N Z Thornycroft

[Gordon_M]

Take chunks of wood and hammer them in. If they come loose, hit them again, if they fall out, hammer in another bit.

 

Don't see any of these things revolving fast enough for high speed out-of-round being a problem :-D

[nz2]

Dale, you are correct in your observations to the wooden spacers. I noticed this in measuring up the wheels to compare the size to the rear axle set. The difference is not great , about 4 mm per side.

Putting thin sections in could well have been a tricky operation, or was this a bit like wheels with wooden spokes , where regular immersion in water kept the spokes and fellows tight as the wood swelled.

Doug

[nz2]

Some years ago we were put in contact with some people who had some Thornycroft parts, however getting to the parts was not straight forward. A few weeks ago they advised they were home and sorting through the accumulated items.

Their collecting from twenty years ago was not from one source so the parts came from different locations and vehicles.

 

Karl proceeded through and picked up the items purchased. A set of front wheels on solid rubber tyres, front axle, a steering box, radiator, a gate change gearshift and hand brake unit and a Thornycroft L4 engine.

The L4 engine was fitted into a number of early Thornycroft vehicles, with 1909 being the earliest recorded entry in the numbered build register. These were mainly light vehicles with a capacity up to 50 cwt.

 

The first of the J model Thornycrofts purchased by the War Dept. in 1912 were powered by the L4 engine.The M4 engine being introduced to the War Dept. J's in August 1914. Horse power was increased from 30 hp to 40 hp with the M4, and the alloy crank case was replaced with a cast steel unit.

 

This particular engine was in a vehicle described as a L4 50 ( L4 engine in a 50 cwt chassis) and listed as dispatched to the NZ agent in Feburary 1914. Attached to the exhaust manifold is a paraffin heater, and pipe work to the inlet manilod for operation on paraffin fuel.

 

This engine will fit nicely into the pre WW1 J chassis I have here, however what is still missing is an original gearbox for the chassis.

 

[Minesweeper]

Really great - a wonderful acquisition!

 

Tony

[BenHawkins]

That is a great step in the right direction!

 

Ben

[nz2]

Many years latter and more chain drive Thornycroft parts are now at home. I was told of a chassis and rear axle having been pushed over a bank after ending it's second life as the base for a mobile saw mill. A number of visits to the site to sort out a way to retrieve this had occurred, then interruptions with covid times delayed an attempt by a few more years.

 This last Summer ( Southern Hemisphere ) I spent 4 days making an access track and slowing winching the items a distance of twenty seven meters out of the gully. Multiple hand winches, chains and strops were used  to guide past trees, stumps and most importantly, to stop it rolling further down the slope. After all the effort and  once out on to the paddock, it only took  a short time with a tractor to lift the pieces on to a trailer.

 The rear section of the chassis has been cut off beyond the rear springs, and the area about the reart springs has also been cut, but was welded back underneath the forward chassis section.

 The chassis has been stripped of any fittings riveted on. There is no sign of and Id numbers stamped about the front dumb irons. 

To add to the photo session two front axles of the type were set up under the front. Each are slightly different in the pattern of the rim to spokes area, and one is narrower in track than the other. The Thornycroft build register does mention a narrow track model. Another day we will bring out the farm trailer collected some years ago which has an axle, wheels , springs with spring hangers and  chassis mounts.  

 Parts from five different vehicles have now been collected up about New Zealand.

 Now to find a M2 engine then a gearbox and diff as a combined unit.

Doug