Austin K9 signals

[scott9643]

Hi there -- just joined and don't know where to go!

 

Any body got a K9? Is there a discussion group? I've just got one and want to know more -- I'm particularly interested in any old pics of K9 wireless trucks in service in the 50s and 60s.

 

I've also got a Scammell SV2S and will be posting piccies in my album soon. Again any pics of Scammell revovery vehicles in service would be appreciated.

 

Does anybody recollect 2 Command Workshop REME in 1949 period -- location and establishment would be useful

[Tony B]

Have you got the side tent for her? What kit in the back? Where abouts are you based? And Hi by the way.

[abn deuce]

Welcome to the Friendly Forum yes feel free to post whatever photo's you have of your vehicles We all Enjoy see what each has found and owns.

Each new member has chores to attend to about the Club house and ground's but it seems the rate of new members signing up , that it may not be possable to tell you your duties before the next person joins .... in which case please go into the club house Saloon and claim your free drink , the next round will be on you !

[Richard Farrant]

Does anybody recollect 2 Command Workshop REME in 1949 period -- location and establishment would be useful

 

 

I am pretty sure it was about that time, that 2 Comd Wksp was located in Mombasa, Kenya.

[scott9643]

Wow -- quick reaction or what! --thanks guys!

The truck had some kind of test frame and apparatus in the back and yes there is a side awning in the top locker that looks vertually unused. The speedo says 11,500 miles and to all intents and purposes the rest of the truck doesn't reflect a hard life. The markings visible are of 2 (NT) Signal Brigade which are mainlyTA now, but I'm set on getting the rest of the history as while we were stripping the brakes we chipped off large chunks of yellow paint underneath the green. This led to sanding off a bit of bodywork which revealed metal -red primer - green - sand - green - green - RAF blue - green - olive drab.

The body is marked as "Wireless light" but was originally RAF blue under the many coats of green -- the mystery deepens!

Truck is now in Taunton in Somerset

Can't work out how to attach photos -- what's a URL

[Tony B]

Click on 'Manage Attachments' and use the browse. This will accept .jpg which most photos are stored as. When you attend the club house, don't bother with bottles of cider, 55 gallon drums will be more acceptable. :n00b:

[Papav66]

Hi there & welcome, I also have a K9 & fortunate to have the penthouse to go with it, no radios just a distribution board. Over the last few years I have collected articles on the K9 & have a few pics so will dig them out & post later.

 

There used to a K9 register before the days of computers with about 100 registered but that fell by the wayside years ago. So at the moment there isn't a dedicated site however I did start to design a site but not got round to finishing but when i've got a bit more time I might get back onto it.

 

see http://www.austink9.co.uk/dev/

 

In the meantime this is about the best place to ask questions or post info about.

 

cheers

Paul

[les freathy]

A couple of in service photos as requested the first in the Suez crisis the second on a mexifloat i believe in aden, note the large boots on the K9 and the Cent BARV on the right. I went after a K9 GS a few monthe back but missed it by a few days what was most annoying was that it was local to me ah well

[scott9643]

Well here's my new toy! The quest started off looking for a period truck that we could bend by putting it in a ditch, so I could hang it off the back of my Scammell -- now that would be a good show piece!

Now I've got this old girl and it's in such good condition -- I haven't got the heart. Might set out to find an MRA1 to bend though -- I hate those with a passion!

[scott9643]

Now let's see -- Morris, Austin. Austin, Morris? Yes Morris wins every time -- you have to admit the snubby nose has made it better looking! Yep, I'm going to get one of those to bend. :cool2:

Have a look at the K9 though, and I love to display authenticity -- but now I just can't do it! :cry:

Forgot to ask in the last post -- does any one recognise the junk in the back of mine. The frame is man enough to support a Chieftain engine, but what's it for?

[Snapper]

Good to have you here on the Friendly Forum. This is the place to be.Hopefully you can find something already beyond hope to tart up and tow rather than twang a usable mv. The K9 looks straight enough. There are a few more on the forum and they should be able to detail what goes where and whether you'll find the stuff.

 

all the best,

 

MB

[Tony B]

Mark has been known to supply certain items for role play. Still trying to find the bonnet.

[Papav66]

Interestingly I received an email yesterday from a chap & here is that msg:

 

Came across your web site and I was pleasantly surprised that someone has taken the time and effort to promote what to me seems a very understated and under estimated truck, especially playing second fiddle to the Champ.

 

I am 38 and grew up in the NE of England during the miners strike, rule of Scargill and the Thatcher years.

 

What has this got to do with the K9 you may ask as I don’t even own one.

 

From most press cuttings inc. some in your links it described the K9 as being pensioned off from the Mod going into recovery roles with garages or exported for exploration purposes or even for charitable causes in Africa.

 

One big use for the K9 in the NE of England during the 70’s and 80’s was beach work.

