WW1 Riker restoration project

[Great War truck]

Do you think some of the exhibits ended up at the I80 truck museum?

 

[alsfarms]

Hello Tim,

From a different forum I was referred to a fellow that is associated with the remnants of the Hays collection.  two thirds of the trucks were liquidated with the remaining rigs being stored in a good warehouse facility in Reno.  This gent has invited me to drive west across Nevada and spend some time with him where we would take a look at the Hays collection as it now exists and also his own small collection of trucks.  This gent was also very familiar and a friend of Archie Crippen, the northern California truck collector whose collection was liquidated a few years ago.  I will ask him if any of the Hays trucks made it to the I-80 Museum.  There is also the Robinson Truck collection that is located in Salina Utah.   That collection may have a few rigs from the Hays collection also.

Al

[alsfarms]

Nice video clip of the I80 Trucking Museum.  Take a watch....

Al

[Great War truck]

Did you ever get to Lloyd Van Horn's truck museum?

Now sadly broken up.

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Great War truck

[alsfarms]

I did not make it to the Van Horn Museum.  Iowa is quite a "drink of water" for me with Iowa being a couple of days drive one way.  I don't get that way often.  He must have had a decent collection, but it takes money to fund and operate a Museum and it sounds like the gas ran out for him and his family.  I would bet that more than a few of his  trucks ended up at the I-80 Museum. 

Al

[Great War truck]

What do you make of this one? 

[alsfarms]

I don't understand what is amiss with the shifter.  What do you think?

Al

[Dorset Boy]

On 11/3/2020 at 1:19 AM, alsfarms said:

OK Dorset Boy.... I took the bait.... How did the first day of Double Decker war bus work go?  Do you anticipate a full on rebuild and replace most of the wood.  Or is this a seek and destroy mission where you repair as needed and get on with the upper deck?  As I have studied your pictures, I can see the subtle differences between the Locomobile radiators and the Riker.  Do you feel the worm drive arrangement is the same for both?

Al

Hellooo, so sorry, I don’t actually look on here very often so apologies for not replying.

The double decker body will be sympathetically restored with new wood as needed and then obviously new stairs and top deck when eventually we get there.

Really there are very little differences between the Riker and Locomobile, same model designation, all running gear identical apart from the starter provision on the Riker and of course different ignition system etc.

The Locomobile is relatively early so has the the radiator prior to the finned version of Locomobile, after that the name changed to Riker and again a finned version.

 

 

 

[alsfarms]

Here is a bit of a "Riker" update.  I have continued to scout around in my efforts to track down the Riker shown earlier in this Riker thread, located on the US west coast.  I was lucky enough to speak, over the phone, with a previous owner of the before mentioned Riker truck on the US west coastal area.   That particular Riker truck has changed hands at least twice and maybe three times and from what I can gather is still located on the US west coast.  I will keep my perseverance up in my effort to track down that Riker and report here as I learn more.  In the mean time, any help from the "cheering" section here would be most appreciated.

Al

[Rootes75]

Well Al that does sound like some progress in tacking it down. Did the chap give you any leads to the owners who have had her since he did?

[alsfarms]

The Riker previous owner told me the story of who took possession of the Riker from him, with the idea that he would be able to buy it back should that time ever come.  As the story goes, the next owners family had a sell off, which included the Riker, but it moved on to another owner.  He didn't know more only that he suggested that the Riker is still in the California coastal area still.  He is helpful and if he, or some of his truck buddies, comes up with more current information he will share that information.  Interestingly, my hunt for information on Locomobile and Riker trucks has put me on to a WW-1 Pierce-Arrow truck project.  If something comes of that lead, I may need to start a Pierce-Arrow truck thread.  

Al 

[alsfarms]

Any pictures or video clips of a runnable Riker from a European country?

Al

Edited November 28, 2020 by alsfarms
spelling

[Great War truck]

London to Brighton 2011:

[Great War truck]

Simons Locomobile is about one minute in on this one:

GDSF WW1 Homecoming convoy entering Blandford. - YouTube

[alsfarms]

Thanks, I need a bit of a reminder that maybe I can finish collecting parts for the Riker if I can see a good one once in a while  finished and running state.

Al

[Old Bill]

There is also this one of course at the Caister Castle Motor Museum.

A scrap man called Goodey put the bus body into a lorry chassis in the 1960's and it has appeared in a number of films including 'Oh What a Lovely War'. The poor old thing has been left outside like this for some years and is not doing well when you look closely. It is a very strange museum as you are absolutely forbidden to take photographs. Someone has sneaked this one when they weren't looking.

Hopefully, someone will give it some love one day.

Steve.

[Great War truck]

It is indoors now Steve and they have painted it LGOC red, well red.

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Great War truck

[Chris Hall]

Nice to see they’ve put some TLC into it but I prefer the original colour scheme.

[alsfarms]

Chris,  I agree with your opinion on paint.  If the blue paint is even close to the original paint from many years ago, I would certainly have suggested just to tidy it and let it be as is.  I can't tell from the picture if the blue paint is its self a recent repaint, then I suppose a repaint is simply a matter of preference of the current owner for display.  For this Riker bus, I think the blue fit the rig better than red....but that is just my opinion.  I would certainly like to see this bus up close and personal in either color but it is located a long ways from Utah!  (Most anything is a long ways from Utah)!   🙂

Al 

Edited November 30, 2020 by alsfarms
addition

[Old Bill]

The blue would not have been original to the Locomobile although it might be to the body. The only Locomobiles to carry bus bodies were fitted with redundant B-type bodies when more troop transport was needed later in the war. The only correct colour for the combination would therefore be khaki-green!

Steve

[alsfarms]

Here is a question for the readers here.  Steve made me think on this question.  Is the Khaki green used by all WW-1 Allied countries the same?

Al

[Chris Hall]

From what I understand, paint in WW1 didn’t come pre mixed. You mixed it up to a published recipe as you needed it. This resulted in much variation.

 

id also imagine that each nation would likely have their own recipes which could result in a totally different shade or mattness.

[alsfarms]

HMMMM, does anyone have pictures from the time that may show the subtle differences in Khaki paint used by Allied partners?  I tend to note the during WW-2, Germany utilized a Military green that was darker than used, at least by the US and likely other Allied partners.

Al

[Old Bill]

Generally speaking, they should be the colour of a good, fresh cow-pat.....

[andypugh]

2 hours ago, alsfarms said:

HMMMM, does anyone have pictures from the time that may show the subtle differences in Khaki paint used by Allied partners? 

You might find contemporaneous oil paintings, I suppose. 

Colour photography was available at the time, so I would not want to rely too much on colour fidelity. Especially this long after the fact. 

There is a 1917 photo of a French Soldier on the Wikipedia page, interestingly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_photography