trevor pitman Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Abit of a very long shot.......my friend is about to restore a timber trailer to accompany his restored timber tractor. I would age the trailer around the late 40s/early 50s. It did serve with Wynns heavy haulage and does have their faded markings. What I am trying to find out is why the hubs have unipower stamped on them. John Wynn does not know too much about his families involvement in the timber industry. A possible is that the hubs are fitted with caps from a unipower timber tractor. Does anyone know of a `expert` on the unipower breed. Fully aware that there may be no military connection here at all......but there is alot of knowledge on this forum..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utt61 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I am sure that I have read somewhere that Unipower did also make timber drugs (pole trailers), so it may well be that this is what your friend has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Unipower (or more accurately Universal Power Drives Ltd,) did sell Pole Trailers. I had always thought they were badge engineered, though others claim Unipowers product range to include Front wheel drive, rear engined cars, Aircraft Refuelling bowsers , Aircraft tucks, four wheel steer dock shunters, pen cast mining shovels, Gun tractors, Logging arches, Timber drugs, third axl; e convertions and oilfield tractors. Unipower are famous for extra axle conversions to trucks, so would have a ready supply of Unipower badged hub caps. The Woods Brothers at Rayleigh, have one they tow behind one of their Unipowers, as far as I know. Wynn's ran three Unipower Timber tractors at least. The Caps could therefore have come off one of these, if they scrapped any of them..... Edited March 30, 2011 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustexpert Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 It is quite right that Unipower made/sold pole carriages; the I cant remember ever seeing any with marked hub caps. Usually anonymous as far as identity goes the odd fabricated construction of the "bogies" and square not round poles is the give away on examples I have come accross. I think I am right in saying the timber tractors didn't have writing on the "hub caps"; which are the ends of the half shafts. Mine hasn't! I suggest that the likely source would be a lorry non-driven third axle conversion if they made such a thing but don't dismiss that they are original. Please post a photo of the trailer and I will compare it to the pictures and literature I have. The R.A.F. did have at least a couple of Unipower timber tractors for estate maintenance purposes so there is a military connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevor pitman Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thanks for the replies, it is a pole trailer. Will try to get some pictures posted up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevor pitman Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) These are the only 3 pictures that I took. We realise the drawbar currently fitted is a later addition. Something that is not clear in the photos is the the pole is box section before becoming pole section. I will return and take some more detailed pictures if any particular areas are suggested Edited March 31, 2011 by trevor pitman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Richard Burt from Towcester had a Unipower pole trailer. I have photographs somewhere. Most common third axle conversions carried out by Unipower were to Commers, and unsurprisingly these where sold as "Commer - Unipower" http://www.automobileadshop.com/1958-commer-unipower-10-ton-six-wheeler-with-trailing-axle-chassis-advert-933-p.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustexpert Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 That's a nice pole trailer. I'm fairly sure I haven't seen or have any pictures of one just like that. Looks genuine enough from the pictures. Fabricated "bogies" would go with Unipower; haven't seen a Unipower pole trailer that big before, would be a 10 tonner. The general arrangement is a copy of an earlier '30s Cranes design even with the oval holes in the bolsters but the Cranes was traditional riveted built up "bogies" with the bolsters wooden (with the oval holes) top edges flitched with steel. I would suggest that this similarity in design would point to a build date during the early '40s when copying design ideas wasn't such a problem. I hope this is of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 i have a pole trailer which is similar to the one pictured but it is a six wheeler ,it has the same hub caps and is much the same design with the oval holes in the bolsters ,the bolsters are timber on the inside , it came from robert mclean he bought it from fensomes hope to get it out this year . anyone interested in doing a bit of timber hauling loading i will be at rockingham castle steam rally 16 17 july lets get a full house of timber tractors matador douglas foden latil automower unipower fordson pm me for details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Richard Burt from Towcester had a Unipower pole trailer. I have photographs somewhere....] not very good pictures but this is Richard Burt's Unipower timber drug/ Pole trailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevor pitman Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 A few more pictures.......do these help with confirming this is a Unipower trailer......the new read paint is just the owner trying out different shades.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Some of the welding is bad enough for it to be a Unipower..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustexpert Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I am looking for a spare wheel for my Taskers 6 Ton pole trailer. They are 9 or 10 x20 tyre size eight stud three piece rims with "straight" centres i.e. no dish just a pressed rib around the circumference of the centre On cleaning up they are stamped DUNLOP HO HA217. What does that stand for? Anybody seen any? P.M. me if you can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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