Safekrkr Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 (edited) Hello all, Just looking for any information I can get, as to where this 3HW may have ended up after production. I believe it ended up in the far east, and it has grey / blue paint in the corners that had not been stripped off by the last painter. It is now in my hands for refurbishing in Chicago. (Anyone with spares. please let me know.) Thanks in advance. Mark G. Engine number 3HW 67298 Trans number 32726 NA Frame number TL56299 TEC 5 45 (May 1945) Edited April 5, 2018 by Safekrkr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted April 6, 2018 Share Posted April 6, 2018 Hi TL 56299 is the 2882nd bike from the very last 3HW contract (S6680) which was originally for 8000 bikes but reduced to 5200. I calculate the tank census number to be 'C6104299' For some reason the Triumph engine number sequence at that time was 10,000 ahead of the frame numbers and the engine fitted to yours at the factory should have been 66299.(effectively matching numbers) Yours is a slightly later engine from the same contract and I'm not aware that Triumph ever despatched them with un-matched numbers? But lots of engine swaps in REME workshops etc. (They just fitted the next rebuilt engine off the shelf) Most of us will never know where our bikes served or with what unit, but I guess a post war stint in the middle or far east does seem plausible. I'm quite sure the bike would have left the factory in service colour ('British Olive drab' by then) any other paint scheme (desert, RN, RAF etc) would probably have been performed at local workshops. Plenty more knowledgeable guys out there to chip in. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safekrkr Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 Thanks Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 S6680 was a curtailed contract as the war in Europe was clearly coming to a close which would free up large numbers of vehicles. Originally for 8000 machines, it was cut short at 5200 and therefore only ran from TL53418 to TL58617. It had been scheduled for delivery at 1200 machines per month commencing January 1945 but in practice, these deadlines were rarely achieved, quite often due to materials shortages. The record is marked "Vehicles still remaining undelivered to be made suitable for the Tropics 26/3/45" although another comments states "50 Tropicalized". It is not exactly clear what this involved but it seems to have related more to storage and rust-proofing than to the machine spcification. There is an undated instruction "DLO 242" - "All to be produced less tyres and batteries until further notice" - This is fairly common on machines destined for the Far East as it made no sense to transport rubber and other raw materials half way round the world only to send them all the way back again. The final comment is marked "Break Clause...Contract complete at 5200" Unfortunately this is also undated but there is reference to 12/6/45 on the card and this would probably tie in with the production date of your frame. Do you know where your bike was recovered from ? Certainly in India and what was to become Pakistan, it was quite common for the British to leave vehicles for the the armed forces of the newly-independent countries and paint finishes can reflect this. Re-finishing was a comprehensive process and could include caustic tanks etc. so sometimes all traces of factory finish were removed. As Ron says, the British version of the olive drab used by the U.S. would have been the factory colour. The photo below shows a 3HW with a serial beginning C610 photgraphed in Malaya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safekrkr Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 It had been fitted with a later telescopic front end with this speedo. (Which I have now received a girder to restore & install in its place) I wish this bike could talk to tell its story. I am sure like all the old vehicles discuss here, there would be hours of great stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 I'm not sure what that speedo started life on. You should have a Smiths 'Chronometric'. 80 mph. Non-illuminated. Non-trip. Have you found original forks ? Many of us have great concerns about the quality of the Indian-made replicas. They appear to feature cast-iron lugs and it is impossible to obtain any details over materials specifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safekrkr Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 I fount the main section in Greece,and have had several parts made at a machine shop. I unfortunately am using the top and bottom castings from India i will replace them when I find originals. I am looking also for the right side dampening spring assly. I have had my feelers out a while including a man I met from Egypt with no luck so far. But am determined as I know there are some sitting somewhere someone doesn't need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 Ron is much more up to speed with Trumpets, but as a Norton man, I have to say that parts for 3HWs seem pretty scarce. I think it didn't help that Meriden wanted nothing to do with single cylinders after the war and although a very competent motorcycle, the British Army didn't retain them long in service so there is no large stock of unused post-war parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 Whilst I can't read it the letters on the Speedo appear to be modern arabic..so is read left To right and is in common use in ,,..........Egypt ... Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safekrkr Posted April 7, 2018 Author Share Posted April 7, 2018 How it got to the middle of a corn field in Wisconsin USA is my mystery. I really appreciate all of the input from you all here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan-willem Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 Send me a email if you need to talk 3hw on this side of the pond Jwoosterom@hotmail.com jan-willem in Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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