Jailbar Ford...

[Steve Guthrie]

Hello there

I"ve just picked up the PST kit of what they call the Ford 6 1943.

It appears to be a G8T.

I would like to know what Ford of Canada called the 3-ton 4x2 that shared the same cab.

Steve

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Steve Guthrie
I would like to know what Ford of Canada called the 3-ton 4x2 that shared the same cab.

Hi Steve,

Nice pic, again!

I'd like to know if the Jailbar Fords assembled in Canada were right-hand drive - click here to see Sean Spencer's pictures of an ex-Canol Project 1942 1½-ton 4x4 Ford/Marmon-Herrington truck.

Now, were any of these trucks ordered by the Canadian government? Why would it be right-hand drive, then? As far as I know vehicles for use in Canada (domestic use) had left-hand drive. Also, I have not heard of Marmon-Herrington All-Wheel Drive Conversion kits being fitted to Ford trucks in Canada.

An alternative explanation for the right-hand drive on this truck could be that it was an ex-Netherlands East Indies contract vehicle, which was diverted to other Allied armies because it could not be delivered after Java being overrun in 1942.

Who can tell more?

Regards,
Hanno

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have just retrieved my 1943 BRANHAM'S from store, and it has the wartime Canadian cars and trucks listed in it. Only certain years and certain supplements have Canadian info in them.
The 1942-3 3-tonners were C29T, C298T and C296T....123" w.b.?,134" w.b., and 158" w.b. respectively I suppose. The C298TFS, C29WFS and C298WFS were the military versions of these. [AND RIGHT HAND DRIVE CIVILIAN STYLE WOULD BE C29TF, C298TF AND C296TF]

I am adding to this comment the evidence that C298TFS chassis were exported under British contract to Australai and Egypt, etc., and thus would have been right hand drive. The photo just might be of one of the batch:

A 5809058 to A5809257 Contract SM 2972 "Ambulance 3- ton 4x2 4-stretcher"..note the Red Cross badge. If it's not then it's not a British order for the UK.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Canadian Traction Limited of Windsor, Ontario were the Marmon-Herrington conversion agents in Canada. Right-hand drive has the benefit of enabling drivers to see how far they are away from the edge of the road in mountainous and hilly areas...hence Musso's Alfa Romeos were rhd. I am off to France tomorrow sous La Manche par tunnel, and it will be a first..never driven a rhd car on the Continent before...only lhd and also in the USA.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Steve Guthrie
I would like to know what Ford of Canada called the 3-ton 4x2 that shared the same cab.

I have a French language Manuel du Chauffeur. The cover is labelled "Ford Truck 1942-1945" and it was published by the "Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited". No mention is made of type designations or load ratings, but it only mentions the 95 bhp V8 engine and shows a 4x2 chassis with "Jailbar" cab and dual rear wheels. Could it be these (3-ton?) trucks were not built for the military, but for essential civil transport?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Hanno, nice to hear from you. We went by Tunnel to Calais on Thusday, 28th May, and drove past Dunkirk into Belgium. I said to my wife that we could easily have carried on in our car to the other side of Belgium and thence to the Netherlands to see you! So, we will sometime! It was my first taste of driving a rhd vehicle in a country where you have to drive on the right, and there were no problems at all and it even had advantages when needing to view the right side of the road. I respect even more you guys who own CMPs and how you drive them on your own local roads.

Now, there were releases of civilian pattern trucks to essential users during the period 1942-45, although the emphasis seems to have been away from GM of Canada as I only know of one special production of civilian 3-tonners in August 1944 in Oshawa. Fords may well therefore have had a much greater schedule of civilian style trucks for Government use, although it would appear that Chrysler of Canada produced civilian style trucks throughout.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Ford of Canada built some Ford 4x2 13 cab trucks for the British army sply-mech 2670...
They had the 2 speed rear axel,tire pump ,booster brakes and towing hook installed...158" WB...
Ser #'s unknown....

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

L 5587201 to L 5587300 SM 2670 "Lorry 3 ton 4x2 GS" [Model C298TFS]. However note these were G/S trucks, and not Ambulances. Thanks for the reminder Alex.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Steve Guthrie
I would like to know what Ford of Canada called the 3-ton 4x2 that shared the same cab.

