Part hunting on Vancouver island and the mainland

[Robert Bergeron]

Hi all on the West Coast .

Are there interesting salvage yards, dumps, flee markets , old barns , closed down forestry operations , abandoned military installations where I could find-buy -trade CMP , Sherman and Carrier parts while I am here ?

Thank-you very much for the heads up. You may PM or email me if you want your favourite fishing spot remain secret but don't mind my picking off a few good parts or accessories to bring back home East on an upcoming service flight.

[jdmcm]

PM Sent......

[Robert Bergeron]

pM answered!

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends , found this today. Not quite the Carrier trouble light but definitely military . No markings of any kind but green military paint remaining . Bakelite knob at the end of the top hook.


Can someone help me identify this please ? Thanks and cheers .

[Robert Bergeron]

Well , I know what this is and it is a very early ( 1940 ) 1 gal Canadian oil can by General Steel Wares GSW .

Can is in rough shape. Rust. Nice untouched and unpolished brass screw on cap. Worth the buy if only for the cap itself !

[Robert Bergeron]

Found during same hunt :

Oiler . Broad arrow mark and manufacturer name . Faint King's Crown inspector mark . Nice unpolished brass , leather gasket good condition . Recessed cap

Nice MK IV oiler made 1906-1918

[Robert Bergeron]

Found these two military stocks during my part hunt today. Can't decide if they are Ross rifle or P-14 . The more I think of it , maybe Ross so exactly 100 years old ! I will take a few more picture if someone is interested in identifying this more seriously.

Definitely Ross 1905 or 1910 military rifle stock. NOS. No hardware ever mounted on these .

[rob love]

I think you may be right on the stocks being for the Ross. If I had to guess, perhaps the 1905 Ross. Extremely nice find.

Pretty sure the oiler you show is just the standard brass Enfield oil bottle.

[Robert Bergeron]

Hi, Rob, thanks for your response .Here are some more views. With the "R" letter and the characteristic butt my guess is same as yours : Brand NOS Ross 1905 stocks ! Tell me what you think. Any idea what the light is ? My Guess for now is it''s a CMP trouble light never having seen one yet . Cheers.

[rob love]

Incredible find on the stocks. Are there more where they came from?

The light is not CMP, at least not one I have ever seen. I have had 2 styles of trouble lights over the years: Rubber handle which was a fairly conventional trouble light but wiuth an adapter to go from a standard 110 light-bulb to the candelabra base of a 6 volt bulb. The other is the wooden handle trouble lights for the CMPs. Both had a plug on the end of the same style as the 6 volt ligh-tbulb base.

[Robert Bergeron]

I agree , incredible find for the stocks . There is a pile or two left unturned in the hangar. I will keep you posted.

Here is a pick of a marking I found on the lamp upon further investigation. British ! ( Birmingham ) I should of known by the particular shade of OD green.

My guess Brit MILSURP truck related imported in this most interesting location.

[Robert Bergeron]

Hello friends .

Could someone help me identify these tracks and rollers please ?

Brother Rob already volunteered the tracks and rollers were probably Sherman but maybe not the return wheels.

What do you think ?

If someone is really interested and it is Sherman related , I will send privately location, telephone contact number and road direction.

Cheers.

[rob love]

They are the HVSS system, but if it's from a Sherman, someone omitted a wheel station and shortened the hull. The return rollers are also moved directly above the suspension, where normally they would be between the suspension units. But if it is a modified hull, I guess the manufacturer can move the assemblies to wherever he likes.

I am no expert on Shermans though, so I will certainly not argue with anyone with experience or knowledge on them.

[Lynn Eades]

I recall an old thread on the log haulers. I think "Things green" started it.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Ross stocks and forestry Sherman conversions.

Ditto from the others on the Ross rifle stock finds. They're not making them any more, and a lot of collectors are scavenging for long stocks. Yours could become valuable as patterns for someone with a pantograph duplicator.

There are two types of Sherman conversions, and two prominent names. First is Finning rock drills. They typically were shortened to carry around a big hydraulic rock drill and bits used for boring blast holes in Mother Earth's harder surfaces. Bright yellow seems to be the standard. Secondly is a broader family of spar yarders made by Madill in Nanaimo. These typically have three horizontal or vertical volute suspension stations, a new commercial engine, and a very substantial superstructure with a very log mast and several powerful cable winches. Other companies made them too, but in Canada Madill was king.

The donor chassis is usually an M4 of several models, an M6 High Speed Tractor, or an M32 ARV. What was above the sponsons didn't matter because the plant was only interested in the three-sided box of the lower hull, the suspension and final drives.

I have long stated that Canada has a treasure trove of M4 parts under its nose out on the West Coast. Now would be the time to collect the spares before they hit the smelter. Sure someone has to fund the project, but these are the next equivalent of range targets for the restoration community.

[Jes Andersen]

The usual sources for these hulks is pretty well know to those who have an interest in these undercarriage pieces. Many still reside in logging company 'bone yards' but the proximity to tidewater and China have had many of these old vehicle dumps scrapped out. Close to where I live, there is a business who receives a lot of salvage machines and over the years a few yarders and spars. Madill in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island used to be the place and as a youngster a 100 yrs ago, I recall seeing armour in their compound waiting for conversion. Sadly, that business is gone and the jobs with it are now history. It would be interesting to see if pictures of their operations exist and might show the 'before' and 'after' of these machines.

Not to send anyone down another rabbit hole, but here is a link to a discussion on Madill and some pictures of their stuff.

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/...-in-Nanaimo-BC