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James Shopland

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Posts posted by James Shopland

    Wartime Coles crane

    in Trailers, plant and equipment

    Posted

    Hi all,

     

    Here is a picture of a project that we are just about to start work on. She's a 1943 Series 7 Coles crane mounted on a 6 wheeled AEC Matador chassis. We have recently started to expand our museum, a former Bomber Command airfield and started up an MT section at the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre near Lincoln where we also have a 6 wheeled AEC fuel bowser, Queen Mary, oil bowser trailers, bomb trollies and a few other wartime airfield related bits and bobs.

     

    We would be very grateful for assistance with the project and if anyone could help us locate any other scrapped cranes that we can source parts from for an accurate restoration please. Likewise, we are always interested to hear of any wartime airfield related equipment that can be purchased for preservation at RAF Metheringham please, especially a single axle airfield caravan.

     

    Thanks

     

    Tim

     

     

    Great project Tim.

    Pleasing to see a large, British soft skin vehicle being restored.

    James.

    MK IV Cromwell

    in Blogs of MV restorations

    Posted

    ok so we are back on with the resto all be it with lauren this time round . most of the engine compartment ancillaries have been done already and are pretty much ready to bolt back on with the exception of the rads which although had been restored by a local chap and held water, failed once I pressure tested them. I even had a spare of my own as an option and that too failed the pressure test (maybe just run it with the rad cap off) :D anyway the rads will be sorted by hook or by crook !

    this week we will tackle the engine bay with a view to getting it stripped, painted and maybe start fitting some of the nice shiny bits back in, this will include all new hydraulic pipes and unions which will be pressure tested before the engine and box go in.

    there are plenty of other bits and bobs to do like freeing off all the hatches which are all rusted solid and general de gunging of the fighting compartment so we can at least see what we need to do to get it running and driving. the plan is to have it running and driving for war and peace (I didn't say which one). i'll keep the updates coming as the next 2 weeks should see a fair bit of progress.

     

    rick

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100735[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]100736[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]100737[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]100738[/ATTACH]

     

    Keep up the good work. From our limited experience, nothing is ever straight forward or easy with armour project!

    5.5" gun...many questions

    in Artillery & Anti-Tank Weapons

    Posted

    Hi James

    Ref:- 5.5 brakes, check the power lead for ristance, continuity, correct polarity/wireing, we had problems with dodgy leads on the gun in the 70's. Also check the servos for same, we had real problems with them at the end of their service life, one ended up in the front room of a house in Devizes.

    Regards

    Robin

     

    Thanks Robin,

    Only just spotted your reply. Not sure where the problem is.

    We will take great care to avoid Devizes! :)

    Happy New Year to you.

    James.

    1914 Dennis Lorry

    in Pre WW2 vehicles

    Posted

    I have been making more shackle pins. A fairly simple but time consuming job.

     

     

    Turning to diameter and thread cutting (1/2" Gas or BSPF and 5/8 BSW)

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100187[/ATTACH]

    Then parting off, facing and chamfering the greaser end.

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100188[/ATTACH]

    Drill the grease hole.

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100189[/ATTACH]

    Drill for anti-rotation dowel and grease outlet hole through to central hole.

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100190[/ATTACH]

    Drill the split pin hole.

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100191[/ATTACH]

    And finally filing a grease groove

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]100193[/ATTACH]

     

    The original drawings (held by the Surrey History Centre) show they were made from "UBAS" steel. This was a trademark of Flathers steels of Sheffield. It is described in period literature as an "Acid Open Hearth Steel" and was suitable for case hardening. UBAS was used quite extensively by Dennis, does anyone have more information on it?

     

    Great work Ben. Fabulous project.

    Auction of 30 years of collecting military vehicles

    in Heads Up: For Sale!

    Posted

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]99107[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99108[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99109[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99110[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99111[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99112[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]99113[/ATTACH]Coming up at end of Feb/ beginning of March in Wiltshire auction of some very rare Military Vehicles, including a USMC International 1 1/2 ton, 1 of only 2 known, A unique Alvis Runway Surface Friction Tester, 2 Half Sized AEC Matadors, hard & soft cab Diamond T 981s Rogers Trailer, Scamell Explorer with Meadow petrol engine, very low mileage AEC Matador, 5.5inch gun, FH70 Howitzer, Foden FH70 Limber, Humber Pigs, Saracens, various Land Rovers including Piglets. More details to follow when the auction date is confirmed.

