"HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY" to my Albion chassis No. 361A

[lynx42]

“HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY."

I almost missed this very important occasion, the 100th birthday of my 1916 Albion A10 chassis number 361A.

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Well actually I had missed it as it was to be delivered in the middle of February 1916 so I waited to the last day, the 29th February 2016 just to be sure as I do not know the exact date of delivery.

Attached are copies of the original build sheet which I obtained from the Albion Archives in Biggar Scotland in 2009 which have the date the chassis was laid down as the 6th December 1915 for delivery the middle of February 1916.

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This is what I first saw way back in 1971 at the rear of A.W.Smith & Sons P/L Leongatha Vic. Aust. There was a large ship’s winch behind the driver’s seat for winching logs in the bush. This winch was driven from the final chain drive pinions on each side after the truck had been driven to the work site and the chains linked up to the winch. Bert Smith the owner wanted to keep the winch so that had to be removed first.

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The chassis had a 3” sag in it between the front and back axles so the chassis had to be completely stripped down and straightened. This was achieved with the assistance of a track breaking press for bulldozers.

More to come,
Regards Rick.

[lynx42]

I brought it home on a tandem trailer behind my trusty 1956 ‘FJ’ Holden. That is something you could not do today, 3.75 tons behind a car weighing just over 1 ton. Petrol at Rosedale was 64cents a GALLON. ($0.14.2 cents a litre)

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The chassis stripped down for straightening and sand blasting. The tyres were pretty sad.

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The engine was seized and I left it for 6 months with the chassis jacked up on one of the flywheel bolts. Diesel was pored into the cylinders each week and one day the chassis was sitting back level as the seized engine had turned over.

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more to come,
Rick

[lynx42]

The Albion engine has a dry sump system invented by Thomas Blackwood-Murray the founder of Albion. The oil goes to the 5 main bearings and the 4 cylinders. It then drips off the main bearings and collects in slinger rings which sling it into the big end bearings after which it is thrown all around the engine. The oil should be run off at the end of each day according to the brass plate seem above the exhaust manifold.

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The crankshaft was in excellent condition but missing the governor. I found one as well as the magneto cut out switch in Toowoomba QLD.

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The clutch plate was beyond repair as the lining rivets had ground well into the plate. The Albion has the linings on the flywheel face and the spring plate with a spinning disc plate, the opposite to todays practice. Where do you get a new clutch plate these days? Well, you cut one out of a circular saw blade which, I might add, are extremely tough but designed to carry heat without distortion. It is a lovely clutch to use.

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No.2 piston came out in 3 bits, so it was a case of welding it back together and hand filing down.

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still more to come.
Rick

[lynx42]

I took the restored chassis back to where it came from. A W Smith and Sons Leongatha. To show old Bert and his brother Clarrie who was the last person to drive her.

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I the commenced the building of the body using the body builders blueprints I received from the Albion company in 1971.

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Rick

[lynx42]

In 1983 the Albion was used in the first big Australian TV production, a 10 hour story called “The ANZACS” here it is on set in a ‘French village’.

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And also with a 1916 Talbot ambulance for company on site.

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A vintage lane in England? No our driveway a few years ago.

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So where is she today, On loan to the Bandiana Military Museum where it has been for a number of years. She was on display at the Australian War Memorial for 3 ½ years before going to Bandiana.

We often get her out for a run and will see her for a belated birthday drink in a couple of weeks.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY 361A”

PS.. 361A was used to promote the then new Unimog on their acceptance into the Australian Army all those years ago.

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Here also is a page from 1916.

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Regards Rick and Jill.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Rick

That is a real bench mark in the military vehicle community. The vehicle and you are lucky to have so much of the truck's history documented and photographed. Do you have all this on a display board to put out when the truck is on display, make good read for the general public to put the truck in context.

Cheers Phil

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY 361A”

I'll second that!

Thanks Rick and Jill for saving and restoring this great old truck

Hanno