practise with a lot of manufacturers. I recollect in my younger days having new diesel engines that were burning oil. On removing the pistons the bores were seen to show high spots. We re-linered the engines and bored them with problem solved. It was only when I noticed the casting dates on the block being close to build dates of the machine that it figured they had not been weathered. This may have happened due to strikes, shortages of casting or whatever. I know of another engine type that had misalignment of main bearings and the only way to get over it was to use the last oversize of shells and line bore the block. All due to not leaving the castings long enough.

Weathering, that was it. I recall that Norton Motorcycles left the cylinder barrel castings outside to 'weather' for several months before machining.

Hi Steve, A thought has just come to me regarding your pistons. I am not sure how long it was between them being cast and when you machined them, but it was well known years ago that iron castings had to lay for a period before machining. I recollect this with motorcycle cylinder barrels. Also cylinder blocks for engines, I have had experience of several types where they were machined pretty soon after casting and then the blocks became out of line when the casting 'relaxed' (probably a technical term for this which I cannot remember). regards, Richard

The trailer has canvas sides and there are indications that it could be a generator ........ but of course it just might be a mobile stage for the ENSA group.

John, Definitely Chevrolet, and right hand drive, so guess it came in from Canada. Tank looks to be a local adaption, probably water.