Karrier WDS

[Doc 1]

We joined Dave (S&F) on Boxing Day. No! Not in Kent, in shared experience. The infection rate in Suffolk is now lower than it was in London when London was in tier two so the only logical and responsible thing to do was to thrust Suffolk into tier four. Personally I think Matty Hancock was a bit slipshod colouring in his tier map.  When he shaded Essex and Norfolk he went over the lines and rather than rub it out and risk making a mess of it, we got it too. A bit more practice with the crayons when he was a lad and all this could have been avoided. 

Fortunately, I had the foresight to get some steel in stock before Christmas. So in the spare time between eating and drinking, I've made a start on the new skirt for the bulkhead. 

Trial fitting, loosely in position 

Bolted in position. Note the angle iron support has been trimmed down to allow clearance for  the wooden door pillars. 

Screws trimmed to length and a quick coat of primer to keep the rust out. 

Happy New Year. 

Doc

[Doc 1]

Stay at home! Stay indoors!

It's January, so I've needed little encouragement to heed this advice. Although we now have a condensation-free shed roof, it's still far from warm. My office, on the other hand has a wood burner with a fire on the grate. 

So I've been studying Karrier lorry photographs and in particular petrol can carriers. 

Images 1-5 show carriers for three cans, differing in certain details, principally: height of the dividers, and latch bar construction. (1) uniquely shows a hinged latch bar locking over a circular pin. (2) and (4) show a bar twisted at either end articulated via a forged link, not unlike chain construction. (5) is attached via a staple and a T head is forged on the free end to close over a 2nd staple through which a padlock can be fitted.

(6) and (7) show carriers for a single can but also including a toolbox or locker. No doubt used to house a funnel and such items of stores (oil, grease, cotton waste etc) as could be drawn down.

(6) latch bar, though necessarily shorter, shares constructional details with (5)

(7) shows the locking end bent through 90 degrees such that the lock lays neatly against the carrier.

The variation is fascinating.

 I've been experimenting in the virtual world of 3D cad and have built the following two models:

Next step is to produce drawings and a cutting list and see if I can change the virtual into reality.

Doc

PS many thanks to Tim Gosling for sharing the photos from which these details were snipped.

 

[Great War truck 38]

Thanks. I thought i recognised them. Did the civilian Karriers still have the can holder?

 

[Doc 1]

13 minutes ago, Great War truck said:

Thanks. I thought i recognised them. Did the civilian Karriers still have the can holder?

 

That's a very good question and not one I was able to answer straight away. Then I remembered this advert from Commercial Motor:

So yes, seems like they may have done. 

[Great War truck 38]

There we go. Subsidy pattern body as well.

[Doc 1]

Indeed. But civilian pattern enclosed cab. Advert is from the June 17th 1919 edition (cover reproduced below). Would this be too early to be a refurbished ex. W^D vehicle?

[Tomo.T 15]

There were many examples of WD lorries of all makes, hastily diverted to the civilian market, following the cancellation of military contracts. Refurbished trucks were also readily available.

[nz2 11]

From the Thornycroft production records it is interesting to read through and note the increasing supply of lorries to the civilian market prior to the end of the war. New vehicles during war time are listed as being supplied to essential industries along with the batches to the War Office, but not many . Over that last six months or thereabouts the ratio of vehicles available  steadily increases to the civilian market to the point of almost total civilian come August 1918.

 This is from my observation taken from the Thornycroft records. Perhaps other manufacturers were involved likewise.

Doug