N.O.S.

Not so fast, they may have been pulled out of a load in favour of the far superior British pattern :whistle:

Note also the abandoned jimmy side panels!

Nice pic, but haven't they bolted the go-faster spoilers on the wrong way round? :whistle:

Thats quite a load on that Matador !!!

 

Probably 14 -16 tons, whilst the chassis could cope for a while, the tyres definitely could not - I learned tyre changing skills at a very early age on these, not nice with steel wire sticking out all around!

OK, received trench maps from the local WFA trench map man.

They are taken from the CD available from http://www.great-war-trench-maps.com

The quality is not great as they have been printed out on an average printer to A4 size.

I'll list what I've been given tomorrow, but this is an enlargement of the Beugny area from 57CNW4 dated 04.07.18.

I've positioned the cemetry accurately using googleearth, note the network of narrow gauge railway lines.

I'm not really sure what I'm looking at here, also cannot correlate any of the map co-ordinates given in the war diary for 02 Sep 1918 :dunno: :yawn2:

These are just 3 ads from a 1952 haulage industry magazine........and these carried on into the late 70's. I remember looking at LW Vass's ads in Commercial Motor whilst at college, thinking "if only......". They were still offering virtually unused Matadors at that time.

While you're on the subject of blondes, you never did come up with an explanation of that 'photo' before your hols :dunno:

Oh, it's WAY TOO LATE for that...... :banana: :-D

Yes, do please mention this to the Taylors - I'd be pleased to talk further with them if they have any interest. I am aware that Richard Taylor is after expanding his own collection of vehicles, but do not know his attitude towards vehicles owned by others :dunno:

I was hoping that, somehow, this steelwork might be able to be used as a sort of 8th AF vehicle storage facility / museum for other owners. But as has been aired on here before, what a job to pull together, and fraught with difficulties!

So me and Croc reckon that the real heroes are the people who were tight and bought cheap surplus vehicles and kept them going for years, probably having plenty of land, or sheds to leave them when they became redundant!

 

Good points. But don't forget it wasn't just because they were skinflints - after the war heavy trucks were in such short supply (e.g. steel and engine shortages), with waiting lists stretching into years, that often the only option was army surplus!

A few hours driving, Clive. But to do the museum justice, I'd suggest you plan to stay overnight nearby - as others have said 4 hrs is nowhere near enough, best to soak it up, have a break and go back for more!

We flew early am, hired car and did Airborne museum at Arnhem, stayed overnight 1/2 way to Overloon and did Overloon next day before driving back to airport for evening flight, but I was very reluctant to come away..... :drool: :drool: :drool:

Sincerely,

Susie Fox

 

Dear Susie,

 

 

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

p.s. I've been viewing your avatar for some time on a pc which does not allow animation, and wondered why you had chosen an image of a small Star Wars-looking fighter craft sitting in a seriously large hangar. But this place being what it is I just accepted it at face value.

Having just got some animation working, I'm so relieved to discover it is in fact nothing more than a gyrating elephant. I was really begining to get worried about you :whistle:

Any ideas on the vehicles? Im guessing a Cletrac and WLF?

 

I've just found a slightly cropped copy of this picture in the Tankograd publication on WLFs, which gives the following caption:

"Mechanics, using a Ward LaFrance M1 Series 1 heavy wrecker, change a Caterpillar tractor's engine during the Louisiana Manouvers in September 1941"

I've been spreading misinformation - it was the Series 3 (365 units built in 1943) which were supplied for Lend-Lease (Great Briain), not Series 2 as I suggested previously.

Ok :roll:, another 10 points to anyone who can identify the other error in the caption... (ie. the one I'd noticed...)

 

It IS possibe to distinguish from this angle between the two types - it is a WLF (front mudguard curvature, sad or what?)

2 x Series 2 British Army units - super pic!

Any chance of printing a few of your best pics in the next UKWLFOC magazine?

Series 4 :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banme:

The caption unfortunatly is unreadable when blown up.

The WLF must be a 1000 Series 1, 2 or 3.

It looks like the crane operator and the fitter on the Cat are wearing berets, which would make this a British Army scene, which would suggest a Series 2 as they were all made to UK contracts.

Does anyone have the skills to 'clean up' the caption to make it legible? Think it starts off with "3rd...."

Does this posting qualify me for the "Sad Shack"? :whistle:

Standard interior colour for RAF vehicles was Eau de Nile (confirmed by Duxford team and RAF Coltishall paint shop), my RAF Constructor matched exactly, suspect your Matador would be the same.

Sir, Sir - the PW boys made me do it! :evil:

That sums it up quite neatly Clive, albeit sadly. Add one still at Knettishall (388th) too, also at Snetterton. Our first came from Surrey, the second from Snetterton, though it had been moved to there in the early '80s and never erected, we swapped it for one lying dismantled at Coventry to save haulage costs.

The good thing is you can build them to any height/span/length to suit, thereby giving the impression/character of a T2 but in a much smaller space.

About 1/2 hr after Bolero departed Thorpe Abbots, I discussed this at length with the curator there, as I felt a small version would make a brilliant addition to this great little museum, to house a vehicle collection amongst other things. Problem is the farmer will not give them any more land, and the committee have taken a decision to keep the museum at its present size for ease of maintenance within tight budget and manpower constraints. Quite a sensible decision really.

Rougham would be delighted but what with planning / road issues the timing is wrong. Looks like I might have to move it all once again, as it is in the way (again) and I'm loath to see it scrapped just yet.

Any ideas, do please speak up / put the word out :dunno: HMVF communal store?

If anyone has any sensible ideas on what to do with a substantial quantity of T2 hangar sections (lattice work sections, no purlins, enough for about a 2/3rds size building), ideally involving vehicle storage at a Norfolk/Suffolk US airbase museum, do please let me know. Quickly.

This week, on Scapheap Challenge............

If you are idling away a few moments in the newsagents, look out for a slick publication called AFV Modeller 37, the latest issue. See http://www.afvmodeller.com

Not only is it a superb example of the best practise in magazine printing and presentation, the contents are pretty mind-blowing too. :drool:

Take for example the photos of a scratchbuilt metal Scammell Pioneer in 1/20th scale - the time involved in producing this would go a long way to restoring a full-sized example! I can but gaze in admiration at these examples of top modelling skills :bow:

Conversly I was about to purchase a Classic Vintage Commercials mag but the quality of paper and photo reproduction was so appalling it made me think again. :-(

Looks like we need a new BITSA Board in Vehicles section :whistle:

A stenciled marking next to "CAUTION LEFT HAND DRIVE" which says "IF IN DOUBT BREW UP"? :dunno: