MCGRATH Semi trailer

[Darren Witty]

Hi,
Not a great photo but can anyone tell me something about this trailer? It's suppose to be WW2? What towed it and what for? Perhaps its weight and tyre size? Any war time photos?

Thanks
Darren

[Keith Webb]

That's the classic round front semi-trailer. Tyre size should be 10.50-18. Unsure about capacity or tare weight.
These trailers were built in quite a variety including GS, Folding Boat Equipment, small box girder bridge... I have a book with some more info to dig out later.

[cliff]

The second photo you posted is of another type. The trailer in your first photo is a 10 ton bow fronted trailer and was often towed behind Ford, Dodge and International 3 ton 158inWB tractor units many of them the roaster topped Aussie built models. The fifth wheel was a semi permanent fixing rather then the quick release items of today.

I have a lot of photos showing them in action often on the North South Military Highway (now the Stuart Highway) Between Alice Springs and Darwin before the NR Macks became availiable later in the war. The trailers then had a 'dolly' made to fit under the front and were used as a 4 wheel trailer behind the Macks. Problems arrose when the combined weight started destroying the roads which were not built for the weight loadings.

Pictured is a 1/35 scale model I made of a Ford rag top version.

[phoenix]

I'm pretty sure it was even used post war being towed by inter prime movers.

[Mike K]

I came across this Ford tractor cab in central NSW 1978.. it took us a while to work out what it is. The remains of the curved nose trailer were scattered around the field next to the cab.. it was saved .

Mike

[Darren Witty]

Do these have any ID plates on them? Is there somewhere I should be looking? Does anyone have an idea of a fair price to pay? (No tyres or wooden floor)
Thanks
Darren

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Darren Witty

Do these have any ID plates on them? Is there somewhere I should be looking? Does anyone have an idea of a fair price to pay? (No tyres or wooden floor)
Thanks
Darren

With no wooden deck and no tyres it is really only worth scrap value or what someone is willing to pay. Not sure about ID plates or their location. Timber size for the deck is 6in wide X 1.5/2 inches deep and the trailer is 8 foot wide so that makes for a lot of planks. As you can see by the attached photo all the side panels are missing as well.

[Bob McNeill]

Ian Styles had one at Corowa a couple of years ago behind the ford, the vacumn pipe runs thru the pivot pin, there,s also one at Cowra War Museum on a dodge prime mover.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Darren - I have a bucket load of images of one here in SA. If you buy it I'll copy them to a CD. Looking at your image, it has one of the most important parts still attached, namely the front bow section. The floor and side boards can always be replicated and wheels can be replaced. See if there are any hood bows and there should also be a skeletal gazebo type structure that fitted on top of the bow section. Re. scrap value, I was talking to a scrappie today and he said he is now only getting about $130/ton as opposed to $300 not that long ago.

Bob

[Darren Witty]

Thanks for all the info!
Some more photos for your interest

Thanks
Darren

[Darren Witty]

Bob,
Do you have a photo of the skeletal gazebo structure? Better still do you have a war time photo of the trailer in all its glory?? ie with hood bows and gazebo? Does anyone know what typre of brakes it would have had if any? This one appears to have had air brakes at some time.

Thanks again
Darren

[hrpearce]

Darren the trailer had vacuum brakes not air

[cliff]

here is 3 pics for you. I'll look to see what else I've got later

[cliff]

some more pics of Inter semi's & trailers

[cliff]

pics again from AWM and other places

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Darren - a few more. I have many detailed images that would assist re-construction.

Bob

[Euan McDonald]

Darren,
My McGrath just needs a new floor, sides, tyres and a front.

[hrpearce]

Euan you forgot ........ and a small can of touch up paint

[Ken Smith]

Hi Darren
The number on the plate at the rear of the trailer 3888 is the chassis number of the trailer.The wheels were from the factory fitted with 7.50-20 tyres,on the North South road the tyres failed because of the pounding and the heat,the trucks and the trailers were changed to 8.25-20 I have this size on my Ford truck and trailer and they look the part.The wheels on the trailer are 5 stud Ford or International rims.You have done well getting the landing wheels,spare tyre carrier and turntable.There is a heavier trailer that had spoked wheels but it was usually towed by the bigger K7 International.Cheers Ken

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Hi Darren
The wheels were from the factory fitted with 7.50-20 tyres,on the North South road the tyres failed because of the pounding and the heat,the trucks and the trailers were changed to 8.25-20 I have this size on my Ford truck and trailer and they look the part.

Hi Ken


I always thought the wheel size on these trailers is 18" .. nearly all of the Aust. pattern trailers I've seen have split 18" wheels.... all types of trailers .. compressor.. generator etc and the semi's.

Mike

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all - the tyre size on the trailer I depicted earlier is 8.25x20.

Bob

[Lang]

Darren,

If you want any info on the trailers I have the parts and identification manuals for them. "Semi-Trailers 7-Ton GS (AUST). Nos 1, 2, 2A, 3, 4 4A 1945"

The round front trailers were only the early models (No 2) but because they are so distinctive they remain in people's minds as THE army trailer. The more useful square front trailers No2A, 3, 4, 4A would have been sold off the same but just blended into all the civilian trailers out there. Looking at the manual it seems a lot more square trailers were built than round ones.

Standard for all was 8.25 X 20 tyres but there were adaptors for fitment of singles. The folding dolly was available as an extra as was the dolly to turn them into a dog trailer to be towed by any truck.

Lang

[Ryan]

Were these trailers towed by Blitz's? I see there is no pics of one behind a Blitz in the above responses. I ask as there is one coming up in a clearing sale. I don't have a pic of it.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Were these trailers towed by Blitz's?

Yes they were Ryan. The AIF used 134in WB Blitz's as tractor units.

[Ryan]

Thanks Cliff. I'll try and make it to the sale. If it looks like the trailers in the above photos I'll have a crack at it. It's listed as an old mcgrath farm trailer.

[Luke R]

Ryan, you should take a few photos of the stuff at the clearing sale for those who cant attend?

Luke

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by Luke R

Ryan, you should take a few photos of the stuff at the clearing sale for those who cant attend?

Luke

No photos I'm afraid as I won't make it today.

[Luke R]

Originally Posted by Ryan

No photos I'm afraid as I won't make it today.

No worries!

[Mike Cecil]

I think it was one of the vehicles that accompanied the early Land Rover Ambulance trials - the trip through Qld and central Australia, early 1960s.

Mike C

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Dianaa

I'm sure there were a couple of images of the McGrath trailer behind an AACO 170 prome mover on REMLR some time ago. The images were monochrome and the tractor-trailer combination were accompanied by an 88" Land Rover, possibly during in-service trials.

Phoenix or Tommy do you remember these images?

Diana, I hope that was a typo, and you meant KODACHROME.