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Posted

Where exactly is it and where's it going to?

 

I might have a friend who might let me borrow his 8 wheeler + HIAB for the day. As long as we could come to some arrangement about splitting diesel costs I'd be more than happy to do the driving etc.

Always happy to help out save old kit!

 

Alex

Posted
PeterPm sentRegardsDanny

 

I have replied, with instructions on how to view the location with Google maps. It is still there as far as I can see, next door to a slurry pond about 50ft from the road.

 

Peter

Posted

The oil/fuel bowser I recently bought from the farmer/owner (Bowser presently still at farm a number of miles above Basingstoke awaiting transportation but now HGV beaver-tail with driver [At reasonable cost] sourced and soon to proceed) I have been advised Peter by RAF Museum London Hendon (Thanks for the RAFM suggestion Matt) referring from their copy of ‘Data Book of RAF Vehicles’ is probably a wartime “Brockhouse Mark 1 Four Wheeled Trailer with 450 Gallon Oil Tank”.

 

Thanks RattlesnakeBob and Scarab for the transportation various suggestions/offers of help: at the moment though I am hoping the current transportation arrangement will be successful.

 

Listerdiesel (Peter), if Danny152 after investigating the similar bowser you have mentioned near Eaton Socon wishes to proceed no further, I may be interested in visiting it for interest and to see whether it may have spares that might be correct for my largely stripped bowser.

 

Nick

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
Posted (edited)

The bowser appears to have gone, it shows up on Google Earth but I can't positively locate it on the ground. Drove past yesterday and that bit of land appears to have been cultivated and planted with trees.

 

I'll have another recce during the week and knock at the house to see if they know where it has gone.

 

Might also be hidden by vegetation.

 

Peter

 

Edit: Still showing on Google Maps, Street View, but it looks further away than where I am looking, so still a possible:

 

Bowser1.jpg

Edited by listerdiesel
Posted (edited)

The reason I couldn't find it, was that it had been moved :D

 

I popped over with camera after work this afternoon, and fortuitously I caught one of the tenants/owners of the cottages out in his garden, and he was able to let me know of its new location and what it was used for.

 

The farm had a water extraction licence for the pond, which is a natural pond rather than a slurry pond, and the bowser was used for storing water which was pumped out with a separate diesel portable pump.

 

They now have a permanent electric pump and storage tank, which is why the bowser is no longer in position.

 

I asked permission to take some shots, just as a gesture of good intent, before going to the new location:

 

Bowser2.jpg

 

Bowser3.jpg

 

Bowser4.jpg

 

Bowser5.jpg

 

I have a contact name at the farm, and will give them a call to see what the situation is.

 

There is no pumping gear in the compartment, it looks pretty solid and there is air in all the tyres, but they are pretty cracked in places. I did get a shot of what I assume is the maker's plate on the turntable frame.

 

Didn't do a full mechanical check, but I'd say it is a project that shouldn't take too much mechanical work, the main job will be repainting it.

 

Peter

Edited by listerdiesel
Posted

Could EEC on the plate, mean Eagle Engineering Company? It also says AMD, which no doubt will be Air Ministry Dept. and it does look like a trailer type also used on the barrage balloon gas cylinder transporter.

Posted

I have spoken with the farm office, and a very helpful lady asked me to call back in a week to give her time to find out more.

 

They are also involved in restoring the old Little Staughton air base control tower, and they also may have a second bowser, so looks as though they are amenable to the idea of it being preserved.

 

I have also PM'd Danny152.

 

Peter

Posted (edited)

Hi Peter,

 

Good work r.e. your investigation of this bowser's circumstances and the photo's taken ! Did the bowser have its cabinet doors on it's far end in place ?

 

I wonder if any forum member knows of it's likely period of manufacture.

 

I will be watching to see how this bowser's welfare develops, it’s a hansom vehicle !

 

Nick

PS - i have now rescued (At last) the Brockhouse 450 Gal bowser from near Basingstoke: i will post a few photo's soon.

Edited by NWCB.
Clarification
Posted
Could EEC on the plate, mean Eagle Engineering Company? It also says AMD, which no doubt will be Air Ministry Dept. and it does look like a trailer type also used on the barrage balloon gas cylinder transporter.

 

Hi Richard, yes Eagle Engineering Co it is, the RAF only used 3 types of trailer chassis of that 2 axle style for a host of bodies, the 3.25 ton Brockhouse with torsion bar suspension and the 5 ton by Brockhouse (Mk2) & Eagle both with leaf spring. I think that is the 900 gal petrol tanker. I have the data sheet for that trailer but its not where it should be in the folders ! typical !!

