tow cable info/dimensions wanted
 

hopefully someone can supply measurements & details of the tow cable.

technical description is:
Ropes, Towing, Steel, Heavy, No2 (Aust)

This is the cable stowed on the 2 horms on top of the air scoop in Australian BGC. Possibly the same as English/Canadian carriers.
Pics would help.

My intent is to have one made close to the correct/original cable.

Thanks

Picture from Euan and possibly off MLU when someone in Canada had NOS cables for sale.
Did anyone buy one? is it possible to get measurements and pics of construction?
Can't be many people with correct tow cables...

I have an original tow cable on my MK2, dated 1941. I can tell you that the wire is a sort of grey colour. But I guess you want me to take it of for better scrutiny? :) Ron

I have been meaning to start a thread on the tow cables for a while now. There are two diameters of cable found. The thicker one is for carriers, and a thinner one for the CMPs. Otherwise both are the same length (8 feet) and construction. I have a few of both. Seems to me the carrier is 5/8 rope, while the CMP is 1/2 inch.

Brian Asbury has the NOS carrier cables, but does not have the chain shackles, chains or hooks.

Derk Derin and I found a pile of the chains at a surplus store in Alberta. I still have enough from that purchase for the 4 or 5 cables that i have spare. All of them are marked DC45 and some have the broad arrow on them.

I only have one shackle (4 are needed for a chain assembly), and it is also marked DC, but this one is 44 dated. I have been keeping an eye for more of the DC marked shackles, but none have surfaced yet.

The large hook seems to be marked with X-1142-2. They are quite recognizable by the very round diameter of the cast hook. I have found a few of them at local farm auctions, so they are out there in the civilian world.

Aust tow cable
 

Darrin,

I have some measurements taken from an original cable. Cannot say if it was the No.2, but it was Aust manufacture. I also made some sketches and took some images (but now cannot locate the images - but at least I stil have the field note book!). I was going to have one manufactured for the Dingo (now long gone).

I'll scan the sketches and post them - remember, they were done freehand and only for my use, so please don't get too dismayed about the lack of drawing expertise!!

Construction: hook-large link - D shackle - chain at each end, 3 feet overall, attached to a 15 foot long 7/16" D galvanised steel cable with tapered swagged ends, measured from pin centre to pin centre. So overall length will be 3+3+15=21 feet overall.

Mike

Tow Cable
 

From my field note book....

Mike

Some Pics that I have. Hope they may help.

Harris

Hi, that cable picture i took of some original unused British sets I came across, I had six sets and sold 2, I wont be able to measure them until next month.

Kevin.

Bull Rings.
 

Does anybody know if there is a modern equivalent for the round bull rings? Or better yet some originals that cold be had?

Jeeze...Bruce, for someone with a university education, why can't you spell "could"?.

As you'll see from my diagrams, the Aust tow cable has elongated 'bull rings', rather than round ones - just one of the differences between the WD and Aust manufactured cables. It would be interesting to do a comparison to see just how many differences there were between them. I suspect the swagged ends on the cable might also be different, but can't quite see it on the images posted thus far.

Mike

The cables in posts 2 and 3 both have spliced ends not swaged as on the one Mike examined. One is whipped with soft wire and the other with hempen string.The grey colour referred to is galvanising.

David

Euan has a cable, not 100% sure that it is BGC, and he has kindly sent me some pics (and allowed me to post here for the benefit of everyone).
Diameter of cable 3/8"
Length 18' overall
chain lengths 2' 6"

Just found a reference pic of a restored BGC at an Australia Day event in Vic some years ago.
This has, what appears to be, an original cable in the stowed position.

Ah, just a cut and paste error "from my cold dead hands"

(And just sayin', I can't find jeeze and any dictionary)