HWade Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 (edited) Well here we go, I had been aware of this trailer for quite a while, and was informed that it could be going to the scrap man in the sky, so i decided to take it upon myself to take on the restoration and give it a new lease of life, I beleave that it was the chassis for either a radar trailer or a search light trailer.If anybody thinks that it may have been used for somthing else then please tell me.Well today I went over to the site where it was and with a friend of mine we managed to drag it from the undergrowth,I have been quite lucky as its been laying ontop of another dyson trailer, so its not been in contact with the damp ground.On first imprestions it looked a good straight trailer, but when we looked closer the front had a slight twist, so with the help of my friends cutting gear and welder we cut the chassis jacked it up and took out the twist and welded up the chassis.Both the front and and rear axles knock out, and with a bit of heat WD40 we managed to uncease one of the pins on the rear axle the other pin was still free and would pull free. Both front wheels were ceased but with a bar and a pull these were freed off. Well thats about so far, I have to arrange transport to get it back to my work shop or tow it back. Will add more info as and when, here is a few pics as found and being lifted off the other trailer.The brake linkage is all ceased but this should be to much of a problem.One thing you will notice is that the wheels are not correct and it should be running on single british military slit rims. Howard. Edited October 25, 2008 by HWade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 What is being gas cut, and why?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Hello Mike We gas cut the chassis in a few places where the twist was, we then jacked the trailer at the front this opened up the cut, we then welded the cut,we did this one by one and this has taken the twist out of the chassis, please not we did not cut right through the chassis just the top and down the chassis rail. Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I should have read your first post, shouldn't I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 Hello Mike I have done that a few times myself. Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Now that Howard has started a blog on the Dyson radar, or possibly searchlight trailer, I thought I would raise a question about the Dyson Trailer that it was sitting on. I am sure that it is an ex British Army trailer of WW2 vintage, is only 15' long, and 7'6 wide. It has individual axles with two hubs, mounted on each set of leaf springs, giving it eight wheels but I believe should have two wheels per hub. The trailer is of incredibly heavy construction, and looks like a mini Rogers trailer it had been used to carry a Caterpillar D6 on a farm. My question is, what would a trailer of this size with sixteen wheels have been made to carry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Before we get onto the trailer, Antony, you're going to have to tell us what's under the blue tarpaulin with a GMC looking body.......:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 Hello N.O.S. I would tell you but that would spoil the supprise,I will let Antony tell you all about it. Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Diamond T 969..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Come on then, pull the tarpaulin off :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I am sure that it is an ex British Army trailer of WW2 vintage, Antony, thank you for posting these 'photos of this very interesting trailer. What has led you to believe this trailer has some military connection ? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I beleave that it was the chassis for either a radar trailer or a search light trailer.Howard. Forum member ackack may have something helpful to say as he is currently restoring a WW11 radar trailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 The reason for my belief that this trailer is ex military, is simple, it has traces of olive drab paint, and looks military! With regard to the 969, I have the remains of three, from which I can build one, after I have completed a Dodge WC 62 which I am halfway through restoring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) Antony, to me, the significant characteristic of the design of this trailer is the intention to lower the height of the bed as far as possible. Are there sixteen wheels ? I can only see eight relatively light duty, fairly small diameter wheels. Certainly, placing the axle above the leaf springs suggests the need to lower the bed was more important than carrying a very heavy payload. I'm surprised the unusually low ground clearance of this trailer didn't cause it to constantly bog down while it was on farm duties. Possibly, the key to figuring out what this trailer was built for is to understand why it needed to be so low. Was it's load very high, was it intended to pass under some fixed structure or is it simply a low loader used with rear ramps as it was during it's farm days ??????? What kind of braking system does this trailer have and are there any indications that it was designed for road use or intended to be confined to an airfield, dockyard or works ? Edited October 31, 2008 by 6 X 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 An interesting feature - note the brackets on front dolly for horse shafts.......wouldn't want to be the horse :sweat: But I can't see any military features, Antony - normally you would expect to see army pattern lights or a coupling or something, however small, to indicate military service :confused: But that is not to say it wasn't military.