Diamond T Gallery

[antarmike]

A METEOR engine, to a Diamond T, quite reasonable. Fuel consumption, probably about 5 gallons to the mile. A MERLIN engine, I'd doubt it. It would appear this particular bit of folk *** is older than thought.

 

Meteorite (Mk 1 Mk2 Antar) is surely more likely than a meteor?

[Desert Rat]

I have been reading a magazine called Trucking Down Memory Lane (Classic & Vintage Commercials), in the chapter Readers Memories (page 77) there is a photo and caption saying that the Diamond T (in photo) Something rather Special here - a Diamond T fitted with an engine formerly in a Spitfire. Also the Author said that he drove Diamond T's with Spitfire engines, why would you want to fit a DT with a Spitfire Engine? and what sort of fuel consumption would you get, & what sort of speed would this beast do?.The photo enclosed in the magazine, looks like any normal Diamond T.:drive::goodidea::readpaper::wow:

 

If it aint bust dont touch it !!!!!!

 

I have seen one of these Diamond T's.

Well, let me put it this way......

 

More than once over the years i have spoken to a variety of people who have told me that they know of/heard of Diamond T's being fitted with 'Spitfire engines'.

It always turned out, including the one i went to see, that they are infact Rolls-Royce engines.......C6NFL's...!!!!!!!

"Yeh mate, they're a dieselised version of the spitfire engine...." came the reply.

"Oh, right, so what happened to the other 6 cylinders ?" :-D

 

Also had the same thing happen when being shown a Rolls C6 powering a generator.

Its all to do with chinese whispers and a bit of imagination.:nut:

[Scammell4199]

I have been reading a magazine called Trucking Down Memory Lane (Classic & Vintage Commercials), in the chapter Readers Memories (page 77) there is a photo and caption saying that the Diamond T (in photo) Something rather Special here - a Diamond T fitted with an engine formerly in a Spitfire. Also the Author said that he drove Diamond T's with Spitfire engines, why would you want to fit a DT with a Spitfire Engine? and what sort of fuel consumption would you get, & what sort of speed would this beast do?.The photo enclosed in the magazine, looks like any normal Diamond T.:drive::goodidea::readpaper::wow:

 

If it aint bust dont touch it !!!!!!

 

Not a Merlin or Meteor, but souped up Dizzy none the less.

 

 

 

Richard

[radiomike7]

Not a Merlin or Meteor, but souped up Dizzy none the less.

 

 

 

Richard

 

Ah, but Leyland beat them by 50 odd years by building an experimental blown DT in the early 1950s which was rejected in favour of the Rolls C6 conversions.

[dizzy-t]

Many thanks for the info lads, just thought I would ask, when I worked at Ashchurch Camp in the late 1960's we had a couple of Diamonds left, the one I drove had a Rolls engine fitted, as I did the other one, these I would imagine would have been the last ones.

 

:captain:Adrian. Hows your DT coming on?. Has it been moved to Stonehouse yet?

Dizzy-t:drive:

[Adrian]

Many thanks for the info lads, just thought I would ask, when I worked at Ashchurch Camp in the late 1960's we had a couple of Diamonds left, the one I drove had a Rolls engine fitted, as I did the other one, these I would imagine would have been the last ones.

 

:captain:Adrian. Hows your DT coming on?. Has it been moved to Stonehouse yet?

Dizzy-t:drive:

 

Once again on hold for a while so I sort out the 100 other things that are unfortunatley more important. I will post an update when progress resumes, which should hopefully not be too long.

[MACCDT]

went to see this one in carlisle last week, it appeared in post 109 as a wrecker, since then it was converted to a ballast body and now has been converted back to a wrecker again. He made a very good job of the conversion.STEVE

 

 

 

 

[ronwinfer]

[

Hi Tony, Yes the diamond T was restored, I got a ballast body fromTasmania, and another winch for it, I rebuilt the motor new sleeves pistons rings and bearings, and I found a brand nes old stock radiator still in its original crate with its original army receipts in the crate also,

On the death of my wife I sold everything off, the carriers, Studebake winch truck and the Matildas that I had, still got some engine covers for a Matilda tank, I have got back into the game in the last five years and have a few carriers again, Regards Ron

 

QUOTE=Tony Graves;195001]Hi All, I have posted two photos of a DT 980 found at a mine in Australia. I was in touch with the owner, I believe his name was Ron Winfer, for a long time but as usual time flies by and I lost contact. I know Ron bought the Diamond and built a special shed for it but I don't know if the project was ever completed. If you are out there Ron please get in touch on this site.

Hope of interest. Tony G.

