Jump to content

Crossley RFC Tender


Charawacky

Recommended Posts

After getting home tonight, wet through and cold, had a bath then watched this:

http://www.channel5.com/shows/revealed/episodes/ww1-top-gun-revealed

 

Recommended :-)

 

Tom

 

Just watched this, learned a lot, and very well made and enjoyable it was too, thanks for the link..

 

PS. was that a rear-view of a couple of Crossley Tenders I spotted?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 299
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • 2 weeks later...

Here is the Tender setting off on its 250 mile 10 hour journey to Stow Maries.

Low average speed due to 4 gallon dash fuel tank needing replenishing on a regular basis!

Totally reliable but it was very cold sat all day in a 50 mph wind!

M62,A1M,A1,A14,M11,A120,A130,A12.

Stopped at Longstone Tyres, Bawtry to drop in a wheel, have a coffee and warm up.

 

IMG_0002-E2.jpg

 

At Stow, the tender is shown with members of the Great War Society.

_MG_0107 - Version 2.jpg

 

On Saturday night the Tender took 12 members of the Dawn Patrol to the Prince of Wales (pub) for an excellent meal.

 

Here is an image showing a few of the Dawn Patrol Planes

 

IMG_0007-E.jpg

Edited by Charawacky
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

 

On Saturday night the Tender took 12 members of the Dawn Patrol to the Prince of Wales (pub) for an excellent meal.

 

Here is an image showing a few of the Dawn Patrol Planes

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]61545[/ATTACH]

 

Pssst, don't look now but I think there are German planes on our airfield...:-D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pssst, don't look now but I think there are German planes on our airfield...:-D

 

Funny you should say that, there was a very pleasant German pilot over to take part with the Dawn Patrol!

He was explaining the scaling problems with making wing warping work on his Eindecker.

Is wing warping the scourge of model Eindeckers or was that the Fokker Scourge?

:-D

 

Tom

Edited by Charawacky
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Gents

Following our successful return of their Model T tender to running condition

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNWICNaFVrYm

we've been asked if we can get their Crossley Tender back in running order. The basic vehicle is sound having been refurbished in the early 1970s but no record of it being run since. An initial look has shown that the Magneto is not giving a spark (when cranking by hand anyway) so that will be our first port of call. We have no technical data so if there is anything you feel you could provide us with, and / or close up photos of the engine / transmission / chassis etc., we'd be very grateful.

 

The Museum is also on the look out for a suitable WW1 vintage Leyland 3 Tonner to add to its collection. This could either be a restored one or a suitable chassis for a replica body to be fitted. Anyone know of a potential source?

 

Ian C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Charawacky, good to meet you at Stow Maries, I was the young Royal Flying Corps chap - haven't had the chance to deal with photos yet as been a very busy month with work, then spent a week in Gallipoli, Tankfest etc, but cobbled together this video this evening of the clips I took of your tender at Stow Maries;

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a close look at the Crossley yesterday, the Mag does have an output, (about a 6" standing jump when I had my hand too close to the HT lead while turning the input shaft with the mag on the bench :wow: :red: :red:) but we have a partially seized water pump. I'm sure that can be resolved easily as the pump will come apart and it is probably only the shaft sealing glands that are sticking. However there does seem to be a fundamental problem with the drive from the timing gears on the engine. The drive runs from the timing case through a leather flexible coupling to the water pump and then on to the magneto. The seizing pump has broken the flexible coupling which can easily be replaced. The worrying issue is though, that the bolts securing the timing side drive seem to have chewed up the water pump inlet. The photos should show it better with the heads of the bolts worn down on one side and the marks on the pump casing. Anyone know what may be the cause? There doesn't appear to be any way to improve the clearance. Were the original bolts "specials" with low profile heads?

IMG_0662sl.jpg

 

IMG_0191s.jpg

 

Ian C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian.

 

From your pics, I would suggest that the damage is not caused by the bolt heads but by the flexible coupling itself. The radius of the damage appears to be outside that of the bolt heads. However, the flexi disc could be brought closer by pushing the magneto up hard, thus bending the coupling towards the pump. Thin bolt heads might be an option but I think that a bit of care in securing the mag is all that is required. I wouldn't try to repair the damage to the pump unless water is actually coming through as you are more likely to do more harm than good.

