Jump to content

PW british army 3 and 4 ton trucks


les freathy

Recommended Posts

richard they are all taken within woolwich and remain in their photo sequence numbering system. There are shots taken off site when testing including 432 at chertsey and north wales, chieftains on and to ranges and all taken by the woolwich team.

 

Thanks Alan. Some great photos and no doubt these are only scratching the surface of the collection

:tup::

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes Richard you're quite right although only 2500 show the arsenal itself, but I have managed to add some to a few entires such as Chruchill, 432,432 which also show 431 protoype Martian hippo foxes this one and trains. I havent found one for ferrets, but there is a large selection of gawd whats that I would like answers on, so I will have to start a section for that

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Actually, Les, I think most of them ended up in Leavesley's yard still in their packaging, 200 or more I believe :-D:-D:-D

 

Seemed a crazy waste of money to just dispose of them like that as not a big job to fit especially as they were rigid, not tilting They'd have been a good weekend project for the TA boys. They were probably sold for diddley squat. Mind you Leavesley were asking a lot of money for them.

 

A few years later I got the last but one out of Leavesley's - three were not sold 'cos someone had lost the keys which later came to light. Fully trimmed and fitted out, all parts for conversion including new-style 3 piece front bumper.

 

It has now been sitting in my workshop for 3 years waiting to replace the moth-eaten TL cab on my drill rig (which even has hydraulic tilt :cool2:).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How hard a job is it to remove the MK/MJ cab? I've seen them complete ready to be fitted, so is it just a case of un plugging the electrics, undoing a few bolts and lift off? These things always seem easy until you try to do them outside your house.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some nice colour shots of the MK with the Marshall built CB 300 container

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutely superb picture of the body being jacked up. I knew the slots in my body were for jacks, but I've never seen what they look like. I bet these are like rocking horse do-do. Anyone had any experience of using these and if they know if any were released?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How hard a job is it to remove the MK/MJ cab? I've seen them complete ready to be fitted, so is it just a case of un plugging the electrics, undoing a few bolts and lift off? These things always seem easy until you try to do them outside your house.

 

Aside from the wiring and air pipes to the cab, there is the steering column flexible coupling, adjacent to the pedals, reached through the rad grill aperture. Disconnect transfer box linkage and cables, then you have four bolts, two are under the floor mat, memory fading, think the other two are under the flaps. The front two do suffer from corrosion. To lift the cab you need a beam steel or good timber through the door opening with a strop over the top. Not really a job to do in the street though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aside from the wiring and air pipes to the cab, there is the steering column flexible coupling, adjacent to the pedals, reached through the rad grill aperture. Disconnect transfer box linkage and cables, then you have four bolts, two are under the floor mat, memory fading, think the other two are under the flaps. The front two do suffer from corrosion. To lift the cab you need a beam steel or good timber through the door opening with a strop over the top. Not really a job to do in the street though.

 

 

How long would you say the job would take? I'm not looking at taking mine off, just interested in what's involved.

 

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How long would you say the job would take? I'm not looking at taking mine off, just interested in what's involved.

 

Cheers

 

Well, that depends on whether you had done the job before or not, and if the bolts were rusty / siezed. For someone who had not done it before and all the kit was to hand, I suppose a couple of hours to remove it. A lot of this could be done beforehand then when a crane was available, lift off would be relatively quick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too would like to know where one can get those jacking legs from, anyone have a set stashed in the garden shed?

 

Were they Armstrong or electric powered? Any drawings of what they were made from, I could likely cobble together something.

 

Thanks

 

robin

 

 

 

Mine has a roller type system at the front of the box, and I've heard it's got something to do with jacking the box up and down. Never saw these in the Army as they just use a Foden Wrecker to do all the lifting work. There must be some somewhere?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

attachment.php?attachmentid=14995&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1256499108

 

I've still got these as seperates -- didn't even think about mixing them up!

 

I nicked the next photos from somewhere -- might have even been here! The colour one shows the ambulance bodied "Commer cab" Ford, a rare truck even in its' day amongst the more common Bedfords, and the other of the "Commer cab" Ford LAAT with an RL kicked out of the Beverley museum at the time of its demise -- out of interest does anyone know what happened to it?

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=15135&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1256775854

 

does anyone know much history on these Commer cab Fords chap local to me has two of them , so if they were a rare truck in the day they must be very rare now ,, I've been trying to do research just to find a bit about them but after a couple of hours searching the net not really found much , anyone know of anymore of these Thames trucks ,, Regards Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

does anyone know much history on these Commer cab Fords chap local to me has two of them , so if they were a rare truck in the day they must be very rare now ,, I've been trying to do research just to find a bit about them but after a couple of hours searching the net not really found much , anyone know of anymore of these Thames trucks ,, Regards Phil

 

Phil,

 

There were three variations ordered on Ministry of Supply contract no. DO/6/VEHICLES/7980/CB27A, dated 14th July 1951

1,408 Model 2E Binned Stores vehicle

782 Model 3E Ambulance

2,810 Model 4E Light Anti Aircraft vehicle

 

I am not aware of a further contract so this would be the total number ordered if so.

 

They had a Canadian V8 engine I am led to believe, with a vertical distributor. They suffered loose valve seats from accounts heard from different people. The cab was a basic pressing shared with a commercial Commer lorry of the time, hence the nickname, "Commer cab Ford", I think off the top of my head the cab makers was Briggs Motor Bodies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great information Richard, one of these that the chap has has low drop down sides on the flat back , V8 engine and badge says Thames Trader , the other has the Thames 6D , I thought that both had quite long wheel bases which could be the same length as the ambulance chassis , will see if I can get some more information about them , Will they have a spec plate if so were would it be found ?

 

Regards Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great information Richard, one of these that the chap has has low drop down sides on the flat back , V8 engine and badge says Thames Trader , the other has the Thames 6D , I thought that both had quite long wheel bases which could be the same length as the ambulance chassis , will see if I can get some more information about them , Will they have a spec plate if so were would it be found ?

 

 

 

Phil,

 

I think the rad badge had "Thames" on it, but not Trader, that was a later civvy truck. The 6D was a common conversion I understand. Chassis length was about the same as a RL, and ambulance chassis was the same as the other two models.

 

There could be a plate on the chassis, usually on the nearside, or try in the cab. The AA gun tractor had a winch fitted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richard , I'll check for the plates might give us an idea what there first use was ,, you say that the 6d was a common conversion would this be done by means of an engine to gearbox adapter plate or might it bolt strait to the gearbox , I asked the owner but he was not to sure ,,

Regards Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...