25 Pounder info needed.

[Private_collector]

After an anxious time looking without result, a good pair of 25 pounder shield attachment brackets has become available. Release the Doves and Light the Beacons! Another case of an MLU member to the rescue, as is quite often the way. My great thanks to all you folks who have gone out of their way to help me with materials and information. My project would be nigh on impossible without all that assistance.
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One bracket will get a small amount of attention/welding, purely for cosmetics.

The brackets have been ordered and should be with me in a couple of weeks.

At this stage, there is no firm date for delivery of my parts from Victoria, but they will come when the transport driver gets up this way next. Could still be a few weeks yet.

I've had a little ill health in recent months, which has slowed me down dramatically, and am looking to pick up the pace soon. Cooler weather will go in my favor.

Is there a reference source anyone can recommend for showing details of the welded trails 25pr version?
That will be my design of choice, so I am searching internet for photos. There's not a lot around. At least where I'm looking.

[rnixartillery]

Tony.

You really are in the right part of the world to find a 25 pdr welded trail and saddle ,are there any in museums on display anywhere ? you may have to take a short break somewhere to photograph and measure up ,possible the one pictured above !
Non over here as far as I know of.

Rob...................rnixartillery

[The Bedford Boys]

John Belfield still has one in his collection.

There is also a welded trail here in NZ, used to be about an hours drive from me. It's now down in the South Island near Christchurch.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Tony,

AWM in Canberra have a nice restored example of a 25pdr with an Aust welded trail, saddle etc. It is in storage at the Mitchell annex. Access by arrangement. PM me if you want the details. Conservation restored two in 2008-2009: a riveted version and the welded version.

I'm sure there would be examples closer to home, but who knows what condition they will be in. Murgon's gun is riveted (like Tiaro's), but I suspect you already know that.....

Regards

Mike

[Private_collector]

Thanks guys. I'm really surprised there aren't any welded types I know of around my immediate area, that I'm aware of. I've only found 3 useful images on web, but that's no substitute for personal viewing. If I can locate ONE I can get to, I can get a library of images. Might be all I need. I can eliminate Bandiana Museum as a source. They don't have one.
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The two photos above are the best I could find, so far. I still hope to find more, but they have eluded me for now. Am in the process of looking through images that the AWM have publically available, and have found the 3rd image that makes the last of what I've found to date, but it is not a good quality photo. I believe Chubb built some. Is there any other manufacturer/s who did also? It might help my search to know the builders.

Would be good to see the AWM example, but that's a long way from me, at this point in time. Then again, so is Bathurst, and I found myself there not long ago. Perhaps a trip to Canberra might make for an interesting holiday. It has been a while, and the AWM is one of my favorite places on the planet. Always a humbling experience, and recharges ones sense of respect for our armed services.

I'm committed to doing the welded style build. Apart from anything else, the trails have much less of the difficult to replicate details of the riveted version. Besides, I think they look kind of cool!

[Private_collector]

If I was building a replica of this.....I'd be finished by now!
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Must admit, I do REALLY like the wheels. Made in 1890s, Melbourne, so the ebay listing says.

[Private_collector]

As with the lack of images Australian made 25pr, my online search for images of the correct illuminating apparatus box has had very little success. The only thing less productive that the photo search is my efforts to locate/purchase the actual box itself.

It is looking very likely that I will need to manufacture one of those boxes from scratch, or ideally, heavily modify another type of box around the same size.

Some time ago, a member (sorry, I forget who) posted several photos of the box, but I will need as many as I can possibly find, and box dimensions too. If anyone has photos showing ANY details of the box, or its measurements, I would be most grateful to see them!

My shield brackets must be a couple of days away from arrival, because I have been following the parcel tracking.