my mk 4 churchill

[Richard Farrant]

 

Hi Rick,

Looks like an Iron Fairy crane, a good basic machine and very hand in a yard.

 

cheers Richard

[eddy8men]

just bought it and don't know how i managed without for so long. it's ex mod as well, there's blue grey paint under the yellow so i assume it was RAF or navy

[Richard Farrant]

just bought it and don't know how i managed without for so long. it's ex mod as well, there's blue grey paint under the yellow so i assume it was RAF or navy

 

Army and RAF definitely had them as I used to do repairs and SWL tests on them.

[Lauren Child]

You know how to make me jealous

[Niels v]

Army and RAF definitely had them as I used to do repairs and SWL tests on them.

Richard is there any vehicle the British armed forces that you haven't work on

[Richard Farrant]

Richard is there any vehicle the British armed forces that you haven't work on

 

yes ...... Challenger

[eddy8men]

richard you are a mine of knowledge !

but do you have any info on how to work the sodding thing i am winging it at the mo and the potential for disaster is quite high a manual or a link to where i could purchase one would be great

[Richard Farrant]

richard you are a mine of knowledge !

but do you have any info on how to work the sodding thing i am winging it at the mo and the potential for disaster is quite high a manual or a link to where i could purchase one would be great

Rick,

Bearing in mind it could be about 25 years since I worked on one of those, the jib is puzzling me because the safe load indicator box is not on it, I am wondering if someone has removed it or its a different system. I remember there were automatic axle locks for slewing as the rear axle is a pivoting type and as you slew from over front the jacks push down on the axle to stabilise it. What troubles are you having?

[eddy8men]

hi richard thanks for the reply. i'm not really having any trouble it's just that i don't know what the safe procedure is for lifting when the boom is over the side. i don't want to tip it over !

[Richard Farrant]

hi richard thanks for the reply. i'm not really having any trouble it's just that i don't know what the safe procedure is for lifting when the boom is over the side. i don't want to tip it over !

 

Hi Rick,

I take it there is no safe load indicator then? There should be a plate showing loads at various jib lengths and Over Front or Over Side. Obviously a lower safe load when working away from Over Front position. I f you ever need more height there is another extension, but a pin has to be removed from the ram an extension pushed out, This still allows normal extension to function but increases length of main jib. Least that was how the army ones I knew worked. The over side locking rams should automatically come in the jib is slewed away from over front. Have a look at the rear axle to locate them.

[eddy8men]

thanks again richard. i'll look for the axle locking rams when i next use it. cheers

[ruxy]

To me - it looks more like a Coles "Speedcrane" , if you look at the top of the main boom , there are a pair of inverted U brackets - this is where a 'Weighload' dynamometer unit would originally have meen mounted (as standard in the civvy world) . ISTR the military versions actually had a pair of Wylie ASLI ,,

Edited April 8, 2017 by ruxy
spelin

[eddy8men]

you are right it is a speedcrane 6/9T

[Richard Farrant]

you are right it is a speedcrane 6/9T

 

I thought there were some unfamiliar features, although the front view fooled me. I now recollect that Iron Fairy had single wheels on the front axle. When I first started working for the army we had a Jumbo crane on allocation. The company that produced them was taken over by Coles and the Speedcrane range developed from the Jumbo.

[ruxy]

ISTR the Taylor 'Jumbo' had swinging hook type axle locks but the later Coles Speedcrane models had auto. jack-rams for 'over-side duties'

[eddy8men]

thanks for the info guys. i really like my crane, if it had any working brakes it would be even better another thing on the to do list

[Tarland]

On the subject of Coles cranes a quick search turned up this Google Database.........

 

https://sites.google.com/site/colescranedatabase/main-database

 

There is a section on the military cranes supplied by Coles

 

Looks a pretty comprehensive resource

[Lauren Child]

On the subject of Coles cranes a quick search turned up this Google Database.........

 

https://sites.google.com/site/colescranedatabase/main-database

 

There is a section on the military cranes supplied by Coles

 

Looks a pretty comprehensive resource

 

That's handy - it looks a lot like Model - 6-7T Mk4

 

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100636175774182132488/album/AF1QipPvW0jcNs8MyJiNSCluMvkREXoRIjxJgig5nFi_/AF1QipO1VcMnYHO0EHYjyqkTSR4bXvmCDVReXub5WKvj?source=pwa#5812509689905208210

 

 

Edit: My mistake - it's more like a mk 3

 

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100636175774182132488/album/AF1QipPvW0jcNs8MyJiNSCluMvkREXoRIjxJgig5nFi_/AF1QipOZAUZ4b_WFdTumEZ5PkHQUeeXHPzz0RH0UpLCA?source=pwa#5812509577854505298

Edited April 11, 2017 by Lauren Child

[eddy8men]

i think it's a mk4. i'll have to have a closer look for some id plates

[ruxy]

The Mk. 4 has outrigger blocking , the Mk. 3 does not

[eddy8men]

not a mk4 then, cheers

i'd like outriggers for my own piece of mind but it does perform quite well without them

[Le Prof]

On 7/14/2015 at 7:38 PM, Le Prof said:

Hi Steveo578,

 

again, Thanks for the information on 37ZR79, it all helps.

 

Should my third Churchill plate resurface, I'll ask again, if you don't mind. However, it was a nice shiney thing, and it may have been souvineered during a recent move. 😞

 

Best Regards,

 

Adrian

Hi All,

Thread ressurection, eight years after my last comment above.

My third data plate just turned up. I maligned the movers, though they did pack it in a box of books I've only just got round to sorting out (umm, 20 years later?)

No photo at the moment, but the plate is the standard brass one marked:

TANK, INFANTRY MARK IV 

MAKERS N° VM2883 W.D. N° T31132

DATE  /1/42

i guess a Vauxhall Motors produced Churchill? Are any other details known on this one?

The plate came from a pile of brass shiney things at a steam fair, probably Husband's Bosworth.

Thanks for any help.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

 

 

 

[eddy8men]

a few years back i sold the avre to the same guy that bought my cromwell. it;s nice to see it finally on display or at least it's nice to see my old turret on display. the hull is from an earlier reworked hull

[eddy8men]

two for one

[Rootes75]

Superb!!