Under Cover...

So, after a long hiatus some more action on the petrol carrier front!

After a long time in storage, a friend was visiting to do some work on my Goddess so it was the ideal opportunity to bring up the genuine Bedford RL tilt (canvas cover for the back) which we acquired last year.

It was quickly fitted and stretched out, although it was easier to remove the front and rear hoops and replace them as the front and back sections are screwed on! 

Anyway, looks good and much more the part than it did. Just the job of waterproofing it now, although the blue tarb top cover is back on to keep the owl poo off it!!

We also managed to get it started for the first time in a few months and to adjust the mixture screw to make it run less rich, so another couple of small wins too!

Show Time...

It's been a while since anything of note has happened with the petrol carrier (he said reminding himself that the last entry was September 2014!), so a strange turn of events at the weekend probably worked out in its favour!

Having booked the goddess in to the Rushden Cavalcade a few weeks ago, my focus turned to the state of the tyres when I polished it all up for wedding duties a few weeks ago. All was fine, except for the tyres, three of which seem to have deteriorated rapidly over the winter months. The light, tolerable surface cracks have developed rapidly into much deeper cracks 3-4 mm deep which suggests that they'll need replacing sooner rather than later!

So, not wishing to take it out unnecessarily, I thought about taking the petrol carrier instead. It started well although when I tried to get it in gear - no joy. When I did, it wouldn't come out again. Stuck clutch! After a couple of phone calls, I tried to get it outside on the starter, to try and run it up and down to free it off. No joy, not enough power. Where's the charger? 20 miles away, at home. So an hour's round journey. Whilst the battery charged, I tried the clutch again - hey presto, it unstuck! Phew! But annoying all the same. After a quick wash of the cab, I put it back to bed as it was by this time far too late to get down the A1 to Rushden in Northants.

Sunday dawned dark and wet and it was a dreary drive down, heavy rain all the way! But at least I know the wipers work and the cab is waterproof. I arrived in good time and parked up and wandered around the show for a bit, impressed by the size of the show and the range of visiting vehicles. It certainly lived up to expectations and is worth a visit again.

After a wander and a read of my book and a natter, I pitched the tent and retired to the bar and eating area for an excellent Thai green curry and a couple of beers, to listen to the live band playing. After a great night's sleep, bank holiday Monday dawned bright and sunny, so lots of encouragement to leave the tent for breakfast. With the tent away and a few cups of tea and a natter with the team from the K2 Preservation Trust who were close by, it was time for a lap of the show ring with an excellent array of commercials.

All too soon, it was time to go, and after a pleasant run back up to Grantham in the spring sunshine, 32 was put back to bed, although not after the all important new anti bird poo protection was put in place!

Next outing will be the Emergency Services Heritage Show at Newark on the 4th and 5th July.

Band On The Run...

Always nice to piece together a vehicle's history, especially one that has a varied career like '32'. After AFS / Home Office service it was sold off to Clywd Fire Brigade for use as a foam carrier, fitted with a tail lift. I have posted photos on here previously showing it in service but I discovered these earlier and given the quality, though I'd share them.... Both were taken, days apart, in August 1996 towards the end of its service - Clywd FB bought '32' in 1988.

Just for clarity, these aren't my photos and were taken by David Jones and can be viewed on his Flickr feed - the two shots are linked below.

https://flic.kr/p/daJagM
 
https://flic.kr/p/daJamX

Both GYL 32C and ex-AFS S type LYO 788 before it (bought 1988, sold 1993) apparently replaced a T registration Leyland Terrier in the foam carrying role as the Leyland was overweight when loaded up. Funny when a vehicle made in 1965 replaces a vehicle made in 1978, especially when this happened in 1988 when '32' was already 23 years old and the Leyland only 10!

You can see the Leyland Terrier in the background in this shot in 1995:

https://flic.kr/p/efHqhF

Show Me Heaven...

The Lincoln Steam and Vintage Show proved to be a great weekend and a good place for the first solo show outing for 32.

As it was originally purchased from the RAF Firefighting Museum, the team there who had a good presence at the show (including the unique TNT 'lime green' goddess) were pleased to see it back and looking good.

