Ashcollection

Sorry to have to admit I had the 5th wheel mounting frame from that one many years ago. The 5th wheel from a Crusader fits spot on with just a slightly different handle to the original and I can let you have a sketch of what the frame looks like if you cannot find one.

 

Out of interest did the T belong to an old guy who lived in the Leicester area in the early 1990s?

haha I'm loosing the plot!! we have already spoken on this. Ive been away and out of the " old truck loop for a bit" yes i'd love a sketch of the frame. cheers Richard

Hi

 

Im restoring an Allis Chalmers 645 4 wheel loader serial number 6435 B and WD number 00FU35

 

Im seeking some information on the british army specific build of these loaders. I have a PDF from US army of their depot service manual but the british version differs in engine - its got a Leyland (AEC) AV505 rather than Allis Chalmers own diesel and has a different air over hydraulic braking system.

 

Does anyone know where I might get a PDF or copy of the British Army Operators/Service manual?

 

Also seeking an AV505 manual for the engine - serial number AV505 5C 5573 A7502 - these were used in several variants of Leyland HGV vehicles.[ATTACH=CONFIG]114107[/ATTACH]

 

Many thanks

lovely machine, nice to see plant being restored.

I have uncovered an amount of info on an Albanian army website which has provided a wealth of information.

 

I had hoped to acquire a copy of a parts manual but with the info from this webpage and by capturing the various images on their own and enlarging them there is enough to get us going now.

 

Add to that the kind help from Sirhc who has found a few pairs of track for sale and I think all we are missing is time and money, so should be an instant project in the next 10 years.

 

There is enough info from the images to reverse engineer a very close replica now.

 

I am very happy

 

Here is the link

 

http://www.aaf.mil.al/english/index.php/armatimet-e-pajisjet/1941-armatimet-e-pajisjet-brigada-logjistike

 

Robin

Hi thats probably where some of the re-furb Mk7's went about 10 years ago, I think most to the rest where gifted around poorer country's in the middle east who couldn't afford MK8-B's or similar.

What do you mean WILL end up with sheds full?:blush: I have a hayshed, a Nissen hut and various small sheds full of stationary engines, tractors, boats and "useful things...":D

Oh dear same here! 90ft long nissen hut with 20ft side extensions + dutch barns, ex pig sheds, roofed containers etc etc haha this could become a thread of "My shed's bigger is than your shed" lets not go there ! mine are all full of "useful things too" i mentioned in another thread once that we need some sort of therapy. But even if we don't get round to restoring these little gems, because we get old and die first, they have been saved for the future, and hopefully someone else will take them on.

I assumed you meant working civilian recoveries based on the Martian, you are correct about the twin boom gear. L W Vass did indeed offer conversions, somewhere there is a scan of an original advert of theirs with some good pictures. It also included an offer on Dyson 32 wheel trailers, IIRC £2000 each or 3 for £5000.

Hi I was referring to the twin boom conversations, as i had kind of half of one.

Def agree....the worst I 've ever encountered was a very tidy Series One Landrover in a local garage that had been used as a little tow truck for many years before being dumped in their back yard. I must have gone in there a dozen times over the years and asked about it over and over....... only to be continually told

"No!! it's not for sale"

I'd always say the same thing

"well.....here's my number please don't forget to ring me if you do decide to sell it one day !"

I left them with very fair offers in cash many of the times that I dropped by ....always polite too.....about 15 years ago the garage was sold up for demolition and development for few houses and on hearing they'd closed and were clearing the yard etc I hot footed it up there.......too late...The fella that owned it actually said

"oh that old thing went to the scrapyard weeks ago......you should have come by if you wanted it ! We can't keep everything just in case somebody wants it you know ! "

At that point my previous politeness very nearly deserted me

Against that I should say I have had some small chunks of luck over the years. I acquired a wonderful and pretty much complete BSA Bantam in a load of scrap that I was picking up ......the fella said

" here! chuck this on your truck whilst you're here !"

I didn't argue with him

Be careful though or you will end up with sheds full of scrapyard rescues like I have haha

Buckdale's one at Bedford is still in use, based on the gun tractor: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=jsu213&biw=1600&bih=752&tbm=isch&imgil=RHt9Gu8lZwCwRM%253A%253BD2-woHk7UzaUwM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fpicssr.com%25252Ftags%25252Fjsu213&source=iu&pf=m&fir=RHt9Gu8lZwCwRM%253A%252CD2-woHk7UzaUwM%252C_&usg=__92_36rzPan2kKGHnuCAVhBXP2II%3D&ved=0ahUKEwjj9o24nKzLAhXJuhQKHTqhB50QyjcILg&ei=GTjcVqOGIMn1UrrCnugJ#imgrc=RHt9Gu8lZwCwRM%3A

please correct me if i'm wrong. I think the M5 one with the twin boom gear was one of about 5 SWB cargo's converted in the late 60's, I had the remains on one from behind the Hungry horse on the A47 near Dearham, was it a Vass conversion? top and bottom picture, just mentally add, a twin boom wrecker in the gap between the cab and the rear deck and it matches the one on the M5.

That Martian on the M5 is probably the last one of those conversions left, hope it gets saved and kept as it is one day.

