AndyFowler Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Excellent videos Adrian ! Checked out his other videos too ! Thanks for posting ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 A number of years ago I was in Sheffield when I came across Bentley's old Diamond obviously owned now by Pollards Recovery.The first picture showing a recovery of an S type tipper when she looked pretty good. The other pictures were taken around twelve years ago and she looks very sad. I wonder if anybody knows whether she was cut up or went into preservation. Possibly the demise of yet another DT??? All the best. Tony G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The Four Lives of a Diamond T Photo 1 - I took this around 1978 when it belonged to Morant Motors of Dunton Green near Sevenoaks. I was going to buy it but was put off by the very lpoor oil pressure. Intersting to note, the crane was built in their premises at Dunton Green and when it was finished it was too high to exit the workshop so they cut 12" off the top of the crane. Photo 2 - The same Diamond was eventually sold in about 1980 to Clydd Williams of Ruthin, North Wales. The engine was taken out and the crank re-ground. Clydd also fitted two Bedford thermo starts in the air intake manifold and said it would start in 5 degrees of frost. Clydd was a real engineer. A friend of mine lived in Ruthin and I made several trips there to see progress on the old girl. Photo 3 - Shows it many years later after Graham Booth bought it when Clydd retired and sold up. Graham removed the crane and put it back to military trim. Photo 4 - Shows the 'T' in Pickfords trim and still attending rallies but I don't know who owns her now. All the best, Tony G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Yet more great pics! Thanks Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I think John Burnett of Flixborough had her, but whether she is still with him I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contractorman Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The Diamond T is now owned by a Mr Kevin Riley of Bootle near Liverpool he also owns a rolls powered 981 in army green Both attended the Riverside steam rally Southport last month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contractorman Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Hi Tony hope you and Pat both well ..When i bought this T off Clydd it was my 6th 6x 4 Diamond ..at last count with the chassis,s im up to 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Greenberg Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 Hello, Here are a few photos of my 1944 Diamond T wrecker. Enjoy, Steve:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 :tup:: Nice truck, Steve. Not seen the use of second front bumper before - do you know if this would have been a military or civilian alteration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Greenberg Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Hello, That was a MWO done by the military. They added the second bumper because when a Dianmod T would push a CCKW or 1 1/2 ton chev bumper to bumper the CCKW hooks would go under the Diamond T bumper sticking them together. I would imagine it would not be much fun getting them apart!!! My wrecker came with 2 front bumpers. Steve:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8 bubba Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 very nice anybody on here been to birmingham j2 of the m5 and had the x star autos daimond t from oldbury after standing in a yard for 7/8 years it disapeared this week i do hope it will be saved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 That was a MWO done by the military. ....Steve:) Thanks Steve, been wondering about that ever since I first saw a picture of your truck some while ago. I expect there was a lot of bumper-pushing during the war for speedy road clearing :nono:. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 very nice anybody on here been to birmingham j2 of the m5 and had the x star autos daimond t from oldbury after standing in a yard for 7/8 years it disapeared this week i do hope it will be saved Looking at the pictures posted by Tony, even standing for 8 years it should be salvageable, although the cab was starting to go back then. I stopped by a few weeks back but the yard was locked up so could not get any pictures. Probably best to give them a call if interested. However their claim of 41mph is a bit worrying as with a Cummins 220 at 2100rpm you should only get 30mph tops. I have not done the maths but it sounds like they have messed around with the auxiliary gearbox. Either way the diffs would not have liked that. So apart from the body the drive train would have to be sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Star Motors Diamond T has been for sale since 1997 which when I saw it was complete. A friend of mione visited the yard about three weekw ago an saw the DT in a sorry state and would come complete with a Cummins Turbo'd 390 which would make matters even worse with the drive train. The owner would not accept a penny less than £2000. If it has disappeared now it may well have been sold in the last three weeks. Also the windscreens and side windows are missing, perhaps they have been smashed so heaven knows what the condition inside the cab. Hope this is an update for you. All the best. Tony G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Many years ago I visited Severn Beach Garage and had some bits and pieces off one of their scrap Diamonds hence my tool box pictured on the fuel tank. Alongside was the rolling chassis soon to be cut up. The one with the cab on was used at shows, turned over and righted as part of the recovery display - sacrilige!!!! These two vehicles belonged to the famous Glasgow heavy haulier John Young who used to give Pickfords and Wynns a run for their money. It's a shame they had to end up like this. Severn Beach also had a sand coloured Diamond in their yard - see the reg. plate, it is original John Youngs. I wonder if the relics remain there? I have heard the sand Diamond is still around. Hope this is of interest, regards, Tony G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share Posted May 25, 2009 Very interesting thank you Tony ! It is a shame to see them survive so long and then get neglected and scraped ! :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 (edited) Tony, 58 JYS is still there but has not moved in some time. The cab has been taken off and stored in their workshop. There is another 981 parked up next to it which is the old Watts of Lydney T as pictured on page 16. Both are a bit hidden in the undergrowth. As to the relics I could see no sign of them there last may. Cheers, A Edited May 25, 2009 by Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 A couple of shots of Tonys Pickfords T at the old premises of Channel Commercials, Tony that must have been at least 10 years ago if not more can you remember Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Very nice Les ! Thanks for posting ! Any idea how many survive in this country ? I figure if anyone would know it would be you mate ! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Very nice Les ! Thanks for posting ! Any idea how many survive in this country ? I figure if anyone would know it would be you mate ! :-D That would be interesting Andy, many classic car clubs have some form of register. It would be nice to have a register for not only Diamond T's but other vehicles covered by the forum. Cheers A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Hi Les, forgot about that gathering, memory probably going. Two years ago I went through the old girl, cab, wings, bonnet, no filler, she deserved a tart up. As you know she spent nearly eighteen years in Des's barn in Lyminge, Kent and now with a new coat of paint she looks the dogs. Hope to take Bishops wrecker to Dorset and the Scammell run.All the best. Tony G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Just a couple more shots of the DT at Cherbourg, prior to catching the ferry to Poole for the Dorset Steam Fair in 2008. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 And here are some of it in action at Dorset Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Here are a few pictures of a very sad T pictured recently at a yard on Oxfordshire. They were passed onto me so I have not been there myself yet. The cut back ballast body and front bumper mods suggest that it could be one from the Pickfords fleet. The drive train is incomplete, which on top of the obvious other deficiencies make for a very serious project. I have scanned through Les's book and have taken a stab at it being EGG 570 (9810462). I will visit soon and confirm my theory. The last picture is of a pretty complete example in the same yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 hi, adrian the diamond is indeed egg 570 and is in mark walkers yard famous for their rotinoffs at dorset steam fair, a huge restoration project, i wonder if anybody will take it on, i hope so cheers tony g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.