Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Hi The Solway Aviation Museum have been donated an Amazon Thorneycroft Coles Crane, we are looking for any Manuals PDF or paper would be fantastic. Thank you Dougie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Hi what engines does it have? Does it have a screw lift jib or is it winch and rope luffing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 It has a six cylinder engine driving a generator which drives electric motors with wire rope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 I think it is a Coles mkV11 crane the same as fitted to an AEC 0854. There was a blog about 4 or 5 years ago of an AEC restoration and I think someone had spare crane manuals. Yours looks like the short wheelbase Thornycroft Amazon version. I am guessing it has a Gardner 6LW power plant. I would think the crane engine is by now a replacement I think originally they were Ford petrol powered. If you have photos of the engines we should be able to pin them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 Hi John the engine came on six pallets, I’ll take some pictures this week of the engine block. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 (edited) That is going to be fun putting that back together. There is a good Gardner engine site on Facebook they know there engines inside out, also where to get parts from. If you can find the engine information plate. If the main engine drives a generator it is a late build. It would probably be cheaper to find a running engine than rebuild the one that you have. Do you have the starter motor and dynamo? Edited March 26, 2023 by john1950 addition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 Hi John on the six pallets are all the engine parts to rebuild, I like a challenge, I’m trying to find the history of why the engine was stripped to every nut and bolt, as you say buying a running engine might be cheaper but where’s the fun in that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 (edited) Looks like a Thornycroft Amazon lwb (16.5ft) WF8 with Coles mk7 6 ton crane. Engine should be a Thornycroft NR6 diesel with a pto which drives a generator to power the electric crane. 388 built, mainly for the RAF. Edited March 26, 2023 by radiomike7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 I should have realised it was not a Gardner of that era as it is a mono block. Finding gaskets for that will be interesting. You did say you like a challenge. Low revving slugger the last Thornycroft I drove was a Sturdy. It will probably be BSF and Whitworth fastenings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 Hi John there are some gaskets with the engine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 35 minutes ago, radiomike7 said: Looks like a Thornycroft Amazon lwb (16.5ft) WF8 with Coles mk7 6 ton crane. Engine should be a Thornycroft NR6 diesel with a pto which drives a generator to power the electric crane. 388 built, mainly for the RAF. Hi Radiomike7 yes that’s the very machine. dougie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Driver's Handbook for Thornycroft Amazon WF/AC6/2 Short by Thornycroft: Very Good Soft cover | CURIO (abebooks.com) Albeit the short wheel base. IWM has a couple Find an object | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk) I sadly cannot find what museum I bought a copy of a manual from, it was one of the RAF museums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 I think there is a Thornycroft archive. if you have a chassis number it may be a good place to start. According to the photograph the ones built for the RAF had petrol engines I have seen them with a Meadows petrol engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share Posted March 27, 2023 20 minutes ago, john1950 said: I think there is a Thornycroft archive. if you have a chassis number it may be a good place to start. According to the photograph the ones built for the RAF had petrol engines I have seen them with a Meadows petrol engine. Hi John1950 the engine is Diesel in this machine, the chaps over in Ireland at the aviation museum have the same machine and have kindly sent me photos of the engine dougie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 (edited) At least you know what it should look like when assembled. I cannot quite make it out but if that has a starter motor to the right of the dynamo on this side that may be a different engine. Edited March 27, 2023 by john1950 addition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 I have had a better look now it was the fuel pipes that were putting me off, looking like heavy cables. There should be plenty of information on the rocker covers and if that is a data plate on the side of the block. Providing your engine has them attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 This should be a bit information on the Diesel pump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 That’s amazing thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Signals Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 I told you this was the place to come! 🙂 Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 This was mine but, its now back at the Danish air force historical collection together with a Queen Mary trailer set 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1950 Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 (edited) If I remember rightly the inlet valves have swirl ribs/vanes and are difficult to grind in the seats, as you cannot get a full rotation.. They have a guide that sits under the valve spring to stop the valve rotating. Pistons are spheroidal cavity type. When using an oil bath air filter and the engine gets a bit of ware a carbon build up occurs between the valve stem and vane restricting the air flow to the cylinder rendering the swirl ineffective and increasing the weight of the valve. Edited March 28, 2023 by john1950 correction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougie K Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 It will be a long time until I get to that stage but thank you for the info John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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