West Gippsland CMP

[Keith Webb]

Mike, as we know the Noojee (and wider area) was a major timber area. It would be interesting to speculate as to the number of CMPs employed in that area from the war's end to the 1980s when they were all pretty much retired.
For some reason (don't know why) by far the bias was to Ford CMPs, both cab 12 and 13 in that area. I've seen mostly F60Ls but also some F60S, a F15A, and even a FGT at Gladysdale, closer to Yarra Junction but in the general timber area.



And back in 2003 I photographed this F15A, be interesting to know whether it was the one in your photograph.



My own F15A came from the Powelltown sawmill.

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Noojee has been ravaged by bush fires on a regular basis over the years . I don't think the population figure has changed much since the 1940's. A bus service still runs daily between Warragul and Noojee. The last Noojee mainline train ran in 1954, to take residents to Warragul for the Queen's visit .

During its heyday, various narrow gauge lines spread out from the many saw mills into the bush for miles . Cute little company owned steam locos were all over the place . It was quite a feat getting the main line there into Noojee, it's downfall was the many wooden trestle bridges , they burnt down more than once and the cost of rebuilding them didn't justify as the traffic was down to one train a week towards the 1940's.

I believe that garage building is still there today . Did anyone spot the three brands of petrol bowsers ? L to R: Shell, Mobil and COR, that was the norm in those days. The car is a Prefect . The kid would be in his 60's now.



Mike

[Mike Cecil]

Now common, Mike K: this is really a shot from your family album and that's you in the foreground, right!!??

The 15 cwt is interesting as it has the early pattern steel base body without the storage valises within the rear wheel arches .....

As to the Ford 'Defect', nice little car. More than a few of the first model were used as staff cars in Australia during WW2, mainly as 'local area' runabouts by contract liaison officers. Also supplied to US Army in Australia: can you imagine a US Army officer, used to tooling about the USA in his V8 Ford sedan, being handed the keys to a Ford Prefect with fresh white US service stars on the doors, and being told 'these are your new wheels, and by the way, the steering wheel's on the 'wrong' side'??!! The reaction may have been priceless!

Mike C

[Mike K]

Here we go: from the AWM online collection.

The workshop is at Broadmeadows . Nth of Melbourne.

The other pic is St Kilda road Melbourne ,

Mike C can you find census No. 5207 ? I suspect there is a 5th number there we cannot see.


Mike

[Mike Cecil]

Well spotted Mike K!

Yes, there are a host of 'Defects' within the C-520XX registration series, but the registrations are mixed amongst a bunch of other stuff, so my notes about what was what are less than comprehensive. Half the series C-52070 to 52079 are Prefects, all with engine/chassis numbers like 'C221571', so the one pictured could be any one of 5 different vehicles. I noted that many were disposed of to the Department of Air by inter-agency transfer.

Keith: Perhaps the preponderance of Ford CMPs in that area of Victoria was simply a function of the locals knowing exceptional quality when they saw it??!! (THAT should get the GM devotees fired up!!)

Mike C

[gjamo]

Google earth street view.

[Mike K]

We could arrange a 'Before and After' photo shoot .

Well done . You can see where a Shell bowser was, the base area is visible. This thread is going on and on, but we must be boring the guys outside of Victoria

A neighbour here has 100 year + old gold mining mullock heaps on his place. Chinese diggers apparently.

A timber tramway cutting is also visible down the road. One cannot imagine the back breaking manual labour involved, they moved an incredible amount of dirt with shovels .

[lynx42]

My sister was a school teacher in Noojee in 1970 and during one visit to the town to see her, I had a look into the then Country Fire Brigade shed. There was a Dodge weapons carrier in there as the Noojee fire truck. It didn't look too love at that time and I often wonder just what happened to it.
Good photo Mike K.
Regards Rick.