N.O.S.

Here is an extract from the W&T article, the incident being related by Bill Harker: 'Two of the Knottingley transporters were detailed to go to the Leyland Motors tank factory at Farrington, Lancs, which had just gone into production after opening in 1953, pick up the first two Centurion tanks, and convey them to the tank depot at Luggershall near Andover. I was one of the drivers and Bert Bartram the other. We got loaded after a long wait and with our mates set off south. Our first overnight stop was at Stockbridge and next morning we covered the last 20 miles of the route to Luggershall depot. I had just got my Centurion unloaded when I learned that Bert had overturned his trailer (a '4-bank' 32 wheeler) and tank in the depot entrance which was about 200 yards from the unloading point. The Scammell remained upright and as can be seen (the article has 2 good photos) the only damage done was a broken telegraph pole. We borrowed another tractor unit from the Army and pulled the trailer back on its wheels, then winched the Centurion back on its tracks and drove it the remaining distance into the depot. After taking another tank from there to Bovington Tank Museum, my mate Colin Moor and I returned to collect the Centurion which had overturned, and this was taken back to Farrington to be inspected for any damage done'.

What he presumably didn't have Mike, was the ammendment to Sales Order showing the other two were re-instated a month or so later and supplied on 14x20 tyres (I posted a scan of it somewhere on the forum, search for Christmas Island) See post 519 on this thread, and post 3 for a picture of one of this second pair.

Well call me a landlubber, but I couldn't make out anything untoward, other than the plastic on the stern ladder must be causing a lot of drag, and the door surround to the engine room looks like it has been in a fire.....:confused: How on earth do you balance the output from a pair of engines? If one is working harder at a given speed, it suggests that either 1) the other is running at lower rpm or 2) the propeller of the lazier engine is not converting the revs into the same amount of work :cool2:

His further thought is - "Now I'm sure I saw a good front end which needed a complete back end in a previous caption competition - I'd better see if it is still there before I buy this one...."

There is an excellent article in Wheels & Tracks #62 by Stan's mate Ernest Lundy - he went from a Mack to the second Constructor, and does not detail any major incidents like prop throwing or the like, other than yet another Constructor turning its trailer and tank over in the entrance to Luggershall depot, just 200yds away from the offloading point! The article contains a list, reproduced below, of 'some of the prime movers operated by the MoS Tank Transporter Depot, Great North Road, Knottingley': Diamond T 980/981 - HXU7, MLM64/65, NGY539, NGY567 Mack NM (petrol) - JGF363, JGF365, KYW37/38/42/43 Scammell Constructor - NGY87/88/592/593/635/636 So at least 6 Constructors....we can confidently assume that PGK887/888 were not ordered for tank hauling as they were supplied with standard army towing hooks front/rear, not the civilian style pin and muti-hole units of the 6 above. It seems that the 6 Macks were not really up to the job (85 ton GTW), so the 6 Constructors were probably replacements for these?

:idea: Is it reasonable to conclude that NGK plugs seem to suit the operation of restored jimmies (i.e. bumblimg about and not carrying too much weight) better than most others? :??? I can certainly say that since using the hotter NGK plugs I have had no oiling up trouble - they stay remarkably clean.

Boat - :-D That Champ/Landrover hybrid looks more like a Suzuki :cool2:

Thanks Alien

Hey Dude, the steering column has what you could call a "differential" 1/2 way down, in other words it is like a 'through drive' (or leading bogie) axle. There is an air valve on each side (where the axle drive shafts would be). Think of it like this: When the steering wheel is turned, the differential allows the 'through drive' to turn the steering box until resistance causes the differential to actuate one of the 'drive shafts' to a valve. This admits air to one or other side of a servo cylinder. There is an inherent lag in the system, which makes the whole thing behave like a "Power Steering System with a serious ATTITUDE PROBLEM" :cool2:

They are about to be wiped out by a cloud of enemy TIPPEX gas?

But what about alterations /mods during the countless rebuilds these trucks had over their service life?

Was the civvy dash on earlier or later builds, Daz? I guess the MOD were keen to standardise everything, hence use of the military dash in Champ, Martian, Constructor, etc etc. I would be very surprised if the civvy dash was in the later contract.

It never ceases to amaze me when assemblies in this state of corrosion can reveal useable components when carefully dismantled, let alone be capable of almost total reclaim - this is the stuff that inspires me to work more carefully, well done guys!

Hey Andy, are you on some form of commission from Beck & Pollitzer??:whistle:

Tim - I take it the bearings originally pushed into the ali case and that you have bored out and sleeved the case (with what looks like hardened sleeves??)?

Well done, more of an Autocar with civvie hard top....

That is a WW2 US refueling trailer and the tractor looks very much like an Autocar with home made hard cab.

CW, don't tell me he had a fly on the hook and got into a big salmon.......

Hang on Mike, I think we are leading each other astray. :n00b: Stan's motor was NGY593, one of the M.O.S. tank haulers. Not sure how many of these were built :confused: PKK888 was sister to PGK887 (at one time owned and rebuilt with different body and cab by Steve Guest). These two were part of an odd order for 4, the other two of which went with AndyFowler's dad to Xmas Island. Both 887 and 888 may have been in research work, although there is a suggestion somewhere that they were in fact the long-term trial vehicles. Apologies for the confusion! At least I don't have to call her Flipper!!

and the recovery of an item of livestock maybe?

A portable toilet that blew away?

Tony, is PGK the second MOS Constructor, otherwise known as 'Flipper' due to it's habit of throwing propshafts and rolling tanks:cool2:?

Mike, I've posted a reply to this on the constructor thread :tup::

I can't take any more of this Scammell porn - this Spring I will do something positive towards getting PKG up and running again!

And what a fantastic job, not overdone - must see this in the flesh! (Andy, if you can get away with it, stick one of those davits down your trouser leg and sneak it away for me......). Which makes me wonder why you are so determined to get your mitts on PGK888, unless like me you are a total glutton for punishment :cool2: