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Whatever happened to...


Sean N

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Some recent discussions have set me off thinking about vehicles I haven't seen for ages, or that I used to know. I've seen others asking about vehicles at various times as well, so it struck me a 'Whatever happened to...' topic might be worthwhile.

 

So to start it off, Whatever happened to Commer 2-stroke 4 ton 4x4 prototype XNV 519S, which I last saw at the Great Dorset Steam Fair auction in the late '90s? Anyone know it or own it?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95481[/ATTACH]

Edited by Sean N
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  • 2 weeks later...
Some recent discussions have set me off thinking about vehicles I haven't seen for ages, or that I used to know. I've seen others asking about vehicles at various times as well, so it struck me a 'Whatever happened to...' topic might be worthwhile.

 

So to start it off, Whatever happened to Commer 2-stroke 4 ton 4x4 prototype XNV 519S, which I last saw at the Great Dorset Steam Fair auction in the late '90s? Anyone know it or own it?

 

There is an immaculate one in the Liverpool area still on the show circuit, will try and find the reg.

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...and no photo, unfortunately, but two or three years ago there was an M2D bridging rig in the Tank Museum storage yard, with an unusual camouflage scheme - may have been Berlin camouflage or similar, I can't quite remember. Anyone know what happened to it or perhaps its history and the reason for the odd camouflage?

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...two vehicles Jack or the Dorset guys may remember - they were parked on a verge somewhere in the Cerne Abbas / Piddletrenthide area for many years. AEC Matador KPR 569G and Leyland Hippo KPR 570G:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95484[/ATTACH]

 

(poor photo, I know)

 

Great stuff Sean - many years ago I did inquire about the Matador (moment of madness bearing in mind my mechanical skils :coffee: ) but you can't just let these things rot. I do think it went to a good home in the end?

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Hopefully someone will tell us.

 

The thing I remember best about the Mat was what I took to be a left turn signal. A lever on the back wall of the cab worked a system of rods and cranks which raised a piece of sheet metal cut out in the shape of a pointer.

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Is this it?

 

Difficult to know without seeing the registration - I know there were at least two survivors. I assume that's the service registration hiding behind the info board, not the civvy one. If you and it are both at Honiton Hill, can you have a look?

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Most if not all the COMMER CB four and a half ton trucks were registration numbers in service came from the EM series

the one on post 13 appears to be 05 EM 51 from my records it last appears at CVD FELTHAM on the17/7/67

05 EM 55 was at FELTHAM on the2/11/67

05 EM 43 was at CVD HILTON on the 21/10/69

05 EM 24 was at MARSHALLs on the 15/7/65

05 EM 45 was at CHERTSEY between 1966/67

05 EM 45 and 05 EM 55 appeared in the 1966 copy of the FVRDE BOOK l not looked to far in to the records for any more

infotmation

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SEAN

l do not know at the moment how many COMMER CB four and half ton were made but in the 05 EM series range l have found 55 other types of vehicle with 05 EM numbers plus now six COMMERS the latest is 05 EM 36 fitted with a coms

body was at CHERTSEY until 21/6/67 when it was sent to SRDE That leaves 38 to identify as to what they were l am going to do some research in September on a similar subject and hopefully may find the answer to your question

REGARDS WALLY

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If I remember rightly there were trials around the time for 1 ton and 4 ton trucks plus maybe some others; is it reasonable to guess that the EM series would be all those trials vehicles? If I remember rightly a lot of them were in the 1966 FVRDE book.

 

Would be interesting to know but don't go out of your way.

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One truck I always coveted was a Royal Navy Bedford R type recovery truck that lived in the South-West - I used to see it at Yeovil Festival of Transport, and I think it made it to GDSF once

 

I can't remember if it was an RL or RS - RS I think - and it had Holmes type recovery gear on, though I suspect made by Reynolds-Boughton. Anyone remember it or know where it is now?

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Most if not all the COMMER CB four and a half ton trucks were registration numbers in service came from the EM seriesthe one on post 13 appears to be 05 EM 51 from my records it last appears at CVD FELTHAM on the17/7/6705 EM 55 was at FELTHAM on the2/11/6705 EM 43 was at CVD HILTON on the 21/10/6905 EM 24 was at MARSHALLs on the 15/7/6505 EM 45 was at CHERTSEY between 1966/6705 EM 45 and 05 EM 55 appeared in the 1966 copy of the FVRDE BOOK l not looked to far in to the records for any moreinfotmation
Another one .......DSC01640.jpg

commer-cb-4x4-cargo-05-em-42.jpg

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...very tidy Militant Mk1 SSU 746 which used to do the Bournemouth - Bath back in the '90s:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95482[/ATTACH]

 

SSU 746 has turned up in this reply in the Militant Mk 1 gallery, now owned by one John Hanna. Still looks very tidy but a bit clumsy with the tilt raised to accommodate a caravan:

 

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?7394-A-E-C-Militant-MK-1-Gallery&p=415148#post415148

 

That still leaves the Commer to pin down and an O type, a Hippo, Jack's Matador, an M2D, an RS and an 11 cab CMP to find - so far!

Edited by Sean N
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  • 2 weeks later...

just found this amongst some of my files the ex user trails report on the commer cb it appears there were 15 vehicles

supplied the commers were well received the only problems were cracks in the chassis one rear diff totally breaking up

due to faulty driving technique the one fitted with the comms body was returned to marshalls with numerous faults

commer.jpg

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