Ian43 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Hello all, I came across this poor quality but interesting image in an old piece of literature by The Garage Equipment Company probably dating from the 1960's. It shows a rather sorry looking AEC 0854 Bowser being towed by what looks like a re-bodied 0854 chassis. The recovery vehicle could be a conversion by Mann Egerton of Norwich. I hope it's of interest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi Ian, IIRC that is Mann Egerton's own one and is based on the 0857 normal control chassis used on the 6x6 armoured command vehicle. I have a picture of the rear end if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi i have been search for photos to identify the crane fitted to someone who has asked about his fathers albion this crane is the only one that looks anything like the same construction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Here it is: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yep thats the image i was thinking of lot of things point to it being the same make Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Basic idea taken from the WW2 Garwood on the WLF M1A1?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 to be honest i thought it was the wrecking gear off a WLF down to rear roller winch etc just had a different boom and land anchor fitted and body work put round it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I think you're right. Looks like they used the original boom (and lower pivot) as the lower part of their fabricated lattice box extending boom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Could also be they pinched the idea/ pieces of a Scammell to extend the boom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I agree with both of you, if you look at the diagonal member on the front frame it has the holes where a WLF spare wheel would attach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) I agree. It looks like an entire WLF rear body and Garwood crane frame have been transplanted. There are a few interesting points to note: 1) the rear winch area is un-modified. Generally in civvy service vertical fairleads were added by recovery companies as the winch rope rapidly wears the area of bodywork just behind the rear winch if used for anything other than straight pulls. 2) the area below the crane just in front of the pull-out side legs has had a locker lid added. This is such an obvious conversion to do and yet in the hundreds of WLF photos in my collection I've never seen/noticed this done before. 3) on both lower rear corners there are vertical tubes with holes in them welded to the rear 'mudguard' area. These are in fact the outer sections of the original telescopic rear legs from the WLF body. The originals simply slide down and are pinned in place at the desired length. On this truck the hinged section is not original but the bottom section and foot is a shortened original (notice the holes). I wonder whether the originals got bent or damaged as I can't see why you'd go to all the effort of including the holey tubes in the bodywork to then not use them. 4) On top of the lattice boom is the original hinged return pulley arrangement for luffing the boom and the crane hook is also Garwood. 5) The rear locker on the RH side step with the two bottom hinges and the hole at the top is a WLF side locker. This would originally have been bolted directly beneath the crane frame sticking out forwards over the rear part of the step. Thanks for the photo! - MG Edited February 1, 2014 by TooTallMike More WLF geekery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Thanks for the info Mike, have you any idea what the two rollers above and in line with the rear legs are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian43 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi Ian, IIRC that is Mann Egerton's own one and is based on the 0857 normal control chassis used on the 6x6 armoured command vehicle. I have a picture of the rear end if you are interested. Thanks for listing the picture, much better quality than mine! Yes I believe that it could be an 0857 chassis as I have seen pictures of a similar vehicle which was said to be based on the 0857 chassis. Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Thanks for listing the picture, much better quality than mine! Yes I believe that it could be an 0857 chassis as I have seen pictures of a similar vehicle which was said to be based on the 0857 chassis. Ian. This one? http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p816148126/h308b2198#h308b2198 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Same fugly truck in slightly happier times: - MG Edited February 2, 2014 by TooTallMike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooTallMike Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Thanks for the info Mike, have you any idea what the two rollers above and in line with the rear legs are? I wondered about those as they are not from the original body. In that location on the original body were the pivoting bases for the telescopic support legs for the boom so it is a reinforced area. I cannot see what rollers achieve in that location, unless they are actually something else? The yellow truck seems to have them as well. - MG Edited February 2, 2014 by TooTallMike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian43 Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 This one? http://ccmv.aecsouthall.co.uk/p816148126/h308b2198#h308b2198 Yes, that's the one! I did wonder if it was the same vehicle or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 When i got the book many years ago with that back view of the wrecker in i was in my mid teens and spent many hours dreaming about having such equipment. I analysed every picture in great detail so i knew what everything was and did. I worked out it was modified Garwood equipment and those little things were set in side lights or indicators. The picture was shown on here and by the miracle of computers i was able to enlarge the photos and prove i was wrong for 40+ yrs they are indeed rollers held in by a large diameter lock nut as to there use i am completly at a loss hang about for another 40 yrs i might have an answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosrec Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Just came to me what the rollers are off if you blow up the picture they are the front fairlead rollers of some thing like the scammell recovery or a martian or something. Maybe an aborted attempt to somehow give it a side or forward winching ability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utt61 Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) Three more photos here:- Looks like it was sold by Warfield Garage at auction in 1993 (see first link above), and went to the West of England Transport Collection at Winkleigh, Devon. The last mention of it I can find online was in 2003. Anyone know if it still exists? Was it a one-off? There seems to be a feeling that it probably was. Edited February 3, 2014 by utt61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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