Mikewest

Well ,we have a PU8 at the RLC Museum at Deepcut in Surrey. It was to be restored for the 50th Anniversary of Dunkirk but Andy Robertshaw , the then Curator , thought it only needed the brakes fixing ,and allowed us ( Seven Volunteers) seven sessions of of four hours to complete it ? Unfortunately it had , in addition to all four wheel cylinders seized, the brake servo leaking copiously , the exhaust system you could read a newspaper through it, the steering was shot , Two of the six cylinders reading 20 PSI compression,( Exhaust valves !) water pump leaking volumes, the Autovac (Fuel!) System defunct. The ignition system had the wrong C/B set and a Duff coil.the bottom third of both front wings rusted through and falling off. Front track rod severely bent. Dynamo "Hors de Combat" ! And the Bonnet and side engine panels dented and bent !Oh - yes - and the wiper blade was not connected to anything. It took us 18 months to restore it in the process having to make the missing parts of the front wings out of 3 mm sheet steel, panel beating the bonnet and side panels, sourcing replacement exhaust valves ( Yes , and we do know the Inlets are the same !!)taking the engine apart and putting it back together. Autovac repair , new c/B's , condenser and coil. Water pump, repaired Stainless steel exhaust new hydraulics and Tyres. And , of course , Paint it ! But we have all been there , haven't we ?!! In addition to this we also had to restore a Bedford tanker, A Scammell "Horse", an eager Beaver , a Snatch landrover and a 1927 Crossley Kegresse ! Plus a diesel motorbike. We now have added two "Pigs" ( one we are robbing for spares) and are awaiting our latest acquisition ,another animal - Duck.! There are now just five of us ! As well as this we drive the vehicles to local events - RLC Corps and family Days, RMA sandhurst ,Camberley, north camp , etc, etc ! OK - when we have received our new Tilt cover - after we have made a new tilt frame from one inch mild steel - we shall fit it. Then ,one and all, you may have a new picture of it !!

Yes. Tony Oliver's Kegresse is a 15 CWT version. The one we have at Deepcut is the ONLY remaining 30 CWT Lorry ! Mikewest. Here are the most recent pictures ! ( As of last week !)

Further to my report on the 30 cwt Crossley Kegresse we have made some encouraging progress ! In late November 2012 we started and ran the engine - the first time in over 50 years !! This was following the purchase of a Simms Magneto and a temporary fuel feed lash-up !! We are now about to finish fitting the fuel lines, cooling system - ( having removed a large birds nest from inside the radiator ! I kid you not !!) wiring to the dynamo and fitting the exhaust. Better still we have purchased all the timber necessary to fit the bodywork as well as the steelwork for it's attachment. We shall start making and fitting the bodywork next month. I shall post some photos of the engine , fuel and exhaust system in the near future. And it does get better ! I have , through the medium of an article in "La Vie de L'Auto" magazine about the P17 Citroen restoration , made contact with a garage owner in Douai , Pas de Calais Nord ,who can make new tracks for our Crossley !! Xavier Garnier made the tracks for the P17 . Unfortunately the P17 is only 15 cwt so the same pattern will not fit our 30cwt - however , we have the Technical drawings of the Crossley and hope to visit Garnier in the not too distant future ! ( Who said learning the French Language was a waste of time ? Incroyable !!) So Guys , during this year of 2013 , we might even see the only 30cwt Crossley - Kegresse move under it's own power !! This way we Civvies will restore the reputation of the Army and have the only 30cwt version left in the World ! Eat your Heart out Bovington ! ( Always finances permitting !)

Well now the Crossley Kegresse you are talking about is at the Royal Logistic Corps Museum ,in Deepcut , Surrey. You can read about it in my introduction and I have posted a Photo of it in the Forum on Kegresses ! Hopefully we will have it up and running - engine that is - by the end of the winter - say by March 2013. Timber for the bodywork will cost upwards of £1000 , and the Tracks , well , someone was quoted that Bovington said new ones would cost £10,000. ! Having practically destroyed a lot of the good done by it's former owner whilst in their charge for seven years , I sel very little store by anything they say on the subject !? Anyway , I can assure you it is now in good hands , and , hoping we can raise some funds , we intend it should take it's pride of place as the RLC Museums Top Vehicle !

Working with the RLC Museum in Deepcut ,Surrey, I have helped to restore a 1939 Morris Commercial 8 CWT Radio Truck - looks just like the 15 CWT General purpose one - a 1942 Scammel "Horse" and trailer, a 1962 Bedford 800 Gallon Tanker and a1992 "Snatch" Landrover. This latter one is "Hors de Combat" having "Blown" it's clutch ! We are waiting to see if some kind Military Unit will "Donate" us a replacement ! We have, at last , started on the 1926 Crossley "Kegresse" . We have freed the engines and clutch and are now mounting the Magneto towards getting the engine "Up and Running". We have to make a new fuel pipe , adapt the advance/retard mechanism - the Magneto is not a direct replacement . The old one went "Walkabout" while the vehicle was with the Tank Museum at Blandford.( Together with all the bodywork and the instruments and tracks.!!) I spent Sunday last starting to cut a mild steel, 1.5 mm thick sheet into two sections prior to making a new bonnet for it. I also emailed "Citroeniste" in France to see if they can tell us who made the tracks for their Citroen Kegresse P4 . So far we have only be able to find one in Australia ! Anyway , you can see we have enough on our plates for now. We await the arrival of the Humber "Pig" with som trepidation. !! Cheers

The vehicle in question is now in possession of the RLC Museum , at Deepcut Surrey. My colleagues and I will start on it's restoration in the Autumn ! It currently has no tracks, bodywork or bonnet and wings ! So it will present quite a challenge ? But , worry not - WE WILL SUCCEED ! I will post a photo of it in current form later ! Mikewest

Some 2 years ago I answered an appeal for the RLC Museum to help restore a "Dunkerque" Lorry. This vehicle was , in fact , a 1939 Morris Commercial 8 cwt truck. Altogether six volunteers were asked to restore this vehicle given four hours each Sunday from March to mid May in time for the 70th Anniversary of Dunkerque. On examination it turned out the Master and Slave cylinders were seized, the Aquavac and ignition systems were "shot",exhaust valves were burnt , water pump leaking, exhaust system u/s , trackrod bent , front mudguards rusted away and the wiper motor was missing ! It also needed painting the correct colour. This finally took fifteen months !! Since then Andy Robertshaw has "Acquired" 3 motorbykes, two "BAT" guns, a Scammel "Horse" , a "Snatch" Landrover , a Bedford Tanker and a Crossley 3 Ton Half Track !This latter really is only a rolling chassis with no tracks , no body or wings,so is going to present quite a challenge ! ( This is the one from the Army Museum noted on the Crossley blogs here !!)