 

That's my two pennyworth anyway!

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Charawacky, good to meet you at Stow Maries, I was the young Royal Flying Corps chap - haven't had the chance to deal with photos yet as been a very busy month with work, then spent a week in Gallipoli, Tankfest etc, but cobbled together this video this evening of the clips I took of your tender at Stow Maries;

 

 

 

Hi

 

Thanks for the link, we been away for a few days at the Le Mans Classic.

Thought about the FWD? that used to be parked on the course!

I look forward to the images.

 

Regards

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tom, Steve

Thanks for the replies,the more I think about the arrangement on "our" vehicle the more I believe it is not the standard arrangement. We uncovered an old "user handbook" in the Museum's archives which describes the cooling system and water pump as

 

"COOLING. Water jackets are cast with the cylinders round cylinders and valve ports. Water is pumped from the bottom of radiator to a pipe with two outlets, one into each pair of cylinders, by centrifugal pump, driven off magneto shaft by chain. "

 

"THE WATER PUMP is of the centrifugal type, and is bolted on to the top of the timing gear case, and is driven by two sprocket wheels, one on the end of the pump spindle, and the other on the magneto driving shaft, these wheels being connected by Renold's roller chain."

 

I can only assume that the design changed at some time. The photo below shows a different drive arrangement – which sounds as though it is the same as yours Tom.

Enginesideviewold.jpg

 

 

There are 4 unused bolts on the vehicle we are working on so is it possible it should have used an older (or newer?) chain drive to the pump maybe compatible with a different timing cover arrangement?

 

"Our" engine, note the 4 bolts which are not included on the earlier photo

 

IMG_0671s.jpg

 

Ian C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've come across this photo of a 20/25 engine in which it appears that the water pump is mounted on the timing cover and chain driven from the magneto driving shaft. This would appear to be the arrangement referred to in the user handbook we uncovered in the Museum archives. Has anyone got a photo of the nearside of an engine with a better view of this layout?

 

Engine2025chainpump.jpg

 

Ian C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been in contact with the Crossley register who have been extremely helpful and confirmed that "our" engine would have originally had a high mounted water pump chain driven from the magneto drive shaft. The design changed in 1918 to the "series drive" layout, it is thought because of water leaks from the pump dripping onto the drive shaft and from there into the engine causing oil contamination. The advice being to continue with the modified drive (albeit being very careful about interference between the flexible disc, it's securing bolts and the pump casing) as finding early pumps and associated drive components will be virtually impossible.

 

Ian C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Ian

 

The 20 hp Crossley started as theromsyphon then with added chain driven water pump and finally the 25/30 with direct shaft drive pump.

 

Quite right about water in the oil, this has happened on my 20/25 I now have a fabricated gutter to divert leaks and prevent this happening.

 

Regards

 

tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I attended the Naming Ceremony for the 2ft gauge locomotive 'Joffre' the oldest known surviving member of a class of 70 locomotives built by the Stoke-on-Trent firm Kerr Stuart in 1915. They were ordered by the French Military for the first World War, hauling supplies and troops on the many narrow gauge railways that criss crossed the battle fields of Northern France. The Joffre Class took their name from Marshall Joseph Joffre, the French Chief of General Staff.

 

Link

 

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Naming+of+Locomotive+Joffre

 

The WW1 Foden was also in attendance, a lovely day and the rain was absent!

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

The Museum is also on the look out for a suitable WW1 vintage Leyland 3 Tonner to add to its collection. This could either be a restored one or a suitable chassis for a replica body to be fitted. Anyone know of a potential source?

 

Ian C

 

Yes i do! How much money have you got to spend?

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes i do! How much money have you got to spend?

 

Tim

To be honest I don't know since it isn't my money!!!!!!!!! Send me a PM with some details and I'll try to put you in contact with the appropriate people at the Museum.

 

Ian C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I stumbled across a file relating to RFC Crossleys in the National Archive on-line catalogue.

 

Is it a known file / of interest ?

 

AIR 10/85

Description:

Inspector of Transport Schedule "A". Priced List of Tools, Spares and Equipment carried on Crossley Car and Light Tender, Leyland Heavy Tender, P. & M. Motor Cycle

Date: 1918

Held by: The National Archives, Kew

Former references: in its original department: AP No. FS 57A

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...