ajmac Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) Are these the ones in France and Belgium we discussed recently? Pierre-Olivier Half right PO, the French one and one in the UK that eddy8men has the details on, I had forgotten about the Belgian one, so that makes three! Any further info on the French vehicle? We confirmed that the remains of a Tracked Towing Loyd were still in place in the UK, but over and above that the case has gone cold. Edited January 9, 2012 by ajmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 ps what type of dash istruments, electrical stuff did it use? Smiths. 0-40MPH Bike style speedo 0-100Psi Smiths Oil Pressure Gauge CAV Charging Gauge CAV multi function unit - quite easy to find. Smiths start button used through the 1960s in British cars, E-type etc... Not too sure about the choke pull... I am thinking of changing the oil pressure gauge for a smiths dual gauge so that I have SOME IDEA of the water temperature, at least in one head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) UK Loyd wreck located! Not much left, you can see a tree growing through it...no hull left and the chassis is burried at the rear in waterlogged soil! Edited January 9, 2012 by ajmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David I Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Hi guys, I've been following this with interest as I encountered a loyd way back in the Seventies at Myerton Motor Museum. its the only one I've ever seen, and I was fascinated with it. I see that Bob Grundy's came from Myerton, but the one I saw was an exhibit. Fully restored and with a tilt fitted if I remember correctly. Where is it now? Actually, at that time (1977ish) they had a couple of Morris C8 Quads, Humber box Daimler Dingo, and a Bedford QLR all sitting outside in unrestored state. The Bedford had stood on a hillside for many years be used as a Royal Observer Corps post. i wonder what happened to them. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bedford Boys Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 UK Loyd wreck located!Not much left, you can see a tree growing through it...no hull left and the chassis is burried at the rear in waterlogged soil! Worth getting if you can though. That diff and all the little brackets will be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kufra Kiwi Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 When I was a kid growing up on a farm in Taranaki, New Zealand we had boxthorn hedges around our fields. Boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) originally came from South Africa where I think it was grown around native kraals to keep the lions out. Boxthorn is an extremely tough plant with long sharp thorns that can easily penetrate a tractor tyre or go right through a man’s tough leather boot. It was excellent as a very thorny stockproof hedge but trimming it by hand was a nightmare and eventually the hedges were neglected and grew up to 20m wide and started to encroach on valuable pastureland (stay with me guys, this post is about historic military vehicles!). In the early 1950s the innovative Taranaki farmers found a solution to the boxthorn problem by converting ex-army Stewart tanks into mechanised hedge trimmers. They removed the tank’s turret and replaced it with a shaft on the end of which was mounted a huge 12-foot-long rotating blade, with flails of one-inch-thick hardened steel. When the hedgecutter came to trim our boxthorn hedges there was great excitement, as an army tank was not something we boys saw every day. It rumbled ponderously along, clanking its tracks and shaking the ground as its rotating blade slowly build up speed to about 500 rpm. Then it simply drove into the hedge from one end, “whack-whack-whacking” into the branches and throwing them a hundred feet into the air. Any onlookers had to keep well clear in case they were hit by flying branches and once one of our sheep dogs was killed when the whirling blade chopped his nose off. The largest boxthorn hedges were so big and wide that the tank could be completely hidden inside them. The hedge-trimming contractor also had two bren-gun carriers with a buck-rake on front to sweep up the trimmings into heaps for burning. The drivers were protected from the thorns by a heavy steel mesh and they certainly needed it when the bren carrier charged full-tilt into a length of cut hedge, peeling it off and pushing it out into the paddock to make a heap. Sometimes we saw a huge house-sized heap of boxthorn moving along as though under its own power, with a bren-carrier buried somewhere in the middle, growling along in low gear. These machines became a common sight around south Taranaki, but we never tired of watching them when we were kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) The Loyd in the photo has an interesting history, it was once owned by a construction company who converted it to carry bundles of pipes for the building of a remote water supply system. At some point during the work the engine siezed and the machine was left where it failed as they had others to continue the job. 40 years later it is still in the same place that it came to a halt, all be it in much