     

    Hi John, Do you have any details on who is the auctioneer and when the vehicles are available to be seen? Thanks for sharing the photos. Yours etc. James

    1943 Chevrolet Cab 13 C60s Wrecker

    in Transporters & Wreckers (All Nations)

    Posted

    My "new" truck. Imported back to UK yesterday, 70 years after it left for France, with help of good friend James Gosling.

     

    This Chevrolet was subject to an extensive three year restoration from 2002 to 2005 with great skill and persistence by Maarten Broekhizen in the Netherlands.

     

    The data plate in the cab is: C - 60448 - M - GS - 9

     

    Here are few photos:

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]97788[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97787[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97786[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97785[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97784[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97783[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97782[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97781[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97780[/ATTACH]

     

    White Cliffs of Dover and new home:

     

    [ATTACH=CONFIG]97789[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]97790[/ATTACH]

     

    I am very interested to know if there is a specific manual or instruction book for the Wrecker.

    Thanks

     

    Very nice John, thank you or sharing.

    Does anyone have drawing for a Bedford MW body?

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    Hello James,

     

    Good to "see" you on here again, we met in Normandy back in 2009.

     

    Mike Kelly in Australia used to have a website with 15-cwt body drawings, sadly the site is gone but luckily it was been cached in the Internet Archive - see http://web.archive.org/web/20091027102342/http://www.geocities.com/vk3cz/GSBody.html

     

    Hope this helps,

    Hanno

     

     

    Thanks Hanno that is marvelous. I will let you know how we get on. Best etc.. James.

    1944 ford cmp laa tractor broken down :-(

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    Afternoon all, last night i proudly collected my 1944 Ford CMP from Bristol. :laugh:

     

    I was almost home when all of a sudden she cut out on me. (Like it had ran out of fuel) and is now in resting in a kind farmers drive way! :undecided:

     

    On inspection there was still half a tank of petrol remaining. I repeatedly tried to fire her up (Good strong ignition) and (i can hear the fuel pump working well too) but she will not fire up.

     

    I am going back tonight to try and solve the fault.:nut:

     

    Any ideas from anyone if possable will be greatly appreciated!!! Regards all..... Mark

     

     

    Hi Mark, where did you break down? If it is local to Bristol I am sure some would be willing to tow you home/off the road.

    Scammell Accident

    in Transporters & Wreckers (All Nations)

    Posted

    I hope very much that everyone involved in this sad event is ok, If not then I wish them a speedy recovery.

     

    I used to drive low loaders transporting railway locomotives and a lot of the time grossed well over a 100t. A little while after I purchased my first Diamond t I asked a couple of traffic officers (who were escorting me on a motorway) the question, what was the minimum speed for using a motorway? and I was told that a vehicle must be capable of travelling at at least 25mph on level road. There is no set minimum other than that, otherwise anyone in a traffic que would be breaking the law.

    I never drive my DT on motorways but I must say that for the drivers of larger vehicles there is the added problem of many of the A roads having a weight limit accept for access imposed to prevent heavy vehicles entering towns/villages and to sometimes force them onto motorways, meaning that you have to either use a motorway or risk the chance of being stopped for breaking a weight restriction.

    I also wish to say that some of the posts are coming across as though it is the fault of the Scammell driver because of speed, lights, travelling on a motorway ect. I have seen many images of lorrys and cars running into the back of slow moving vehicles even when being escorted by a pilot van or the police. Although they help, sometimes no amount of lights flashing or otherwise will prevent this from happening. If the lorry ran into the back of the Scammell it was the lorry drivers fault.

     

    Have to agree with you Steve; the driver of the Scammell can't be at fault if he is travelling along at his stately 25 MPH. The problems we have found using our big vehicles on A roads are numerous. If we want to travel long distances it is significantly more expensive and longer in time to use the A roads and secondly we cause all sorts of problems plus the ever increasing road restrictions. How many of us have been overtaken by some rash idiot on a blind bend? It is a matter of being sensible and taking considered precautions. The time I was hit in my Jeep on the M4 the coach driver admitted seeing me well before impact; he made a series of errors that resulted in has National Express bus hitting me. Motorways are a dangerous place and yes I would agree we should avoid them if possible but they are a necessary evil for those long journeys.

     

    ps. How many accidents are there on motorways daily?

    how many Austin K6's are there

    in British Vehicles

    Posted

    I have just bought a K6 and was wondering if anyone else had one. mine is a bit of a mongrel sadly but has potential. I think its one of the most attractive british ww2 trucks, but there is not a lot of info around about them.How many are left ?

     

    We have a very tired K6.

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