[contractorman]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]31442[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]31443[/ATTACH]

Hi Macc hope you well..This used to belong to me at one time when it was a wrecker ..fitted with a Leyland 680 power plus and 5 speed albion box ..went really well nice to see it has survived ..wonder if any of my other 14 look as good ...Graham Booth

[MACCDT]

Hi Graham, it still has the Leyland engine and box in, He bought it from a chap in Essex last year and has made a very nice job of it. He is hoping to put it back to work again doing recovery. It must be nice to see part of your extended family still working.

Hope to see you at ASTLE PARK in August if your going, i am looking for some more handbrake bits for my 981 if you still have any in your vast supplys.

Cheers, Steve

[contractorman]

Hi Macc ..sadly be missing from astle park this year as i will be working in South Africa from August 8th to 10th December ...but got plenty of handbrake stuff ..If you needed it while im away im sure my daughter would be around for you to get it...speak soon mate ..hope the Rogers is coming on nicely...Graham

[harper]

hej. my name is olle eriksson and im from sweden.it has been very quiet on this page for a while so i hope to do something about it. picture is a week old. it showes my diamond t 980 with rogers and my t-34. i,ll be back with more pitures if this works out. olle

[AndyFowler]

Hi Olle , lovely toys you have there ! Heres one that was at the Great Dorset Steam Fair last week !

[diamond 981]

Have just got back from Dorset,nice piccies of my diamond Andy,sorry i did not speak to you we were only a few feet away from each other thats me with the red braces.Had a brilliant time made very welcome by the diesel heavy haulage section and had a few push and pulls on the pickfords trailer with a bit a help from the rest of the crew, looking forward to next year.

[Scammell4199]

Thats a really nice outfit you have there Olle, looking forward to seeing more of it.

 

Richard

[Smithy]

Some more of the above one in action and also one that found its way into the commercial section.

[harper]

here is one of my open 981:s. i have 3 open & 2 closed ones also 2 rogers-trailers. one is totaly rebuild. one open 981 is under nut and bolt restauration. been at beltring for 3 years now try to find 981 parts but there is not much out there.

olle

 

 

[harper]

diamond t wrecker and diamond t 980 with rogers at mollerodsdagarna, swedish militaryshow august 28 2010

olle

 

 

 

[kpu121265]

I posted some pics of the 969 earlier in this thread, but i thought some more recent ones might be of interest. Which has now reminded me, that i still need the tail gate for it. If anyone has a spare one under their bed (or a sherman propshaft, propshaft tunnel or turret basket) please let me know.

Ken

 

Edited September 7, 2010 by kpu121265
spelling again!

[harper]

latest in my diamond t family.a barnfind from great britain reddy for restoring. not a nut and bolt restauration, only everything else what she needs.

olle

 

[harper]

loading the T-34 for the first time

olle

 

 

 

 

[harper]

2 diamonds and a corbitt 50 sd6.

olle

 

[Adrian]

Great pictures! I recognise that closed cab 981 - used to UAS 458 and lived in Bristol for a while.

[harper]

hej adrian

yes,you´re right. i bought it outside Manchester 2008. it have a rolls engine and is running very well but its rusty so im gonna fix her and repaint. just got two fueltanks so i can get rid of the barrel also.

olle

 

[diamond-t-steve]

I photographed this DT about 25 years ago. It had a Scania engine and hadn't been used for a long time. The yard was at the back of the famous Circus Tavern at Purfleet. They had two DT's, the other one was bought by John Hume of Dagenham, Essex. It was a soft top with a Hurcules engine and was painted yellow. I know John did a complete strip down in his garden and I helped him with a several bits and pieces but I lost contact with him and the two Diamonds just disappeared into the ether. I think the yard is now operated by Albany Recovery. Perhaps Les Freathy might know of their whereabouts. All the best. Tony G

 

Hi Tony.

 

I have only just joined the site and seeing this photograph promted me to reply.

The Diamond in the photograph belonged to a company called Albert Road Recovery that was originaly based in Albert Road Romford. It was indeed fitted with a 110 Scania engine and the power steering was from a volvo F88. The soft top Diamond was painted maroon inside the cab and had a rather loud pair of railway locomotive horns under the bonnet, controled by a lever on the floor to the left of the drivers seat. It did have an home made copy of a tfl extending recovery crane in the back that was removed before Albert (the then owner) sold it. The soft top was replaced after the canvas one rotted with a metal roof that rattled like hell when the engine was ticking over.

I have a 15min film of the soft top "T" pulling over part of a disused Tarmac plant in Upminster in 1987 that I paid a budding film maker to shoot as I did the job.. It was good to see the photograph as it re kindled some good memories.

 

Steve.....

 

P.S The truck to the left of the pic is a Leyland Martian and the other side was a 15 tonne Coles crane...