worse condition than when the construction guys abandoned it. The reason that it is in such a rotted condition is that half a mile to the right of the photo is the sea! You can see that the bogies have been removed and in doing so they have gas axed through the x-tubes and x-tube brackets, wrecking them. The gearbox also looks to have been taken as the engine is at an odd angle, I have also been told that the drivers floor no longer exists, neither do the centre floor and engine tray, also looks like those rare body support brackets have gone walkies. Edited January 10, 2012 by ajmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 don't worry fella's i'm on the case and plan to recover it before summer. it's location was passed onto me last year by another forum member who cannibalised it for parts many moons ago to aid another loyd restoration. i then gave alastair the rough location and he somehow managed to pinpoint it and get the pics from the landowner, which is no mean fete and i take my hat off to him. cheers i plan to restore it sometime in the future but until then it will be made available for alastair to help his restoration. rick ps. the next recovery is an m29 weasel sitting in a welsh ravine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 ps. the next recovery is an m29 weasel sitting in a welsh ravine I recovered a Series 2 Lightweight from a Welsh ravine with a friend of mine about 10 years ago, we rebuilt it and took it off roading, as far as I know it is still at his workshop somewhere in the West Midlands. It was painted poo brown with a cream top, errrk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Hi Rick, have sent you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bedford Boys Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 When I was a kid growing up on a farm in Taranaki, New Zealand we had boxthorn hedges around our fields. Boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) originally came from South Africa where I think it was grown around native kraals to keep the lions out. Boxthorn is an extremely tough plant with long sharp thorns that can easily penetrate a tractor tyre or go right through a man’s tough leather boot. It was excellent as a very thorny stockproof hedge but trimming it by hand was a nightmare and eventually the hedges were neglected and grew up to 20m wide and started to encroach on valuable pastureland (stay with me guys, this post is about historic military vehicles!). In the early 1950s the innovative Taranaki farmers found a solution to the boxthorn problem by converting ex-army Stewart tanks into mechanised hedge trimmers. They removed the tank’s turret and replaced it with a shaft on the end of which was mounted a huge 12-foot-long rotating blade, with flails of one-inch-thick hardened steel. When the hedgecutter came to trim our boxthorn hedges there was great excitement, as an army tank was not something we boys saw every day. It rumbled ponderously along, clanking its tracks and shaking the ground as its rotating blade slowly build up speed to about 500 rpm. Then it simply drove into the hedge from one end, “whack-whack-whacking” into the branches and throwing them a hundred feet into the air. Any onlookers had to keep well clear in case they were hit by flying branches and once one of our sheep dogs was killed when the whirling blade chopped his nose off. The largest boxthorn hedges were so big and wide that the tank could be completely hidden inside them. The hedge-trimming contractor also had two bren-gun carriers with a buck-rake on front to sweep up the trimmings into heaps for burning. The drivers were protected from the thorns by a heavy steel mesh and they certainly needed it when the bren carrier charged full-tilt into a length of cut hedge, peeling it off and pushing it out into the paddock to make a heap. Sometimes we saw a huge house-sized heap of boxthorn moving along as though under its own power, with a bren-carrier buried somewhere in the middle, growling along in low gear. These machines became a common sight around south Taranaki, but we never tired of watching them when we were kids. Butler Brothers did a lot of the hedgecutting in the Taranaki. They used a lot of CMP's, NZ Pattern Armoured Cars and Universal Carriers. They found tanks too heavy and were not very fuel efficient. Some of their vehicles are now in the Tawhiti Museum just outside of Hawera. Bruce Alexander converted at least one Valentine and a Stuart to hedgecutters. The stuart has now been restored into a gun tank and the Valentine is owned by a Military Vehicle collector. If you read this Eddy, no, you won't be able to buy the Valentine from him :noyay: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 ref the valentine if he won't sell it do you think he would do a swap for a loyd carrier and a weasel, i'd be prepared to pay for the shipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Didn't Bruce also convert a Covenanter but never used it? That's also with a collector, probably the same one, who doesn't sell anything........! