Trailer, Compressor, 20-cwt, 2-wh

[Hanno Spoelstra]

This came up recently in a post on Keith Webb's CMP facebook group.

I share this wartime photo here as I have not seen photos of these compressor trailers in use before.

Guillaume Lacroix wrote:

Hello everyone, here is a picture from my late grandfather's private collection.
Unknown Sapper from 9th Canadian Field Squadron (Royal Canadian Engineers), performing road works using an air compressor towed by what looks like a C15 CMP.
Taken somewhere along the 4th Canadian Armoured Division frontline South of the Maas River, Fall 1944.

Mike Calnan posted a photo from the Data Book of the 15-cwt version of this compressor trailer. Looking at the chassis in the photo above, I think that is the 20-cwt version.



The truck towing this trailer looks like a F60S "3-Ton 4x4 Engineers' Lorry with Body Type Winch":

[Hanno Spoelstra]

I think Chris Vickery found one of these a good number of years ago: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8755
Otherwise, I cannot think of any other survivors.


The Australians assembled their own version: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16557

[Bob Carriere]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...b-f29e9e1531ae

...at least the content is relevant.....

[rob love]

The compressor trailer is likely a 15cwt one. The 20cwt would have had the budd wheel adapters with 20" tires and more likely a commercial tread. I used to have one of those trailers and regularly used it for sandblasting. The chassis was made by Gardner, and the compressor unit itself was an Ingersol rand 105 cfm compressor powered by a Waukesha tractor engine. Once I got a large enough electric compressor I moved the compressor trailer out to the back 40 and sold it off just last year as part of an equipment rationalization. I will say this about it: it was a very heavy trailer and a bugger to load onto a trailer, as it would lift the back of the truck loading it, and try to shoot the truck and towing trailer forward. It was also very thirsty, consuming a 5 gallon can of gasoline for every 3 hours of use.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...b-f29e9e1531ae

...at least the content is relevant.....

Replies moved to the thread Trailer, Workshop Servicing, 20-cwt, 2-wh

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by rob love

The compressor trailer is likely a 15cwt one. The 20cwt would have had the budd wheel adapters with 20" tires and more likely a commercial tread.

Agree; I was looking at the Data Book photo which shows a different type of trailer chassis. Maybe a prototype? I think we agree the one in service was based on the standardised 15-cwt/20-cwt trailer chassis.

I used to have one of those trailers and regularly used it for sandblasting. The chassis was made by Gardner, and the compressor unit itself was an Ingersol rand 105 cfm compressor powered by a Waukesha tractor engine. Once I got a large enough electric compressor I moved the compressor trailer out to the back 40 and sold it off just last year as part of an equipment rationalization. I will say this about it: it was a very heavy trailer and a bugger to load onto a trailer, as it would lift the back of the truck loading it, and try to shoot the truck and towing trailer forward. It was also very thirsty, consuming a 5 gallon can of gasoline for every 3 hours of use.

Any pics of your trailer?

[rob love]

The frame was of the same basic layout as the GS trailer, but thicker c channel was used. I'm pretty sure I posted photos of mine over the years but I'll check.

[Grant Bowker]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Agree; I was looking at the Data Book photo which shows a different type of trailer chassis. Maybe a prototype? I think we agree the one in service was based on the standardised 15-cwt/20-cwt trailer chassis.

I see what you mean about the tongues of the data book and photo looking different. The caption below the data book photo does mention some trailers having single tongue and others double tongue design. Thank you for pointing it out, I hadn't noticed that before (in spite of looking at that page many times).