Ford semi tractor unit

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all
Unfortunately some of the images in this thread were lost in the recent outage. The images were of modifications to the Ford truck. We have one of these at our Museum and I'd like to share some information and images. Some of the narrative was obtained from an elderly gentleman who was a driver on and during the construction of the North South Highway.

Just to take a step back in this thread, firstly the conditions at the time have to be appreciated. It was the early 1940s with the threat of a Japanese invasion likely to the north of Australia. As there was no road from Alice Springs to Darwin something had to be immediately done, namely build the road, that is now named the Stuart Highway or in those days the North-South Road. Several truck types were employed, one of them being this style of Ford prime mover coupled to a bow trailer. The following images are of an original North-South prime mover that is awaiting restoration in our Museum.