British Army Engine Rebuild Workshops

[10FM68]

One, perhaps, for Richard Farrant or John Wardle.

My Series 3 Lightweight Land Rover has a REME-reconditioned engine.  It was overhauled in 1985 by Workshop No EC02.  Can anyone tell me which workshop that was?

Thanks

1068

[Richard Farrant]

3 minutes ago, 10FM68 said:

One, perhaps, for Richard Farrant or John Wardle.

My Series 3 Lightweight Land Rover has a REME-reconditioned engine.  It was overhauled in 1985 by Workshop No EC02.  Can anyone tell me which workshop that was?

Thanks

1068

Hi 1068,

You came to the right person, it was rebuilt at 44 District Workshops REME, Ashford, Kent.  Land Rover and Bedford engines of all variations were built on the engine line for very many years, as well as other makes and types of engines. I was on the line around 1974 to 75, when I first started work there..

regards, Richard

[10FM68]

My goodness, that was quick - many thanks for that, Richard.  I remember the barracks there in the 80s - Rowcroft, I think it was.

Much appreciated

 

10 68

[Richard Farrant]

1 hour ago, 10FM68 said:

My goodness, that was quick - many thanks for that, Richard.  I remember the barracks there in the 80s - Rowcroft, I think it was.

Much appreciated

 

10 68

Spot on !

[10FM68]

Richard, if you would be so kind as to indulge me a bit further.  When the engine was reconditioned, it was then preserved and traces of the stencilling on the rocker cover remain, though not enough to read it all.  I should like to reproduce it on my finished engine so would it have said something like this, "PRESERVED EC02 08/85"?  And was there any significance in the colour of the stencilling?  Mine is red, but I think I have seen more in black.

Thanks again

10 68

[Richard Farrant]

4 hours ago, 10FM68 said:

Richard, if you would be so kind as to indulge me a bit further.  When the engine was reconditioned, it was then preserved and traces of the stencilling on the rocker cover remain, though not enough to read it all.  I should like to reproduce it on my finished engine so would it have said something like this, "PRESERVED EC02 08/85"?  And was there any significance in the colour of the stencilling?  Mine is red, but I think I have seen more in black.

Thanks again

10 68

I think it was a stencil with letters about 1 inch high and would be 'PRESERVED ECO2 8/85'. I recollect that red was used and I think later on it was black, whether the colour of stencilling  was laid down in EMER procedures, I do not know.

I have the engine block of a WW2 Austin Tilly under my bench that has ECO2 painted on it, think that date was around 1952 .Think that is black lettering.

By the way, the ECO relates to Eastern Command. Although that command area disappeared many years ago, the codes stuck.

[10FM68]

Again, I am much obliged, Richard.  I suspected that was the meaning of "EC" - though, as you say, by the time my engine was reconditioned, Eastern Command had gone and SEDIST was in its place.

Many thanks

 

10 68

[fv1609]

EMER WORKSHOPS N 111 Preservation, identification & packaging of assemblies (including engines) Chapter 2 Sections 13 & 14 cover painting of gasoline engines in some depth, oddly makes no reference to stencilling.

Chapter 9 Preservation, identification & packaging of assemblies (including engines) gives great detail about the crates & their markings. Section 9 requires that the Workshop Code number is used when crated.

Identification markings are to be stamped on a plate fixed to the assembly and the crate stencilled.

Serial No. 16 is ECO 2 as Richard has identified.

There are listed some 22 Workshop Codes as at 1985. At some stage I should upload it but no chance at the moment as upload is worse than 10kps so even a short email take 20-30 seconds to go. In the meantime let me know of any Codes needing translating.

[Richard Farrant]

3 minutes ago, fv1609 said:

EMER WORKSHOPS N 111 Preservation, identification & packaging of assemblies (including engines) Chapter 2 Sections 13 & 14 cover painting of gasoline engines in some depth, oddly makes no reference to stencilling.

Chapter 9 Preservation, identification & packaging of assemblies (including engines) gives great detail about the crates & their markings. Section 9 requires that the Workshop Code number is used when crated.

Identification markings are to be stamped on a plate fixed to the assembly and the crate stencilled.

Serial No. 16 is ECO 2 as Richard has identified.

There are listed some 22 Workshop Codes as at 1985. At some stage I should upload it but no chance at the moment as upload is worse than 10kps so even a short email take 20-30 seconds to go. In the meantime let me know of any Codes needing translating.

Hi Clive,

Thanks, I knew you would have the relevant EMER !  I recollect 36 Command Workshop at Colchester was also an ECO number.

[10FM68]

And thank you also, Clive.  All very interesting - one of the pleasures of refurbishing a military vehicle - of any kind and age - is the detective work which goes with it.  It would have been nice to have had the various documents which went with my vehicle, as it is I have only the B Card, showing its service with two London-based TA regiments.  But, it's all intersting stuff.

 

Many thanks 10 68

[Richard Farrant]

Depending on which London TA units your Land Rover was with, it is highly likely we had the vehicle in workshops at Ashford at some point.