Australian fire pump trailer

[Allan Currey]

I would like to model this little Aussie trailer that was towed behind CMP fire tenders, but despite extensive searching here and elsewhere, I have not been able to find pictures of the front. I did see one post-war with a lovely chrome radiator cover, but that seems unlikely for 1940s. Here's a pic from the AWM.

Thanks for any help,

Allan.

[lynx42]

These pump trailers are fitted with the same engine as the Chev Blitz towing it. The wheels are also C1940 Chev. car wheels and hubcaps and are fitted with 600x16 tyres.
Regards Rick.

[Mike Kelly]

That looks like a GMH made JUPITER , there was one of those in Bill Drews yard years ago , it was pretty much a wreck .

Rod Keys had a complete one at his auction , 10 years ago ?

Mike

[Allan Currey]

Thanks Rick for the detail on the wheel and tyre size, good info.

Cheers,

Allan

[Mike Cecil]

In had one of those trailers: got the bones of it from Billy Drew in Mt Alexander Road, Pascoe Vale (?). I used it as the base for a high-sided box trailer, which is still being towed around the Yass area somewhere (fitted with 7.50x16 tyres on the original wheels, and 700x16 on Toyota Hi Lux wheels, which have the same stud pattern).

A couple of points from memory, as I stripped the badly rusted bodywork from it so I remember something of what it looked like.

Chassis: is an "A" shape from the rear corners where the props are in the image, to the apex (towing eye) point. There are outriggers on the A frame to mount the axle springs.

The prop visible in the rear corner: there was one at each corner and one about a foot back from the apex on the right side. The prop mounts were brass/bronze, and were intwo halves, held together with a bolt on one side, and a threaded rod bent into a handle on the other. The prop feet were not flat, but slightly dome shaped, and about 6 inches across. Ros was probably 1.5 inches in diameter (these are guess-timates!) The top was flat and much smaller, maybe 3 inches across.

Bodywork, front: the two long boxes along each side are open topped, with flat steel U shaped stirrups to hold the pick-up lines (visible in the image). These two boxes end in square ends. Across the front of the trailer was a flat sheet steel wall, with a half-round locker in front of it. The locker had a hinged lid (hinged along the straight side). The width of the locker was the distance between the boxes: it did not extend across the front of the two boxes.

Towing hitch/eye was mounted above the chassis (like the No.4 jeep trailer).

As Rick said, Chev tyres and car-type wheels. The bearings were really strange: glad mine never had to be replaced. I just took them apart (they were not a closed cage type, but all loose balls with an inner and outer), cleaned them, greased them, and left it at that. Never gave me any trouble, and I used the trailer for thousands of miles of field work for years. I towed it behind a Hi Lux, hence the second set of tyres on Hi Lux rims, which gave me more spares if needed.

Hope this helps.

Mike C

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

As Rick said, Chev tyres and car-type wheels. The bearings were really strange: glad mine never had to be replaced. I just took them apart (they were not a closed cage type, but all loose balls with an inner and outer), cleaned them, greased them, and left it at that. Never gave me any trouble, and I used the trailer for thousands of miles of field work for years. I towed it behind a Hi Lux, hence the second set of tyres on Hi Lux rims, which gave me more spares if needed.

Those ball bearings are known in the trade and vintage circles as Chev Bearings. They are still available and seem to work well. My 1940 Chev Staff Car has them and whilst I have replaced them I have never had any trouble.

Just remembered that my Australian No.3 IHC (No.7) built trailer has them as well, infact I put the used bearings out of the Chev when I replaced them into the trailer as they were in better condition than the originals. (and kept the best one as a spare.)

I have run HiLux split rims on the Chev ever since I found out via the late Neil Wain that my Chev, being a desert model should have had 7.50x16 tyres instead of the smaller 6.00x16 it had on it when I picked it up. The HiLux rims have the correct off-set where as LandCruised rime are set too far in and fouled the steering. I have now picked up a full set of original wide Chev rims to tke the 7.50x16 tyres all I need now is time to get them painted and fitted.

Regards Rick