zemsi Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 According to the "Standard Catalog of US Military Vehicles" from David Doyle the type of Holmes Wrecker used on the Diamond T's was the model "W-45 H.D.". However, the Diamond T wreckers the Swiss Army used had two different twin booms. E.g. the position of the spare wheel is different and on one model the twin booms are slightly longer. This means the tarpaulin used to cover the booms won't fit. Another difference is the rated weight: one is 3 tons, the other model is 4 tons. So my question: Does anybody know if the Diamond Company used two different Holmes models on the wreckers? Or is that a Swiss modification? Is there a good website/book about the Holmes company? Any help is appreciated. Thanks a lot Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zemsi Posted March 31, 2013 Author Share Posted March 31, 2013 PS: If anybody is here who owns a former Swiss Diamond T wrecker. I'm looking for the information if his model is a closed or open cab. I've got all the chassis numbers of the Swiss Diamonds and can tell in return the exact former Swiss Military registration number. There were 52 trucks. Please drop me a P.M. Thanks Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex van de Wetering Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Chris, Interesting question. Your top picture of the closed cab one also shows the larger cable drums than what seems to be standard. I often wondered if this is wartime or postwar. Maybe also part of the Swiss conversion??? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42 chevy Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 As far as I know, all the trucks left the factory with W-45 booms. John G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zemsi Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 Hi John & Alex Thank you for your input. I wasn't aware before that the cable drum is bigger than usual. I looked at my other pics but unfortunately all are from the other side. So I can't confirm if this is a regular or unique feature. OT: The Swiss have a special word for "converting something to the Swiss standard": helvetised (or in German "Helvetisierung", see bottom of the linked article) Greetings Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Interesting question. Your top picture of the closed cab one also shows the larger cable drums than what seems to be standard. I often wondered if this is wartime or postwar. Maybe also part of the Swiss conversion??? Most obvious explanation to the larger drums is due to the mountain roads in Switzerland and needing more rope to reach vehicles that have gone down the side of a road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zemsi Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 Hi Richard That's probably a good explanation. According to a provisional manual from 1959 I've got, the rope length was 60m. How long was the standard rope? Unfortunately a "real" Swiss manual about the Diamonds was never made (only about the Ward La-France). Greetings Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Hi Richard That's probably a good explanation. According to a provisional manual from 1959 I've got, the rope length was 60m. How long was the standard rope? Unfortunately a "real" Swiss manual about the Diamonds was never made (only about the Ward La-France). Greetings Chris Hi Chris, I do not have a manual on the Diamond wrecker, but no doubt someone will come up with the details. I have come across the problem before, of an army wrecker crane not having enough rope on the hoist when working over the side below ground level, that is why it came to mind. best regards, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 The TANKOGRAD book gives following data (taken from manual I guess): GAR WOOD 3U615 Winch (on truck?) 300ft / 91.4m of 5/8 rope Holmes W-45 Winch 200ft / 60.96m of 1/2 rope Holmes W-45 Boom 40ft / 12.19m of 1/2 rope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
42 chevy Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 If you look at the picture closely, I believe the larger diameter drum does not have more capacity than the "standard " drum, however, the larger drum would change the "gearing ratio" and it would spool up faster. John G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zemsi Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 ... here's a close up of the drum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Hi sorry so long replying have only just go broadband back on. Re holmes wreckers on 969 I am 99 % sure that all the 969 Ts left the Chattanoga factory fitted with the w45 crane fitted except a very few early ones that had W35 cranes. The w35 is a very similar to the w45 except it was never fitted with the side legs and i believe never left the US mainland. Now the one in you picture is a very curious beast. From what i can see the crane has been modified a great deal and is definitly not as it left the factory. To me it looks like it was reworked not prior to the mid 50s. Why do i guess this the drum is the standard Holmes 750 fabricated steel drum prior to this the 750 had a cast iron drum. But that is not all the uprights the drum is mounted is also off the Holmes 750. If you look the original was a tubular frame. The actual booms were always available in two lengths but only the shorter were supplied in the war time contracts to mod. To me it seems that the modifications were done imediately prior to the Swiss aquiring them and with the approval of the Holmes corparation or after aquiring but again with cooparation from the Holmes factory. Will look into it a bit more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 If you look at the picture closely, I believe the larger diameter drum does not have more capacity than the "standard " drum, however, the larger drum would change the "gearing ratio" and it would spool up faster. John G Yes it would give a bigger rope capacity but the actual ratio of gear drive ratio would still give the same line speed and power as the the drum is driven on its out side edge not up the centre it would would still be pretty dam slow and powerful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Yes it would give a bigger rope capacity but the actual ratio of gear drive ratio would still give the same line speed and power as the the drum is driven on its out side edge not up the centre it would would still be pretty dam slow and powerful Despite the constant gearing speed of the drum, line speed would increase as rope layers increase. Not by a lot though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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