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#1
10-08-08, 01:45
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These sound like terrific books and I'm passing on Nigel's book website to my wife and father in law as a Christmas present hint
 . I notice on the website it mentions Volume Two covers Local Pattern carriers, would this imply Australian and New Zealand-built vehicles? And I guess my second question is a complete long shot, but my main interest is the Australian 1-ton tracked truck GS (for which I am steadily working on 4-view CAD plans), is anything about these prototypes covered? Steve. 
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#2
10-08-08, 11:15
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The Aust LP carriers and Tracked Truck are featured, but Mike Cecil's booklet has more comprehensive coverage of the subject. Unfortunately, Mike and Nigel's books repeat the errors on the TT engine numbers originally made in the ARN register book, without trying to explain them.
Steve, would your surname start with "M", perhaps explaining your interest in 1 ton TT's?
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#3
17-08-08, 17:18
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Quote:
Quote:
We see from the AWM register that TT 129991 (pilot model) was listed at a separate time to the "Production" vehicles. It would seem that the recorded engine number 3G50334F is correct. The 11 (?) "Production" vehicles received the ARNs 149341 to 149351, a block of numbers between a large series of DUKWs. Chev/GM vehicles tended to record both a chassis number and an engine number. Ford vehicles usually only used the engine number . In Australian Army usage the Chev/GM Chassis number was stamped on the chassis rail, while Aust Fords stamped the Engine Number on the chassis, and this number is used as a vehicle "chassis" number. Comparing the records for the DUKWs and the Tracked Trucks, the recorded numbers are in "Engine Number" column of the register. For 149341, we see an interesting number recorded, C81T 6049. This is not the usual format for a Ford engine number, what is it? The design of the TT featured a Butterfly engine cover, with acces to the engine from the right hand side of the vehicle. If an inexperienced (or time-poor) person was sent out to find the engine number, upon opening the engine cover the first number he would spot is the part number for the right hand cylinder head cast into the head, C81T 6049. This number has been recorded as the engine number for 149341, but it is certainly NOT the engine number. We could probably imagine the scene as the harried Office Boy returned to the office with his note pad proudly bearing a cylinder head part number. "You clown! What's this?" "It was the only number I could find on the engine!" "If you can't find the Ford number on the Block, it will also be stamped on the Chassis. Now get going!" Unfortunately, the Tracked Truck wasn't built by Ford Australia, but only used a Ford V8 supplied through Ford Aust. The manufacturer has used a simple SERIAL chassis number with a build date.Thus, we see that: 149344 has Chassis X901, built Aug '44. 149345 " Chassis X902, " Sep '44. 149346 " Chassis X903, " Sep '44. 149347 " Chassis X904, " Oct '44. 149348 " Chassis X905, " Oct '44. 149349 " Chassis X906, " Nov '44. 149350 Not recorded. 149351 " Chassis X908, " Feb '45. 149341 Not recorded. 149342 " Chassis X916, " Jul '45. 149343 Not recorded. Note that -341, -343 and -350 have no chassis numbers recorded. Also of interest is that -342 is clearly shown as Chassis X916! There were apparently only 11 "Production" models made, so has the Office Boy poorly written X910 in a shaky copperplate script that has been transcribed as X916, or were there 16 made? See that from the build date of X908 to X916/910, 5 months has elapsed, a long time to make just 2 chassis. Or is it really that only 11 were made and -341, -343 and -350 are some combination of X907, X909 and X911? Also note that Both 149345 and 149350 are shown as going to the United Kingdom.
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#4
17-08-08, 17:48
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I have had a good look over the Tracked Truck at Puckapunyal (which is somewhat incomplete), and my surreptitious, furtive and even overt checking for any number stamped in the chassis or body failed to find anything in over 1/2 an hour of searching. Where was the Office Boy looking? Perhaps there was a Builder's Plate that has been souveniered? As far as I am aware, the identity of the Pucka TT has not been ascertained.
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#5
17-08-08, 17:53
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149344 still exists, and although in original paint, more components are missing and corrosion is somewhat worse. Despite knowing to look for the numbers X901 or 844, nothing could be found on the chassis.
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#6
18-08-08, 04:39
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Tony, thanks for the extremely interesting information. Yours are the first photos I've seen of the tracked Truck recovered in FNQ apart from the small pic that appeared in an old issue of 'Wheels & Tracks' some years ago. I wonder if it could be restored with a pair of refabricated steering arms for the idler, and half a dozen LP2A rear bogie units. It looks like it has more of the steering tie-rods intact than the Pucka one, and wasn't fitted with the marker light guards.
I too couldn't find any markings on the TT at Pucka, even though I spent a few hours looking and measuring the vehicle. It's a unique piece of Oz MV history and the totally home-grown aspect of it really appeals to me a lot (like the Sentinel). Not wanting to hijack Nigel's book thread, perhaps a new thread just for the TT should be started? Steve.
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#7
25-08-08, 02:59
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Hey Nigel,
My copy of Volume II arrived here in Texas over the weekend and it looks great. Another job well done  I skipped ahead to read the T-16 section first and found you have included some really good information. Now to start at the beginning and read up on the other carriers. Keep up the good work.
__________________
David Gordon - MVPA # 15292 '41 Willys MB British Airborne Jeep '42 Excelsior Welbike Mark I '43 BSA Folding Military Bicycle '44 Orme-Evans Airborne Trailer No. 1 Mk. II '44 Airborne 100-Gallon Water Bowser Trailer '44 Jowett Cars 4.2-Inch Towed Mortar '44 Daimler Scout Car Mark II '45 Studebaker M29C Weasel
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