TED

Im19380701CM-Eagle.jpg

Posted
Hi Peter,

 

Good work r.e. your investigation of this bowser's circumstances and the photo's taken ! Did the bowser have its cabinet doors on it's far end in place ?

 

I wonder if any forum member knows of it's likely period of manufacture.

 

I will be watching to see how this bowser's welfare develops, it’s a hansom vehicle !

 

Nick

PS - i have now rescued (At last) the Brockhouse 450 Gal bowser from near Basingstoke: i will post a few photo's soon.

 

I was starting to wonder what has happend to it, glad you rescued it, look forward to the pictures.

Posted (edited)

To: Maverick (Thread originator), HWade, Ford369, M.Rimmer, Listerdiesel, Mogmaner, RattlesnakeBob, Scarab, and Other interested subscribers.

 

Rescue Completed !

 

 

2011 April: North of Basingstoke, Hants.

 

 

2011 April: North of Basingstoke, Hants.

 

 

2011 April: North of Basingstoke, Hants.

 

 

2011 Sept: Transportation.

 

 

2011 Sept: Transportation.

 

 

2011 Sept: Unloading.

 

 

2011 Sept: Undercover, reposing.

 

 

2011 Sept: Undercover, reposing.

2011April(Pic1)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Wolverton,Hants]-W600xH4.jpg

2011April(Pic2)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Wolverton,Hants]-W600xH4.jpg

2011April(Pic3)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Wolverton,Hants]-W600xH4.jpg

2011Sept(Pic2)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Transportation]-W600xH400.JPG

2011Sept(Pic3)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Unloading]-W600xH400(21.1.JPG

2011Sept(Pic4)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Undercover]-W600xH400(21..JPG

2011Sept(Pic5)RAFBrockhouseMark1FourWheeledTrailerWith450GallonOilTank-Undercover]-W600xH400(21..JPG

Edited by NWCB.
Photograph order.
Posted (edited)

I can't see any photos - ?????

 

(OK OK, I'm interested too)

 

 

 

 

 

And as if by magic they suddenly appeared! Thanks, looks fairly tidy too.

Edited by N.O.S.
Posted
So glad its been rescued and that you got it home safe, another one rescued from being in the history books ?

 

I viewed HMVF on my first visit as a passive observer (I thought) but on seeing all those months ago your 'Brockhouse in need' thread i thought i had to inquire regarding whether it had gone to the scrap heap. Due to the thread not being active at that time for many months, i though the bowser would have reached it's end. Thanks Maverick for travelling to see whether the bowser was still in existence.

The tank is a bit dented here and there but fine otherwise and got a few gallons of farming diesel remaining in it indicating no tank rust holes, so i think i will be using it (In the longer term) for that very use: diesel storage. At the same time i would like to restore/improve it's condition and get it road worthy if possibly (The vacuum breaking system looks a challenge).

Thanks again,

Nick

Posted
Thanks for the shots, I like the padlock & chain! :D

 

Peter

 

There is another padlock and chain on the other end aswell, for good measure (And they cost a total of more than the bowser itself) !

 

Nick

Posted
I can't see any photos - ?????

 

(OK OK, I'm interested too)

 

And as if by magic they suddenly appeared! Thanks, looks fairly tidy too.

 

 

The more interested parties the better.

I was busy endeavouring to upload the photo's in the correct order and i had to delete and re-upload them as they were not staying in the necessary order: this was while you were in the process of trying to look at them.

I got it correct in the end.

The bowser before the photo's were taken, was well brushed down to make it look a little less work to restore.

Nick.

Posted (edited)
Well recovered. Looks like there was a pile of torsion bars and other spares as well?

 

 

Yes, there was a 'torsion bar with swinging-arm attached with wheel attached' x 4.

They were off a Brockhouse Office Trailer chassis that was cut up for the torsion bars: two of these torsion bars were/are to replace two of the torsion bars of the Oil/Fuel Bowser Trailer that has now been rescued as the Oil/Fuel Bowser Trailer's two front bars snapped many years ago hence the front of the Oil/Fuel Trailer in the photo's is lower than it should be.

The HGV Slide & Tilt that transported the bowser was equipped with a HIAB, so two of the torsion bars were hoisted onto in front of the bowser on the HGV bed and the other two hoisted onto behind of the bowser on the HGV bed. So all rescued.

Nick

Edited by NWCB.
Wording correction
Posted
I have spoken with the farm office, and a very helpful lady asked me to call back in a week to give her time to find out more.

 

They are also involved in restoring the old Little Staughton air base control tower, and they also may have a second bowser, so looks as though they are amenable to the idea of it being preserved.

 

I have also PM'd Danny152.

 

Peter

 

 

Hi Peter,

Have you been able to contact the helpful lady in the farm office as yet and find out any more ? It is all very interesting !

Nick

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