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Anthony, I am certain you are correct in saying it should have twin wheels all around. As it stands now the wheels are offset from the hubs, not good practise for load bearing. Looking at a list of military trailers, dated 1969, there is one listed that fits the bill ; Maker; Dyson Vehicle Code Number; 3488.0325 Designation; Trailer, flat platform, 35 ton, 8 twin wheels Royal Navy I have seen artillery radar systems built on trailers like this but could not see any listed with that wheel configuration, but I am inclined to think it might have been for equipment such as this because of the legs fitted on the corner, assume there is one at each corner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted October 31, 2008 Author Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hello Richard I dont know if I said but the Radar / search light trailer does have the wrong wheels on it, I beleave that the trailer should have single British army wheels,slit rims. Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hello Richard I dont know if I said but the Radar / search light trailer does have the wrong wheels on it, I beleave that the trailer should have single British army wheels,slit rims. Howard Hi Howard, Are you meaning the first trailer mentioned? I was writing about the bigger platform trailer. You are probably correct in your one, it does look like a radar trailer, very low chassis to keep the C of G down. Would no doubt have had didvided rims and singles at that. I cannot find any specific info on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hello Richard, Thanks for your in depth reply about my trailer, I am fairly confident it should have dual wheels on each hub, apart from your observations regarding the offset of single wheels, I have been told of another trailer which sounds identical to mine with sixteen wheels. It is on a farm not too far away, so I will have to go and have a look. Antony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hello Richard, Thanks for your in depth reply about my trailer, I am fairly confident it should have dual wheels on each hub, apart from your observations regarding the offset of single wheels, I have been told of another trailer which sounds identical to mine with sixteen wheels. It is on a farm not too far away, so I will have to go and have a look. Hi Antony, The designation I quoted, does not describe as 16 wheels, but as 8 twin wheels, I can now see the lugs on corners of trailer for support jacks all around. These would be fitted on a trailer that was fitted out with equipment, for stability when sited, so it might have had a body on it originally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) Hello Richard in answer to your question i did mean the first trailler, I dont have a radar or a search light for it but i do know where there is a very military cabin,its about 7ft square and this would fit on the trailer a treat, so i may go down that path,we will have to see.I know it wont be right but at least it saves the trailer chassis and is being used for a purpose.Will keep you all informed as i progress with the rebuild. Howard Edited November 1, 2008 by HWade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Hi Antony, I can now see the lugs on corners of trailer for support jacks all around. These would be fitted on a trailer that was fitted out with equipment, for stability when sited, so it might have had a body on it originally. Richard, I'm sure your comment regarding the support jacks is quite correct and that one usually associates these jacks being fitted to wireless/radar vans etc. However, one does not normally think of van trailers of this type being so heavy that they needed eight, or even sixteen, wheels. So far, the comments on this thread seem to me to be suggesting that we think this trailer was designed to carry quite a heavy payload, hence the large number of wheels to distribute the weight. If this was the case, why would one fit support jacks to a trailer intended to convey heavy loads ? Is that usual practise ? Talking of unusual arrangements, has anyone on here ever before seen an arrangement where the axle rides on top of the leaf spring and not, in the conventional manner, under the spring ? My current theory is that this trailer was built using the bed of a cut down van type trailer and that the very interesting undercarriage may also have been workshop built, by reducing standard track army surplus trailer axles, and that these axles were fitted above the leaf spring to lower the bed so that plant could be more easily driven up ramps onto it. It looks to me as though the farmer engineer who may have built this marvelous trailer may have used gas to cut away a section of chassis to accommodate the axle being fitted above the springs and to get a spanner on those nuts. I don't think Dyson would have done it quite like this. Does this look "right" to you ? . Antony mentions another similar trailer on a farm near him. I'd be very interested to see 'photos of that one and also to hear what evidence there is that this trailer was ever fitted with a braking system. I can see brake drums but, not from the 'photos, any sign of a braking system. Without brakes, out on the road, in the wet, this trailer would soon be round giving the radiator of the towing vehicle a french kiss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 (edited) A very convincing argument, 6x6. The underslung spring arrangement is certainly not unkown - e.g. Crane 45/60T drawbar lowloader axles and other types. But you could well be right on this one, difficult to say without actually "seeing and prodding it" so to speak. This would then put the original drawbar height at more like the typical army tow hook height, so might this then be one of the numerous ex army tank trailers which were used in large numbers by early postwar heavy haulers such as Siddle Cook etc? No, just checked some books and the trailer is nowhere wide enough to be one of these Over to Antony (who is probably still struggling with the DT 969 tarpaulin....) Edited November 3, 2008 by N.O.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Batchelor Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 scammell used an underlung spring set-up on the highwayman so its not entirely unknown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 scammell used an underlung spring set-up on the highwayman so its not entirely unknown also the Jeep, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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