Truck, 3-ton, Signals Line Construction (Chevrolet C60S)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Grant Bowker wrote about this type:

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

It is a "3 Ton Telephone Lorry", which according to the AEDB Design Record was:

"patterned after the commercial type Bell Telephone Company "Line Construction Vehicle - H.C.V.", the chassis however being a CMP 4x4 134 inch WB equipped with 10.50x20 tires. The vehicle was designed to carry a complete set of tools and equipment for the repair and maintenance of telephone lines and installations and was equipped with winch and derrick poles. The vehicle was operated by a trained telephone line construction crew of Signals' personnel. The 4-K-1 body was of all steel construction and consisted of a steel platform with specially constructed bins and lockers which were designed so as to form the sides and front of the body. The top was of 3 sections, telescopic design, the fore and aft sections being of steel while the centre section was of rubberized canvas. Tools and equipment were stowed in designated positions over the body while specialty stores were stowed in the individual bins."

The vehicle code for the Telephone Lorry was 60444-M-SLC-1. SLC=Signal Line Construction?
It is also stated that the vehicle had a crew of 5, 10,000 pound winch (which could also power a detachable cable reel that mounted to the round shaft seen in the open locker at the right front of the body). The derrick is not the same as used on the derrick lorry. The telephone lorry's derrick had 2 brace legs which attached part way up the central leg that could be extended well past the attachment point of the braces. It is possible that the angle of the main pole could be adjusted by moving the attachment point of the braces, but this is not certain. By contrast the Derrick lorry had all 3 legs coming to a common point at the head sheave with all 3 legs adjustable for length.

[Colin Alford]

Hanno,

Here is the relevant info from Volume VI of the Design Record.

IMG_1861.jpg IMG_1863.jpg IMG_1864.jpeg IMG_1865.jpeg IMG_1866.jpeg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Colin Alford

Here is the relevant info from Volume VI of the Design Record.

Thanks Colin!

I also looked up the body type, the 4K1 was a "special steel Telephone (Signals Line Construction) body (...) similar to the standard commercial vehicles used for telephone construction work":

Body_4K1.jpg


I also compared it with the body on the US Signal Corps' model K42 or K43 (G7173) which is of similar construction but shorter. So the Chevrolet C60S shown above as assembled by Mr Dieffenbach, was the result of some artistic license. That body was put back on the type of chassis it was originally fitted to.

SC-K42.jpg

[Alex van de Wetering]

A well known period picture.......and even though the hint is in the description I only recently noticed the body of this truck.

Personnel repairing a bomb-damaged truck of the 1st Canadian Railway Telegraph Company, Royal Canadian Engineers (R.C.E.), Louvain, Belgium, 6 January 1945

source:https://recherche-collection-search....2827&q=3392827

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

A well known period picture.......and even though the hint is in the description I only recently noticed the body of this truck.

Nice find!