Anyway, a nice weekend and 32 ran well overall, covering 150 miles over the two days but it is still running a little rich, although the air mixture screw on the carb is now all the way in. Perhaps the timing is out a little? Sadly, my socket set didn't survive the weekend. The locker floor on the small, rear, near side locker where the hinges attach as collapsed allowing the door to sag - and open. So, on the way home yestedray, going around a right hand bend somewhere..... If you find a socket set on the A46 or A1, it's probably mine!

Anyway, it's now safely tucked up in bed again with the special anti bird poo gaurds fitted.....

Ready For Your Love...

So, a good day of cleaning and sorting things prior to the Lincoln Show this weekend - what will be 32's second show of recent years.

A flat battery and the usual reluctance to start saw the battery from the Goddess connected and even then, it proved difficult to get spinning. Once it was going, the pipe bridge paraphernalia that is usually sat on the back was unloaded and washing commenced. As ever, only one bit can be washed as a time because it has to be chamoised off otherwise the very hard water in the Grantham area leaves large calcium marks!

Why the column number 42? That's a) correct for a petrol carrier and b) the meaning of life.

Time for a fiddle, too, with the extinguisher holders at the front. Expertly made by Tony, they do however allow the retro look foam extinguishers to rattle a bit taking the paint off. So, a pack of 50p foam spot things from Wilkinson did the job and they're now rock solid!

With the sidelight re-fitted - Tony replaced the two pole socket on its Suffolk spa holiday - it was time for a spin and to get some fuel (another £100 or so). With 25 miles done, it still is prone to running rich and running a little roughly but I'm sure the weekend will leave time to tinker and adjust this. Still, irritating - why doesn't it just want to run? This is a vehicle you always seem to have to fight.....

Anyway - the Lincoln show beckons....

Sit Down...

A chance visit to see Brian Whiteside, a prolific Bedford owner and restorer based just outside of Poole, netted a chance purchase of some more goodies to make the petrol carrier even more original.

I had popped in to grab a couple of wings for the goddess to have in stock, however, gazing into his store of goodies revealed a stack of original 'new old stock' Bedford RL seat bases! Apparently, these returned recently to the UK as packing in a box of Land Rover spares from India for someone.

Anyway, once they've had a wipe, they will be fitted in time for the Lincoln show this coming weekend - which will be the first proper show outing for the petrol carrier.

http://www.lsvr.org/

Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally 2014

Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th August 2014

County Showground A15 Lincoln LN2 2NA

Facelift...

Well, after it's spa holiday in Suffolk, 32 has returned north with some further improvements which Tony has spent much time and effort on, and very good they look too!

After a little issue getting 32 back in the barn owing to a caravan / motorhome owner parking across the doors inside the barn, the work could be admired.

The main reason for the journey south was to allow for the fire extinguisher holders that used to be on thr front to be remanufactured. This was a key part of these petrol carriers and both the Bedford and Commer variants had fire extinguishers mounted in this way - the Bedfords on the bumper and the Commers along side the cab doors on the head board. These foam extinguishers would thus be available for first aid fire-fighting if required.

Now, no trace of these brackets exists. GYL 29C still exists somewhere in Scotland but all attempts to trace it to see the real things have failed. So, with some very high resolution photographs provided by John Thompson (who co-wrote the book the 'Green Machine), these have been made from scratch.

Tony and his welders have done a super job and they look just right, even having the mock-up cream extinguishers fitted. The curved metal panels were made from Tony's old oil tank, so recycling in action.

Whilst down there, Tony also recreated the AFS mobile fire column number plates for the front and rear. It's not known that these vehicles were ever issued thus requiring these, however, in the grand scheme of things, numbers 40-46 were allocated for petrol carriers in the Supply and Transport Platoon of HQ Company ('Green Machine', page X). So - which number? As 42 is the meaning of life, it couldn't be anything else. To do this, we had to recreate the number mount for the front which sat on top of the roof-mounted flashing amber lights, the base for which we removed during restoration! You live and learn....

As part of that process, at the back, Tony also raised the rear lights up. These were a little lower on some RLs according to video footage but on the control vehicle, they were mounted higher up, away from damage and where they were less prone to waggling about and vibrating! Sadly, the original number plate didn't survive the transfer (the plastic numbers broke) so although we have kept it, a new one has been made.