Indian pattern carrier chassis x 2
 

On Trademe, converted to fire tenders Auction number; 319764811

Excellent find!

For (future) reference: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=319764811

Not indian pattern, New Zealand Pattern.

Wheeled carriers
 

The dilemma would be whether to rebuild one as original or not - there is a significant history embodied in their current form as well. I think the price is very good too - are any of you Kiwis planning to grab them?

Steve, Alex, and Keith
 

Bedford boys, would you like to explain it all to me?
Keith, Not this Kiwi. Woolly nightshade, and gorse grow well here, but not so the money tree. :(

Ok, well the story goes that the Indian pattern carrier has a rivetted hull and is based on a different chassis to the NZ pattern. The Indian pattern carrier's steering column is in much the same place as it would be on a truck, but the kiwi one is low between the chassis rails. I can't remember the chassis numbers off the top of my head, but they are quite different. The kiwi carrier hull is of welded construction and has 20" split rims, where the Indian has 16" split rims. When the first hull was made, modifications had to be made to the mud guards to give clearance for the 20" rims. All up I believe NZ recieved 100 chassis, but I can't remember how many were turned into operational vehicles. In service the Wheeled carriers were found to be utter crap. They were used for home guard I believe during WW2 and saw service in Korea. Many ended up as range targets and the rest as Forestry fire tenders such as in that trademe auction.

I would love to have the money to buy them, but I'm only a student.

Alex

Hi Lynn and others,
There is an interesting story about the development of these fire trucks on http://www.ruralfirehistory.org.nz/trucks.htm
Regards,
Terry

Swords to plowshares indeed, and proof that any vehicle or tool in heavy service needs to be replaced on some reasonable cycle.

This is interesting. From the story, there is the following comment about the Eryewell Forest truck:

"Later still, the Fire Service Historical Society purchased the Eyrewell Forest Quad Pumper in 1990 for $350.

Post Forest Service
Several examples survive today including examples at MOTAT and as part of the Fire Service Historical collection at Ferrymead Historic Park."

The story gives a link to the pic attached below. Compare it to the first pic Hanno Spoelstra posted above. Is this a picture of the truck in the Fire Service Historical collection at the Ferrymead Historic Park? The seller states that the trucks were "converted in the 60's", so may not know too much about the actual history of the trucks which the Fire Service site says were done in the 40's. I wonder if the seller has any connection with the Fire Service Historical Collection, or has just taken the photo at the museum??

The one at MOTAT got scrapped

Scrapped
 

....and went to who?

...into large pot of molten metal.

They still keep popping up
 

Army Museum Waiouru 2008

I have a whole folder of pictures of Wheeled Carriers on my computer. They are from all over the internet and took a while to scrounge up, so I can't remember where they all came from to reference them, but here's Waiouru museums one: