mammoth

The parts list (which is humungous and all written in hand) has no cross referencing to chassis or engine numbers etc. Mike Sutcliffe scanned it all and I bought a digital copy. However as they are sequential there is a date when they first appeared. An example is my 1924 C model (3 ton) which has pneumatic hubs on the rear. (From memory) these were introduced on the parts list in 1924 but did not appear on the sales data sheets until after 1925. So we can deduce that the hubs could possibly be either original fitment as a special, or a later upgrade. From my collection of RAF type wrecks it appears that items such as complete gearbox and rear axles were given a number in the same way an engine was, however I don't know if there is a surviving record of those numbers.

The tags like the one pictured are all over Leylands of this period and they are generally the part No which were allocated sequentially from around 1906. The parts list which I have printed off so far don't cover this number which could be used as a cross reference. The engine No is on a squarish brass plate midway on the right side of the crankcase and includes build date.

Mike Sutcliffe wrote an extensive article on identifying the RAF types in Leyland Journal issue no 2, and in Leyland Torque No 12 there is a chassis list covering series up to 1969. There is also often a second number on the front chassis member and that is the sales order number So your chassis number would be correct, and at a guess December 1928 or January 1929. Mike may be able to help with closer dating. Production of the 5/6 ton models ceased in September 1930 - one year after production of all the other RAF types ceased. Sales Data Sheet for July 1928, also published in Leyland Torque, list the 6 ton goods QH2 with a choice of pneumatic or solid tyres, the QH6 tipper with solids, and the SQ2 as a 6/7 ton goods with solid tyres.

"wreck friendly climate" is true of inland Aus but near the coast and more so as you go to the humid north iron starts to recycle overnight. All of my Leyland wrecks have the front cross member rusted out. The other issue with surviving hard rubber wrecks here is that many had the rear chassis cut off so they could be used as rudimentry cranes (with solid tyres the only limit of lift was the level of your stupidity). The other issues is that, like in Britain, there was a push to get hard rubber off the road by authorities and the tyre companies of the time offered a conversion service which involved cutting off the rim and welding (wheels are cast steel not iron) on a new American style clip on rim for pneumatics. So standard solid wheels are rather rare. Was well done but the problem nowadays is that they used a very odd size which can be sourced from USA but at huge $$$.

There are a few of us in the hard rubber club in Aus and as Robert says most early Leylands here are PH 4 & 5 tonners as well as the 2/3 ton C models. In Leyland speak SQ2 is a side type (forward control) 6 ton long goods. I see your motor has the Ricardo heads which were introduced around 1926/27 and make s life easier if you have a stuck piston. It looks like it was either converted to pneumatics with Leyland hubs or came that way new and the solids have been thrown into the deal. I am sure if you keep your Leyland Society membership up Mike will put you straight. I would suggest you do the chassis first and then you have something to hang the newly restored parts on as you go.

I think they were still around for WW2, or maybe they never left the tool boxes from the previous . conflict. Because they were mild steel they were made thick to compensate for lack of strength. Probably more useful as a hammer.

Ian Skennerton who runs Arms & Militaria Press in Queensland Australia, published a very fine facsimile in 1999. I emailed to ask of the chances of any copies available. The answer is that it is long out of print but critically he only included the pages related to small arms - so don't get caught out. Maybe if there is enough demand he might be persuaded to photocopy the pages relevant to HMV buffs.

I have come across a magazine article which identifies 3035 as the first Dennis fire engine in New South Wales. It had the 350 gallon Gwynne pump and was delivered in January 1912 and placed into service at HQ in Sydney while a sister engine went to Newcastle. The original invoice for 3035 survives and I am trying to get a copy of that along with some nice photos of it in service. By 1921 it was stationed at Manly (a coastal suburb of northern Sydney) still in immaculate original condition. A Special mystery for Ben to solve - the invoice for order 1702 lists chassis as 3035 BUT the engine and body numbers which are stamped on the plate for 3033! - Is 3033 the sister engine? If I can get hold of drawings for the wooden wheels I will have a set made. Likewise the body.

I would recommend using glass beads as the blast medium - a bit more aggressive than soda and helps to close up any porosity making it easier to keep clean. Glass blasting will help hide the etching effect where the sump has been sitting on damp ground and filling won't be required.

I now have some definitive identification on this trailer. They were operated by Air Force and known as "gas trailer", so called because because they serviced the oxygen tanks used by air crew. Typically they would be parked on the edge of an air field, or more usually, at a distance (as in the case of the one photographed near Darwin at McMinns Lagoon) to avoid enemy action. Photos provided by Trevor Shelton who is looking for a Reo 6x6 It is not known how may of these trailers came to Australia, possibly mine may be the very one seen in camoflage.

