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WW1 Riker restoration project


alsfarms

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Hello Marcel,

Thanks for your note telling me how ot access your old thread!  I need to spend some time and read from front to back.  You have provided several interesting solutions to problems facing a restoration of an early truck.  Your resolution for refurbishment of hard rubber tires is a very nice alternative solution.  If I could find some donor wheels here in the US I would certainly consider your repair method.

Al

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1 hour ago, BenHawkins said:

I have just found this photo showing Locomobile buses with boarded up windows. Thought it would be of interest to Ian and others. Shame there is someone standing in the way but I guess the photo would not have been taken without him!

Locomobile.thumb.jpg.3596861d96ecb490843f640ae76d505b.jpg

Mary Poppins - the unsuccessful audition... 😂

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I have studied the above mentioned picture of the Riker.  I am impressed that the drag link certainly looks like a more typical Locmobile item proving its kinship with the Locomobile automobiles.  It is interesting to study this kind of picture and do a bit of daydreaming.

Al

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2 hours ago, alsfarms said:

Most surely they are both completed and being enjoyed.  

Al

I wouldn't count on it. There is a very strong collecting mentality in France where early vehicles are saved from scrap but stored away in barns. Saved for the future but generally only become available when the owner dies. There are a few exceptions where there have been some really quality ground up restorations but these generally are the exception. The Berliet foundation did a string of superb WW1 restorations, but until recently they were left locked in a shed and not viewable by the public. They are now dispersed on loan around the country at various museums which is a much better approach.  

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Thanks for sharing those pictures.  They are all impressive!  The bus is sure a "big boy".  They wanted to get all the space available for transportation.  I wonder what the small unit is that is mounted on top of the cab?

Al

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I would imagine that German artillery would have had a field day with that if it was an observation post (or at least one close enough to any action to see anything useful)!

Wasn't it the usual idea that the observers or other messengers close to the front (balloon or terrestrial) had a pigeon basket with them with a few birds & then said birds would fly messages back to their 'home' loft (like this one) which would then essentially function as an 'exchange', routing information to the intended recipients?

Kevin

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5 minutes ago, 11th Armoured said:

I would imagine that German artillery would have had a field day with that if it was an observation post (or at least one close enough to any action to see anything useful)!

Wasn't it the usual idea that the observers or other messengers close to the front (balloon or terrestrial) had a pigeon basket with them with a few birds & then said birds would fly messages back to their 'home' loft (like this one) which would then essentially function as an 'exchange', routing information to the intended recipients?

Kevin

You are correct. If you can see them they can no doubt see you. If you were to bring a lorry that close to the front and park it they will bring down artillery fire upon you and that will really stuff your day. 

Mobile pigeon lofts would move with the headquarters when they moved (which was very rarely). The pigeons adopt a location as their new home after they have been there a few weeks. The loft would be manned 24 hours a day so that any incoming messages could be seen as soon as possible. You can see a "grill" type affair on the front of the lorry behind the stuffed pigeons. The birds enter through here which rings a bell which sends the custodian upstairs to check for new messages.

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