Carrier farm conversion

[Mike Kelly]

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...chTerm=vehicle

[maple_leaf_eh]

He moved the driving position behind the engine, and used the front compartment as a well for cargo and seed bags.

From the text, this is how he rearranged the controls:

How the Bren carrier's pitching motion was damped for work on the land.
The rear springs of the track wheels have been fixed by welding channel
iron over them, while the front springs (right) remain as before.

This ex-carrier was an exception.
Us 30-horsepower Ford V8 engine
hummed at the touch of the starter.
I rode for some time in the front
well. Progress was smooth and far
more silent than on most tractors.
The driver had a high seat now, with
a commanding view of the drill
' wheèlmark. And the pitching
motion (previously provocative of
a farm version of mal de mer) was
entirely overcome.

Most noticeable change at first
glance was that the armoured super-
structure had all been removed. A
tough job this, and virtually impos-
sible without an oxy-acetylene cut-
ter.

......

Transferring the controls from
forward to aft positions was the
trickiest job. First thing was to
simplify the steering.

Originally, the Bren carrier was
steered by a wheel. It acted first
by bowing both of the tracks slightly
in the required direction. Then,
when turned further, it braked the
track on the inside of the curve,
while the other still drove.

Close-up of the controls of the con-
verted carrier. The levers ore, from
left to right, hand clutch, left
track brake, gear, and right track
brake. Between the two high levers
is the hand throttle control, with
foot accelerator low on the right.

It was the sudden change from
bowing and braking that some-
times made Bren carriers spin iike
a top on hard road surfaces when
trying to negotiate a corner at
speed.

Mr. White's two sons, George and
Robert, who did all the conversion
between them, cut out the bowing
idea. It was useless for land work.
They replaced the wheel with a
couple of levers similar to those
with which all crawler users are
familiar. All steering is now accom-
plished by braking on one or other
of the tracks.

The foot clutch remains, but is
now supplemented by a hand con-
trol which gives smoother and safer
take-off. This is necessary because
the driver is in an admirable posi-
tion for being jerked off his seat
and thrown under the implement
following behind.

Throttle control is as on old
time motor bikes, before twist
grips became the fashion. There
is a foot accelerater for road work.
The instrument panel has been
transplanted bodily so as to be right
under the driver's eye.

This rearrangement of the con-
trols required considerable thought
and ingenuity. But it was simpli-
fied by the fact that from the point
of view of position of the engine,
etc., it was a change from remote
control in the old forward position,
to more or less direct control for
the present layout.