There are two versions of this plate, the difference being the early version had "(1914)" in the company name, of which I had a batch of reproductions made. I believe the change was made about 1919.

Tyres are available from Lucas in the USA. Ply rating for car ones is not much, which is why you have to make a point of getting truck ones. Don't think they had 'ply rating' back then. As vintage tyre sizes have a 100% height (later tyres were low profile to greater or lesser extent) it is easy to calculate the rim size. ;- subtract twice width from diameter.

The front tyre size is for a 23" rim which was used by Dennis (8 stud) until 20" rims superseded them in the early 30's. Hard to get that size in the heavier duty truck version. I know because I am after a set!

Looks fabulous, well done. First coat of "epoxy etch primer" should go on before afternoon chill, thinned usually by about 10% to 20%. Use a strainer cone (from auto paint shop) to fill your gun. A 1.8 tip should do the job. Once the etch primer is on you can relax as it will protect from weather for a month or so. Use the sander filler only when you are ready to do the full paint so that is fresh to receive following coats. You will need a 2.0 or larger tip to handle the solids in the filler coat. ps the blaster is not using an independent filtered air feed (to his non existent helmet) and should have been sent off site until he got properly equipped.

Molasses gets used in Australia a lot as it is a by-product of the sugar cane industry and used as cattle feed supplements. In rural areas you buy it by the ton or in 44's at rural produce store. I believe citric acid may be the active ingredient. The process can be speeded up with electrolysis. Let that light rust remain and dip (or spray) into a phosphate solution and the resulting iron phosphate coating is the protective layer under paint (when you get round to it).

Re the sump leak - best not to pick at scabs. I would be thinking old school caulking technique, that is close the soft metal into the crack with a ball pein hammer or even a blunt chisel. At a later date when the sump is off put some sealant on the inside. And on the fuel tank I would be thinking about having another go at the POR 15 treatment.

Lena as in "Leaping Lena" ? which a vehicle name I remember from my childhood (a lot less than 100 yrs ago!!)

Here is the link to to ebay where Greg has posted his AEC requesting information. As can be seen it has a conventional channel frame rather than timber sandwich which makes it either a YB or YC depending on the differential. According to Thackeray a batch of 4000 of these were built commencing July 1917 with Chassis 7915 (Greg's is 8620). It would have been fitted with a Tylor engine. www.ebay.com.au/itm/A-E-C-Y-type-lorry-world-war-one-WW1-old-truck-vintage-truck-army-truck/332677717776?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Greg, located at Orange NSW, has a bare AEC chassis and is looking for parts as well as trying to discover it's provenence. Stand to be corrected but it appears to be a type 501/505 which was introduced in 1920 and used the AEC A109 engine.

I have heard that a consortium in USA is planning to put together an order for a container load made in China.

Greg, located at Orange NSW, has a bare AEC chassis and is looking for parts as well as trying to discover it's provenence

Andy, looking at the radiator resto photos reminded me that I need to restore my wings back to the original 'flare angle' as they are bent and look quite manic at the moment. Can you put one of those electronic angle blocks on top of the wings and across the chassis.

With regard to finding the correct motor I have just received an exciting (doesn't take much) email with these pics from a Dennis correspondent in South Australia. No explanation so he knows how to tease!

It is indeed pressed brass and looking like soldered joins, though as we dig deeper I am taking nothing for granted.

It is not impossible that NSW Fire Brigade did a rebuild of the vehicle at some stage, either for further service or even just for parades and the like. As it appears that the radiator header tank has never carried a badge I thought that maybe it was a reproduction but the plumbing on the reverse side is too good for that. Maybe is was supplied as a spare part? I have done some internet search on the Daimler Benz OM65 engine and it is a ringer for the 1942 version which was used in the L300 truck so loved of war movies. The design first started around 1932 as the 105 x 140mm OM65/3 giving 4846cc and 65hp. Then OM65/4, and then the 110 x 130 OM65 giving 75hp, finally ending production in the mid to late 50's. All figures are woolly or back to front as there are inconsistencies across different web sites. It uses an in line Bosch distributor pump. In case we have Merc guru the engine No is 306535156. Barry, I was not aware that there were different sizes of Gwynne pump, so the whole business was about customising to the customers needs, which is not surprising considering that motor fire pumps only became available in 1905. More pics for Ben. There are no serial numbers on the gearbox - just "H&L gears" Does this refer to over drive gear set?