James Shopland

I was just wondering if anyone knows the history of this very distinctive QL tanker. The was a little plaque inside which tells us it was used in the film Battle of Britain. I am wondering if this would have caused a few issues of continuity as the QL was not in mass production at this stage. Anyway, your comment would be most welcome....

Sorry Andy, never enough hours in the day. Will get something to you ASAP

Just a few photos of Bedford RL's kindly given to me by ex REME Recovery Mechanic Ron Stephenson. All are from around 1964, and feature vehicles in Aden. Enjoy!!

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing them.

Try a really good clean and service, followed by a coat of diesel on the tinwork - see how it looks.

Thanks Gordon.

Well as you will all know - I have as much enginneering knowledge as an office stapler but.......

 

I need to get some tent poles made - metal ones - but have no idea how you have the ends rolled (male ends) so that they slot into the female ends. Here's a picture of what I mean!

 

Anyone know of any companies who can do that?

 

THANKS!!!

 

 

Jack

 

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Anchor Supplies and then alter?

 

I rather like this one how it is now, as a survivor without interference, maybe it just some kind of clean up?

Yes we have struggled with the same question. It is how you sympathetically restore something without destroying its originality. Sadly someone had a go at painting the front but the back is untouched. The old girl just sits in the shed as we don't know which way to jump.

This week I had a very nice present from Jarek Leoniec from Poland.

Jarek is a plastic model kit designer with IBG models and one of his last models was a Bedford QLD. The model was send to my for free as the designer fond a lot of information and pictures in my restoration threads that served him so well in the design of this kit.

 

Thank you very match Jarek with this splendid model, butt now I will tray to finish the 1:1 scale model.

"It is really nice to make contact via this forum to such a bunch of dedicated people"

 

Guy

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The models would be so much easier to store! :cheesy:

Great job with the wood work; definitely an imported hard wood. My guess would be Iroko?

James - Thanks for that. For my sins I'm helping a fairly comprehensive excercise rebuilding a Queen Mary (5 ton) at Debach (Suffolk) airfield. I'd always associated the Crossley with the 'Garden shed' coachwork, your vehicle's coachwork makes a handsome lorry. Jerry

We have one of those projects too. We need to talk more!

Hi James, Great to see it still has the body on the back :wow:. Would love to see more pictures of the whole body and your other Mats, I can give you my e-mail if you'd rather send them that way? Cheers, Mel

Hey no worries. Will see what we can do :cheesy:

Forgive my ignorance but was this type used for a 5 ton Queen Mary tractor unit? Jerry

Hi Jerry, in short yes. They could also be used as ballast tractors by creating a box on the back. We have some of the original concrete weights tucked away too. Never be afraid to ask; I am always posting odd questions :cheesy:

Is that laying on the back a front pram handle off a Bedford MW? Lovely looking truck though.

No it is off the old Crossley but they look very similar :cheesy:

will it be ready for war and peace in July?

I guess the question is which July! On the bright side fuel has dropped 2p per litre so at least I can afford to drive the old girl out of the shed....just! :cheesy:

Rear view.

Another view of our old girl:

You can just make out the RAF marking on the back. Does anyone know what they mean?

There was a story in one of the Classic Vehicle magazines a couple of months ago about a number of these being acquired by the same person/company somewhere in the UK some time ago, was this you James? Will try and dig it out as can't quite remember exact details. Certainly a rare vehicle.

Humm not to my knowledge. We have had two of them for fifty year and the other over ten :cheesy:

That's a handsome beast, are you going to restore any of them?[/QUOT

 

All i n good time. The one in the photograph is totally original and we don't really know how to proceed. It run and drives well but all the marking are visible and we don't quite know what to do. One is turned into a timber tractor, one is a rolling chassis and the final one is complete but the cab is totally rotten.

Eloquent as ever Clive........ totally agree as most of the piles of rust that sit waiting their turn in both mine and my sons workshops pay testament to.......all I have to do is live to be about 120 and I should have them all finished :nut:

 

Pete

LOL. I know that feeling! :cheesy:

Correct,these Guns were built to a very high standard even the sights were advanced for the age.

When the Bofors was built under license by the British and Canadians the design was simplified drasticaly to save on production time and cost for mass production.

The Americans continued with the original design on 20" wheels,a much nicer Gun.

 

Rob....................rnixartillery.

One day.....we hope :cheesy:

Some of the repair where too crudely done for my taste and the replacement rear strengthening member was not the correct size and therefore did not aligne. The spot welds on the vertical strengthening where not to great either.

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I know most of these things are not visible once the cab is back together but I would like to preserve the original shapes, so with a lot of grinding and metal bending, the repair was removed and new pieces where made and welded in to the cab.

 

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I found a crack and very thin place behind the vertical strengthening so a section the plate was removed and new piece added.

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The original repair here was firstly welded to the inside and not the edge and therefore didnt aligne and secondly missing the bend that follows the wing, so again a new piece had to be made...

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Expensive lesson from this.... Do repairs yourself.

Mate you are doing a grand job. I guess it is not surprising that they all rust in the same spots!

Swedish Bofors,ex-Portuguese stock.This Model is said to be the best Bofors built............a very highly engineered Gun and each componant has matching numbers.

 

You are a lucky chap ! I have one in my collection,if you need accessories let me know.

 

 

Rob...............rnixartillery.

 

ps, Hydraulic brakes not electric operated .

Rob, Did these Swedish guns have the 'black-box' reflected gun sight?

I'd think you'd have a lot less problems with modern compliance on a vacuum system. If the vacuum fails or the 'trailer' disconnects for whatever reason, brakes come on and stay on - job done. Only wrinkle there would be if ALL the wheels aren't braked.

 

Worth noting that there are a load of exemptions for old trucks, but very few for old trailers. Only trailer legacy compliance points I could come up with is that the original trailer lighting systems are bound to be compliant if they are exactly the same as when they left the factory and were first used. Of course you'd need a serial number on the trailer or plate to establish the date of first use ...

Thanks Gordon. I thought trailers carried the same age related exemptions as trucks. :shocked:

Thank you for the information everyone.

i am picking it up next week so will find out its origins etc then[ATTACH=CONFIG]75381[/ATTACH]

Very nice.

Hi James, yes the cab on mine has the same detail changes as the one on yours. It also has the lower rear drawbar and an air tank mounted under the fuel tank. Cheers, Mel :-)

Yes ours is the very same. We dragged her out of the shed on Sunday; I will try and post some pictures later.

Got some more bits repaired and painted today.[ATTACH=CONFIG]73918[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73919[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73920[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73921[/ATTACH]

 

2 wheels painted only 9 more!!

Restoration is a matter of piles! :-)

Keep up the good work.

The 969 was used by all British and Commonwealth forces. I used to know a chap who drove one in the RAF in the desert on aircraft recovery.

Very true :-)