"HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY" to my Albion chassis No. 361A
 

“HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY."

I almost missed this very important occasion, the 100th birthday of my 1916 Albion A10 chassis number 361A.

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Well actually I had missed it as it was to be delivered in the middle of February 1916 so I waited to the last day, the 29th February 2016 just to be sure as I do not know the exact date of delivery.

Attached are copies of the original build sheet which I obtained from the Albion Archives in Biggar Scotland in 2009 which have the date the chassis was laid down as the 6th December 1915 for delivery the middle of February 1916.

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This is what I first saw way back in 1971 at the rear of A.W.Smith & Sons P/L Leongatha Vic. Aust. There was a large ship’s winch behind the driver’s seat for winching logs in the bush. This winch was driven from the final chain drive pinions on each side after the truck had been driven to the work site and the chains linked up to the winch. Bert Smith the owner wanted to keep the winch so that had to be removed first.

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The chassis had a 3” sag in it between the front and back axles so the chassis had to be completely stripped down and straightened. This was achieved with the assistance of a track breaking press for bulldozers.

More to come,
Regards Rick.

I brought it home on a tandem trailer behind my trusty 1956 ‘FJ’ Holden. That is something you could not do today, 3.75 tons behind a car weighing just over 1 ton. Petrol at Rosedale was 64cents a GALLON. ($0.14.2 cents a litre)

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The chassis stripped down for straightening and sand blasting. The tyres were pretty sad.

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The engine was seized and I left it for 6 months with the chassis jacked up on one of the flywheel bolts. Diesel was pored into the cylinders each week and one day the chassis was sitting back level as the seized engine had turned over.

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more to come,
Rick

The Albion engine has a dry sump system invented by Thomas Blackwood-Murray the founder of Albion. The oil goes to the 5 main bearings and the 4 cylinders. It then drips off the main bearings and collects in slinger rings which sling it into the big end bearings after which it is thrown all around the engine. The oil should be run off at the end of each day according to the brass plate seem above the exhaust manifold.

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The crankshaft was in excellent condition but missing the governor. I found one as well as the magneto cut out switch in Toowoomba QLD.

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The clutch plate was beyond repair as the lining rivets had ground well into the plate. The Albion has the linings on the flywheel face and the spring plate with a spinning disc plate, the opposite to todays practice. Where do you get a new clutch plate these days? Well, you cut one out of a circular saw blade which, I might add, are extremely tough but designed to carry heat without distortion. It is a lovely clutch to use.

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No.2 piston came out in 3 bits, so it was a case of welding it back together and hand filing down.

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still more to come.
Rick

I took the restored chassis back to where it came from. A W Smith and Sons Leongatha. To show old Bert and his brother Clarrie who was the last person to drive her.

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I the commenced the building of the body using the body builders blueprints I received from the Albion company in 1971.

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Rick

In 1983 the Albion was used in the first big Australian TV production, a 10 hour story called “The ANZACS” here it is on set in a ‘French village’.

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And also with a 1916 Talbot ambulance for company on site.

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A vintage lane in England? No our driveway a few years ago.

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So where is she today, On loan to the Bandiana Military Museum where it has been for a number of years. She was on display at the Australian War Memorial for 3 ½ years before going to Bandiana.

We often get her out for a run and will see her for a belated birthday drink in a couple of weeks.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY 361A”

PS.. 361A was used to promote the then new Unimog on their acceptance into the Australian Army all those years ago.

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Here also is a page from 1916.

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Regards Rick and Jill.

That is quite the occasion
 

Hi Rick

That is a real bench mark in the military vehicle community. The vehicle and you are lucky to have so much of the truck's history documented and photographed. Do you have all this on a display board to put out when the truck is on display, make good read for the general public to put the truck in context.

Cheers Phil

Thank you for sharing this story with such detail Rick. Very impressive recovery and restoration of this unique vehicle. Happy 100!

I'll second that!

Thanks Rick and Jill for saving and restoring this great old truck :thup:

Hanno

Quite a milestone in the Albion's life, thanks for sharing.

Happy Birthday
 

Rick,

Excellent story, you have great taste in the vehicles that you have saved and restored.

Peter

Hey, I know that truck!
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Looks even more impressive in person.

:salute:

lights
 

Rick

Do you have the acetylene headlights fitted to the Albion ?

FJ Holdens, yes they were a cheap first car back then , usually could be got for around $50 or less . I remember going to help somebody pickup a FJ sedan, it was ten bucks .

Technical question.....
 

.....when enlarging the pictures for details I notice spare fuel cans....3 on each side..... that look very similar to the WW II POW cans.....

Is it correct to assume that the origine of the CMP 2 gal Petrol-Water-Oil can go way back to the Big War??? How similar are they in size and construction??

Very nice restoration by the way.

Cheers

2 Gallon Cans
 

Hi Bob C., Mike K., Tony B., Robert P., Hanno S., Wayne H. and Phil W.,

Thanks you all for your comment about my Albion.

Bob, The 2 gallon cans go back to about 1908 or there abouts. In those days there were next to no service stations and you purchased your petrol from the chemist. The cans were the only way to buy it at that time and you will see cans on the running boards of many veteran and vintage cars.

Here is a photo of my 102 year old 1914 Talbot with a red can from the 'Big Tree Motor Spirit' company, a New Zealand company which imported motor spirit (petrol) into Australia in 1914.

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The cans are pretty well made and of a thicker material than the ones found on 1970's Australian army vehicles. They are almost identical in size. There are hundreds out there still from the early days. I have about 30 or so but not too many are of a military origin. The Vickers machine gun in WWI and WWII also used them for cooling water.

Regards Rick.

Thank you
 

I see you are not new at working on old machines.......

Wonderful restoration on that Talbot.

Bob C

It's even more impressive on the move Tony! I recall my first encounter while driving through Corowa - upon exiting the roundabout my progress was blocked by a large green contraption travelling at an unhurried 10 mph. I sat close behind all the way to the caravan park, totally mesmerized by giant spinning sprockets and flapping drive chains!

Later of course as I became fully acquainted it struck me what a truly historic vehicle this is, and what a visionary project on Rick's part way back in the '70s, when everyone else was into jeeps! Congratulations Rick and HAPPY BIRTHDAY 361A

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G'day Rick,

Happy Birthday for the Albion. A pristine restoration, one that you can be very proud of.

Were you able to trace the Albion's military service history and whether it went to any battlefields?

Kind Regards
Lionel

100th Birthday
 

Hi Rick, (and Jill)
Thoroughly enjoyed the pictures and description of the find and rebuild of the Albion, reminds me of recovering my Dodge from a scrapyard back in 1977.
So, happy 100th birthday Albion.
Best regards
Keith

Thanks all for your kind words, Jill, my spanner hander and No.1 girl found this letter which I had misplaced years ago. It has more of the Albion's history from an old bloke I met years ago. Michael K. died 15 years or so ago so I am glad the letter was put away safely. Thanks Jill.

You can see the winch in the as found photos in post 1. The right rear of the chassis had the right rail pushed across towards the left chassis rail and I had to replace the rear cross member as well as straighten the chassis and get the sag out as well.

Regards Rick.

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