 

My first encounter with a K9 was on Blackhall Rocks beech fishing with the old man (I was 7). A bitterly cold winter morning and raining cats and dogs, I was stood on the edge of the surf and behind me motored this large camouflaged truck with fuel splashing from the top of its fuel tank (no fuel filler cap). My father flagged the driver down and advised you are losing your diesel. No its petrol was the response. Strange for a truck being petrol was my fathers response but my father was not into trucks.

 

The K9 was out that dismal morning along with approx 15 other K9, RL and landrover variants (just on this section of beech) collecting the black gold Seacoal.

 

In the 70’s and 80’s seacoal was big business in the NE. Around 12 local collieries tipped waste straight into the sea via Ariel flights (ref. get carter closing scene). It was also rumoured that an open coal seam was also just off the coast which all told could provide very black beaches. The seacoal “duff” was scooped from the beaches or the surf and loaded onto vehicles ranging from bicycles with sacks to the mighty RL sitting down on its axles with wet coal duff running from under its side boards.

 

The beach on most days was like a large truck park. The wagons would contain 3 or 4 men with sieve like shovels. The men would jump from the truck and the driver would reverse back into the sea on sand ramps to stop the truck sinking. Then it was a lot of effort and toil loading the truck in breaking ice cold waves. Once loaded the poor old K9 would be started up (provided it would) surrounded by breaking waves and have to drag itself out of the surf and up the beech. This was no easy task as when it got out of the surf it would be in soft sand. Sand ramps were alternately placed in front of the wheels to progress up the beech. This was if the K9 was lucky. The unlucky ones sometimes would not start in the water or got stuck in the sand and then given the rising tide that was it, they were washed out, the fate of many a K9.

 

However, the K9 seemed a lot more nimble than the RL especially through the rock pool areas where you could often see some spectacular axle and chassis articulation, which pushed the chassis to the absolute limit. Bare in mind these trucks were abused to the point of high greedy boards on the body sides to carry in the realms of 5 tonnes of wet sea coal.

 

Once off the sand the K9 fully laden had to climb a muddy rutted 1:1 virtual cliff face to get off the beach area and up to the road. You almost felt sorry for the truck as it laboured impressively in low first 4wd scratting for traction up the cliff with water pouring from under all the side boards of its body. To add insult to injury the driver may well allow other coal pickers with bikes a free lift to the road with their coal (in sacks) bikes and all. This was really a machine breaker.

 

The coal was destined for coal merchants in Hartlepool (10 miles away) and then the drivers would face another type of problem, the ministry of transport and the police. The police were well aware of the routes taken by the drivers and would have frequent purges of pulling the drivers over for over weight loads, no tax, dodgy exhausts etc.

 

Later in life I became friendly with some of the old seacoalers and they explained that among them selves they had one immaculate K9 and Bedford RL which never saw punishment. This was known as the Darlington express (local HGV testing station). A truck requiring test would have a change of plate on the Darlington Express and presented for MoT, no probs. Pretty simple id on military vehicles.

I was also told that scores of K9’s RL’s and Landrovers have been killed off on this punishing work, either washed out, broken in two or plain and simple salt water poisoning. Every few weeks the lads would be at the military sales looking for another workhorse.

 

I think this early exposure raised my interest in the K9 as I bought 3 back in 1993. Each I broke for spares and never ended up with one as I always wished.

I still have a radio box sat in a farm yard somewhere, which I know came off a truck destined for beach work. Never to be seen again.

[gritineye]

The quest started off looking for a period truck that we could bend by putting it in a ditch, so I could hang it off the back of my Scammell -- now that would be a good show piece!

 

Just spotted your post, Welcome aboard, now that's proper reenacting! Are there no pre-bent ones around? Not so much fun though I suppose, were you intending to repeat it at every show?

 

You'll spot us Scammell chaps in the clubhouse bar by our Meadows / Gardner piston beer mugs, They will need refreshing of course :whistle:

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Thats a great story Paul,cheers CW.

[scott9643]

Just spotted your post, Welcome aboard, now that's proper reenacting! Are there no pre-bent ones around? Not so much fun though I suppose, were you intending to repeat it at every show?

 

You'll spot us Scammell chaps in the clubhouse bar by our Meadows / Gardner piston beer mugs, They will need refreshing of course :whistle:

I'm not sure I'd get away with tipping one over -- health and safety and all that -- but people seem much more fascinated with bent ones that need loads of work than a pristine example. In a former life, we used to pull in training aids, some in sound condition with virtually no miles and I used to think -- what a waste. There was much more time spent pondering on what it would take to put it right than the work in hand. 6 months of being bowled over and dragged out of the sand by happless reccy mechs and all we'd got left was a chassis with lots of raggy tinware hanging off it.

 

101 fans will be disappointed to know that the original test 101 ended up on Bordon Heath as a training aid complete with no mileage tyres with the knobbles still on. The engine and fuel tanks were gone -- other than that it was like brand new! -- Well for a little while! It's in that great MV scrapyard in heaven now.

 

Anyway the search is on for a 50's period truck -- all donations gratefully received! I was going to stay here, but I think I'll wander on down to the bar now and get em in!