Archivianet has a nice sequence of pics showing 1942 model Fords being assembled at Ford Canada, all taken on 2 July 1942:

"Workmen assemble army truck on the assembly line at the Ford Company of Canada plant."

WRM 1991

"Workmen lower fender and grille assembly onto truck chassis on the final assembly line at the Ford Company of Canada plant."

WRM 1992

"Workmen lower fender and grille assembly onto truck chassis on the final assembly line at the Ford Company of Canada plant."

WRM 1993

"Workmen assemble truck frames on an assembly line in the final assembly plant, Ford Company of Canada."

WRM 1994

"Workmen guide a fender and grille assembly onto a truck chassis in the final assembly plant of the Ford Company of Canada."

WRM 1995

"Workmen guide a fender and grille assembly onto a truck chassis in the final assembly plant of the Ford Company of Canada."

WRM 1996

"Workmen finalize assembly on army trucks at the Ford Motor Company of Canada plant."

WRM 2008

"Workmen install fenders and grills on army trucks on the final assembly line at the Ford Motor Company of Canada plant. "

WRM 2012

[Phil Waterman]

It is interesting that the production line is building both CMP and modified commercial at the same time.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Phil, the evidence shows that the production of CMP and MCP trucks on the same line was usual practice at least in Windsor Plant. In 1944 [August?] a limited number of civilian-pattern Chevrolet trucks were produced in Oshawa at the same time as CMPs.

[Steve Guthrie]

Hi there

Thanks for posting the entire series, Hanno.

Notice how the Light Stone painted 'jailbar' cowl seems to be fitted with a Brown headlight mask.

There is another photo somewhere of a CMP Wrecker goaing down the line with several parts finished in different colours.

Not a big deal, I guess.

Steve

[Tony Smith]

Notice, too, the Light Stone cowl is going on to a frame with british military 8 stud hubs - FC60L? and the Khaki truck has commercial 5 stud hubs C298TFS?
Regarding the light stone cowl, notice how the guard (Fender? Wing?) doesn't fit smoothly to the grill panel? It seems to be mounted about an inch wider out to accomodate the fat 9.00-16 tyres of the Brit military wheels.

[Snowtractor]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Right-hand drive has the benefit of enabling drivers to see how far they are away from the edge of the road in mountainous and hilly areas.

Only on one leg of the trip if one maintains traffic rules, ie lane control and if it doesn't switchback and it would have to incline up the slope the proper way ie" if you were facing a mountain and the road climbed it sloping to the left then right hand drive would be against the cliffside. I am really surprised Richard let this one go...unless he was performing a test of his own...What did I win?

Sean

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Steve Guthrie
Notice how the Light Stone painted 'jailbar' cowl seems to be fitted with a Brown headlight mask.

There is another photo somewhere of a CMP Wrecker goaing down the line with several parts finished in different colours.

Not a big deal, I guess.

See Ford Canada Factory....

My guess is these trucks were given a final coat of paint after assembly. Either that or they simply fitted cabs, cargo bodies and wheels painted Light Stone to SCC2-coloured chassis. That would be "about right" too, as most vehicles would be knocked-down for shipping and there could be a need for another camouflage scheme depending on final destination.

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Notice, too, the Light Stone cowl is going on to a frame with british military 8 stud hubs - FC60L? and the Khaki truck has commercial 5 stud hubs C298TFS?

The Light Stone cowl was certainly going to end up as a FC60L.

From David's Revised 1942 S/M Contracts Listing I got the impression the C298TFS is the same as the FC60L, though?

H.


Linked from US-built Ford 1942-model trucks in Allied service

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Regarding the light stone cowl, notice how the guard (Fender? Wing?) doesn't fit smoothly to the grill panel? It seems to be mounted about an inch wider out to accomodate the fat 9.00-16 tyres of the Brit military wheels.

Good observation! The 10.50-16 wheels certainly needed more room.

It serves as a nice identification feature - the truck in the picture below has the same filler strip, so this must be an FC60L.

Linked from US-built Ford 1942-model trucks in Allied service

[cliff]

there were a few Jailbar Fords in amongst the collection at Kingaroy. Most to my knowledge went through the crusher at the end.

cheers
Cliff

OH this pic by me (sorry could not resist)