Wrecker equipment on Civil trucks

[Rolf S. Ask]

I am in need of photos of Holmes or Gar Wood equipment mounted on civilian trucks... Anyone who can help?

And another question, What is the wights of say, 20 inch wheels?
I mean the differences between Run Flat and Pneumatic tyres.
How much rubber did they save using five wheels instead of four?

And why is it mounted a spare wheel on the very early wrecker on the picture?

Rolf

[Rolf S. Ask]

the picture.....

[cliff]

I also would be interested in photos of this wrecker gear as I wish to build an early Ford F60H wrecker and lack the details of this equipment.

[Phil Waterman]

Bart Vanderveen did an excellent article on CMP wreckers in Wheels and Tracks. I can't find my copy so I can tell you what issue. Someone in our readers must have their full set on the shelf next to them. What issue? Does the publisher still have back issues?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Yes Battle of Britain do have most back issues but they are going fast! I have a copy of the issue in my shed which I must look out now.

I have just one photo of a post-war refurbished wrecker on CMP chassis..C60S I think. You are welcome to it..just let me know. There are also the official shots of Chevrolet wreckers that I have been lent as well.

We had an answer to the reason for the spare wheel behind the cab in a past thread as I requested clues as to telling the difference between the swb and lwb 3-tonners. I seem to recall that if the wheel could not fit in the cab it was mounted behind... the photo seems to be of the lwb chassis and most 158" chasiss I have seen have the wheel mounted behind the cab. I have a Xerox of IWM photo # KID 1402 of a similar # 12 Cab F60L with the same body as the photo you posted. We know of a survivor, assembled 14 August 1941. It would appear that the truck in the photo and that in the IWM photo were both Ford models EC018Q, Dagenham-assembled F60L to British Contract S/M 2019 / V.4288 [similar to later contract S/M 2037 although I also have another shot, KID 1987 of a similar body with Holmes crane on the F60S chassis to Canadian order, assembled in England as well]. My information has it that these had GAR WOOD 4D1 bodies but I know zilch about wreckers! Why the Canadian F60S was photographed for the WD I have no idea, and suggest that it was 'borrowed' for testing at Kidbrooke from the Canadians especially as it still has the 'CMD' assembly line code and not a WD-style Census Number that would have been applied if the truck had been taken on strength. The CMD number acted as a 'trade plate' it seems until the RCAOC allocated the WD-style Census Number ready for tge truck to be issued.

I also have a Xerox of an IWM photo of a 1940 Brirish [S/M 2004] contract Ford EC098T wrecker, 4 x 2 modified civilian pattern, with spare wheel behind the cab.

[cliff]

yes I have the Wheels and Tracks and also all the AWM photos and others but none with enough detail to be able to reproduce the wrecker set up accurately.

I thought some kind soul out there may have a real one for some basic measurements and detail photos for us

Cheers
Cliff

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

My pal, now in France, wrote that a JOE MITCHINSON of Northumberland owned a Ford # 12 Wrecker, serial # 13096, painted erroneously with L 1819831. Does this help?

[Rolf S. Ask]

a lot, but perhaps I was a bit confusing...

First, I have all W&T and it is a great magazine. Second, the picture I posted is also in the magazine, but I got it elsewhere.
What I was looking for was not military pattern vehicles, but civilian sporting the early types of Holmes and Gar Wood cranes (hand operated), such as the "1940 Brirish [S/M 2004] contract Ford EC098T wrecker, 4 x 2 modified civilian pattern, with spare wheel behind the cab." you mentions David. I want such photos to comparre with military pattern vehicles.

The question, why the truck on the picture, which is an early one have, a spare tyre is because I tought early trucks all used Run Flat tyres, and therefor did not use to carry a spare one. And that again lead me into thinking what the wights on RF and Pneumatic tyres are...
I also have a copy of a manual from Alex with some exelent drawings of a Holmes crane. Don't remember the manuals name/number thoe, it is in my garage-place.

Rolf

[Tony Smith]

The pic below appeared in W&T no33:

[Phil Waterman]

#2: 150 pages
Bodies Part List Illustrated,
for CMP vehicles, G.S. (Wood and Steel), F.A.T. W-35 Wrecker, Water Tanker, Etc.,
34 plates, issued by Dept. of Munitions & Supply, Canada. Oct. '41.

I got a reprint from ALEX BLAIR which provides great information.

PS Alex has Service Bulletins which provide fascinating reading and much information. Particularly interesting to see the evolution and corrections to problems that the CMPs went through.

Thanks Alex for making these avaliable.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Alex, how much for the SBs please?

[cliff]

Originally posted by Phil Waterman
#2: 150 pages
Bodies Part List Illustrated,
for CMP vehicles, G.S. (Wood and Steel), F.A.T. W-35 Wrecker, Water Tanker, Etc.,
34 plates, issued by Dept. of Munitions & Supply, Canada. Oct. '41.

Thanks for the info. Does it have detail photos of the wrecker gear?

cheers
Cliff

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Phil Waterman
Bart Vanderveen did an excellent article on CMP wreckers in Wheels and Tracks. I can't find my copy so I can tell you what issue. Someone in our readers must have their full set on the shelf next to them. What issue?

See CMP Wreckers article...

H.

[Rolf S. Ask]

that one Tony.

And buy the lot of W&T... They will soon lack some of them.

But anyone having pictures of Canadian built civilian Dodges, Fords og Chevs with the crane equipment???

And anyone who can explain the spare wheel on the picture??

I have the feeling you lads are into everything so you hope I would forget my questions...

Rolf

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by cliff
Does it have detail photos of the wrecker gear?

Cliff, like Rolf said, it does have some excellent drawings of a Holmes crane. If you can wait a few days I can scan my photocopy for you (I'm off to Bastogne now).

Cheers,
Hanno

[cliff]

thank you Hanno I really appreciate that

and I really hope you have a fantastic time.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Phil Waterman
#2: 150 pages
Bodies Part List Illustrated,
for CMP vehicles, G.S. (Wood and Steel), F.A.T. W-35 Wrecker, Water Tanker, Etc.,
34 plates, issued by Dept. of Munitions & Supply, Canada. Oct. '41.

Cliff, here come two images scanned from this manual:

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Unfortunately I had to piece them together from two scans - courtesy of David Dunlop - as copies were on several sheets (the original drawings must be pretty big). As you can see the copies lost some detail on the edges. E-mail me if you want larger sized scans. I hope this helps, if not ask Alex for a copy of the manual.

Hanno

[cliff]

Hanno fantastic. Thank you so much for those. In the new year I will have to purchase that manuel from Alex.

cheers
Cliff