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packman Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Didn't Bruce also convert a Covenanter but never used it? That's also with a collector, probably the same one, who doesn't sell anything........! What are you trying to say Adrian As for the Valentines x2 we brought them off Bruce Alexander a long time ago (23 years) It could have been restored 10 times over in that time!!:red: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 What are you trying to say Adrian As for the Valentines x2 we brought them off Bruce Alexander a long time ago (23 years) It could have been restored 10 times over in that time!!:red: Ah you know who! Do you think he'll ever do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I dont suppose any pics of the Stuart Hedge Thwacker exist do they, I'd love to see that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I dont suppose any pics of the Stuart Hedge Thwacker exist do they, I'd love to see that! Here is one built on an old Ford Blitz ( or CMP if you want to be politically correct) http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/farming/643119/Extraordinary-hedgecutting-machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Inspected the front axle from the second Loyd today and the half shafts were fine, will remove the drums and diff this weekend to make thing manageable to bolt up on the chassis for alignment checks. I took some poor quality photos with my phone to show the special plug with hole for pig tail breather tube. This was originally the axle drain plug but as Loyd turned it through 180 degrees it becomes the breather! There is a special small plug fitted to the axle by Loyd to act as a drain plug....the diff casing required welding of two holes from the range, however it is steel so that shouldn't be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bedford Boys Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Ah you know who! Do you think he'll ever do it? Covenanter went to "you know who". I would like to see him do it as it is more interesting than anything else in his collection The Valentines went down Carterton way. Dad has known the owner for ages. Packman, I'm guessing you are the son of said owner? Sorry for Hijacking the thread AJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packman Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Covenanter went to "you know who". I would like to see him do it as it is more interesting than anything else in his collection The Valentines went down Carterton way. Dad has known the owner for ages. Packman, I'm guessing you are the son of said owner? Sorry for Hijacking the thread AJ. Yes Gavin is my father and I am his Son Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packman Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Ah you know who! Do you think he'll ever do it? He sells when it suits, but don't want too think about him to much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) Loyds are not parallel, well not this one, I had the chassis rails perfectly parallel but when I offered up the front axle I had to nudge the rails around 8mm closer together. Removed the brake drums and saved the brake shoes and springs, one was damaged but the other three are fine. The back plates look savable too, which is fortunate. As it was so much lighter with drums removed I was able to move it with a sack truck and bolt it to the chassis, it was getting cold and dark after all that so the final alignment will have to wait until another day, safe to say it all looks spot on. I will be fitting the front lower hull plate and remained of the rear axle supports over the next few weeks. PS. A big thanks to everyone who has offered help, advice and parts to the project so far! Edited January 14, 2012 by ajmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) I am now the owner of a complete Loyd front axle with brake drums.....and everything! From a scrapped Loyd in Norway, via chap named Clive, a chap named Bob and now to a chap called me. . Big thanks to Bob :thumbsup: Should be delivered in February, depending on the weather. It is a big boost to the project as the front axle seen in the posts during January will donate it's hubs, brake components and brake back plates to the rear axle, just need at least one more brake drum now. Edited January 25, 2012 by ajmac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_shadock Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I am now the owner of a complete Loyd front axle with brake drums.....and everything! It is a big boost to the project. Hello, glad that you were able to acquire these parts. Were you able to contact the guy in southern Belgium who owns a Loyd wreck? P-O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 Four hours work today and not much to show for it, yet again, just more holes in the chassis rails! Removed all the front axle components and moved to the rear of the machine, I will need to repair the LHS rear axle gusset and the cross chassis strengthening beam which is bent and has bits taken out by shrapnel. Removed the one good rear tow bracket from the wreck and checked for fit, again it needs work to straighten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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