Hi,

 

Glad to see more Wards surfacing in the UK. If you're interested in some of your M1 Josephine's history I can put you in touch with the chap who restored her. I'm sure he'd be able to advise on where he got the marking from.

 

It was the feature truck for M1 type in the old Tankograd book No 1001.

 

Regards - MG

Hi yes i'd very much like to have his contact, and any history info.

cheers

Richard

[ATTACH=CONFIG]113008[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]113009[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]113010[/ATTACH] Do the clues point to this Diamond T being ex Swiss

also as well as the gauge and the light being different, the tire pattern the cable reels, and you can just see where the green has flaked off, gray underneath on the bumper and fuel tank.

... because your Wardi was used in the tank repair platoon. Wreckers were used at airfields and in the tank repair plattons.. Your Wardi was probably latest used in a Platoon were only AMX-13 were used (no Centurions and Swiss Pz 61/68).

Thank you very much that's very interesting information, I will have a look soon and get you the serial numbers.

Richard

Actually we have a rough Kenworth 570 in our collection as well. Don't know how valid the markings on it are, but i believe it is on the front cover of a very old copy of windscreen.

Your Ward LaFrance is clearly a former Swiss Army. On top of the cab is written " L Pz 51". That means Leicht Panzer 51 (light tank) and refers to the AMX-13. Referring to your Diamond it's hard to tell. Glad to see some more survivors. If you write me the chassis numbers by PM I can probably tell you the Swiss Army's registration number. Greetings Chris

Hi

on My Ward LaFrance why does it have L Pz 51, referring to the AMX-13?

What I would like to see is one of the 30 RUC halftracks issued in 1958-60. Afterwards they went to IDF & probably a few have now come back & are marked up for D-Day no doubt.

Another "wanted vehicle" for my collection an IDF halftrack repair vehicle with the atlas crane in the back corner. i'd love one of those.

From another thread

 

 

 

The give away on the converted No.3 Foamer was that there was a reason why there was no barricade ram & the OS rear door had the panel welded up where the hydrant hoses connected. But there is a lot of ignorance about them many people get mixed up with Pig Squirt & in service there was a documentary a couple of years ago when an ATO was showing what they used to use & described how foam was blown out from the nozzle on the roof! As we know that was for the dispersant, so I don't know what he thought all the stuff at the front was for.

 

So you have run it up? Do you have the UHB?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]112817[/ATTACH]

 

I noticed that one of your Pigs is ex-RUC (2988 OI) re-registed as 27 BT 89 that started out as a 32 BK 58. Is there any chance of a few pictures of it especially the chassis plate & the cab plate?

Hi Clive i will have to have a look at the weekend, heres a few pictures you may have seen before, if not enjoy.

I'm going to reply on the Humber Pig pictures thread as I don't want to cause an upset for hi-jacking the thread.

yes good idea they can be a bit touchy about that! and I guess the final consensuses is that there are only 2 halftracks still fitted up as REME repair vehicles, the rest have been stripped and rebuilt with a 50 cal on top and white star on the side!

It is commonly supposed that there were only two Foaming Pigs, 10 BK 34 and 11 BK 10

 

This is suggested by trawling through the BK sequence of Humber registrations.

 

In fact there were three. This was a FV1609A registered 32 BK 80 & was struck off to the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1958 for use by the Reserve Force of the RUC.

 

As the vehicle was struck off census it no longer existed. When it was taken back on census in April 1971 it was registered as 27 BT 90. It was rebodied & underwent up armouring in Op Bracelet.

 

After the rather disappointing performance of Foamers (1779.2501) it reverted to an APC role. I first saw it at Stoneleigh 25 years ago as it had no barricade ram. Someone had made one out of aluminium tubing but didn't realise that the top two bars needed to be spaced to allow the headlights to shine through, so these segments were cut off. If that didn't look strange enough a Mk 1 canvas was tied to the roof & a fluffy toy fitted.

 

The next time I saw it was with a different owner who sold it a chap in The Netherlands, it then went to Germany where it received some D-Day markings :rolleyes: then onto a serious collector who went to a lot of trouble downgrading it to appear as near as possible as a Mk 1. A few years ago the Pig was brought back to the UK.

Hi Clive " the Oracle" my foaming pig is 10BK34 chassis number 21034. its funny to hear what some people do with vehicles! My pig will be restored with all it's foaming kit.

Ashcollections example is the gutted Gate Guardian from Bordon.

Yes correct ours is the old gate guard. We have Headcorn's Salamander as well. On the question of modified vehicles, that have probably been stripped back to original form, anybody know of any SWD Saracens or foaming pigs? we have a complete foaming pig and a Saracen missing it's turret, apart from Bovington any others left?

You ll have to go to Lynham to see it. Bordon is no more I m afraid. it closed last year.

so just the REME collection one and mine left then?

There was a halftrack with a jib down at Headcorn Airfeild for many years. Anyone know what happned to it?

Hi yes i was asking the same question on another forum. this is my one, its gutted out unfortunately, apart from the one in the REME collection and my one are there any others left?

I have both a Diamond T wrecker and a series 5 Ward La France i think they are both ex Swiss, the Diamond T has larger cable reels on the twin boom and different lighting

ARRRR I hope the camper conversion suggestion was a joke! too many interesting vehicles get lost to that! Great Vehicle love to see it restored.