This is an odd ad!

[rob love]

So now it is time to move to the next portion of this restoration: the limber. I pulled the tarp off and brought it to the shop. I am hoping this will be a quick restoration. I removed the right tire which was missing it's snap-ring, and replaced it with a cmp rim and tire for now. The first order of business will be to remove the fenders, and straighten a few parts. With any luck I'll have it in the sandblast shed for August.


This was a Saskatchewan/Alberta piece, so is relatively rust free which is nice. I expect the fenders to give me the biggest problem. In the background you can just see the artillery tractor shell. The tractor will be made up from 3 different CMPs, and use a 15cwt frame which I believe to be pretty identical to the FAT frame.

[David Dunlop]

Rob.

Back when Mike Calnan was at Shilo, here was a guy in town out there driving around in a homebuilt mud truck based on a Gun Tractor Chassis. Used to hang out at the restaurant just outside the base. Maybe that truck is still out there somewhere.

David

[rob love]

The restaurant is still there, but there seem to be very very few CMPs left in this area. There are a couple of scrapyards in the area, and I suspect they may have consumed most of the CMPs. That said, there are still a few surprises out there. The tractor shell was found (not by me) about 25 miles North, resting in the bush line for about 60 years. It suffered a few bullet holes, and the owners used some sheetmetal off the rear slope, but the potential is there. In fact, it still has an original padlock or two still on some of the bins.



I have said it before, the biggest killer of artillery tractors was that rear winch. The owners would shed the shell, and weld a tow truck boom directly onto the frame. Then there would be a cycle of frame cracking and fish-plating that would make an unrecoverable mess of the original frames. I'll show some photos of a frame like that when I get to the restoration of the tractor.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Rob,

Looking really nice.

What is the box mounted on the rear of the trail for, please?

I thought both diagonally opposite chains/turnbuckles adjusted the tension of the platform stowage?

Regards

Mike

[rob love]

The box contains the siege lamps. One website indicates this position for stowage, but I did not find any supporting information in the manuals for it. I believe normally the canvas items are stowed there.


From the back of the gun, the right chain has the turnbuckle to adjust the length, The left side is a fixed length. Not sure if this is a Cdn thing. My 1950 parts manual shows both having turnbuckles like you mention. I'll have to check the other two carriages here in the yard, along with some of the half dozen or so guns at work to see if this fixed chain might be a Canadian thing, or someone's quick fix. Unfortunately I do not have a Canadian parts manual for the 25 pounder (yet).

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Rob,

I have one ... I'll check. However, based upon the Australian experience, I think you may have a mix of two periods. The straight chain came first, then the chain and turnbuckle was introduced to compensate for the very problem you have: lack of sufficient tension on the firing platform which allowed the overcentre clamps to open during transit, with consequential damage to trail and platform.

There was also three methods of prevention of the overcentre clamps opening on their own: no restraint which relied on the tension of the overcentre arm itself, a spring-loaded, clip-on restraint, and finally a webbing strap restraint that was held to the trail by two footman loops. All detailed in my new book.

I thought the siege lamps were stowed on the trailer, No.27 Mk.1's tray, and the canvas covers, when stowed, went on that position of the trail. Maybe a Canadian thing?

I gather your 25-pdr is a Sorrel, Quebec, gun?

Interesting link between Canadian and Australian 25-pdr production.

Regards

Mike

[maple_leaf_eh]

Rob, you've made my day! From me spotting the cryptic heads up on a French language FB group and my post on this thread, to your half-way across the country recovery roadtrip, and now the proof of your labours. All great to see. And all the comments from other artillery collectors and builders helping along the way.

MLU at its finest!