1950s ex-HMAS Nirimba Thornycroft Nubian airport fire tender

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:06 pm

Hippy Chippy wrote:

Brian, thought you'd like these pics of the 'Tross Tender, posted on the :type:

HMAS Melbourne II - the Aussie Aircraft Carrier R-21 FB page...

Many thanks Rick - more gold (I get easily excited these days). Now I just have to work out how to copy all the images you have so kindly found and the suggestion of which crown for what period. I think I have picked the correct colour, the bell shown on the latest image was replaced by a headlight (or fog light) but that seems to have occurred with the unit image from Scampton as well. Your colour version confirms that I will need to paint the timber battens for the suction hoses black - the black and white photo from the museum suggested they were black. It has been slow going (was never going to be a 5 minute rebuild). The drivers door is closer to completion (everything seems to fit and I have stripped the paint from the skin). Sourced some replacement bolts for the brake covers (brake system appears to have been designed by a gynecologist - there are two covers behind the brake drum and that is for access to the brakes. You do not remove the brake drum to access). The glass supplier is in the process of making the glass for one windscreen and the two lower windscreen fitted sections. I have found a firm that can manufacture the curved glass for the frame on the passengers side and also found the supplier for the leather for the seats (the 1957 NIRIMBA image suggests that there was a seat on the passengers side - or the member is sitting on the air cleaner.......). With regard to the wings image on the side of the NIRIMBA unit even a query to the Royal Navy Research forum has not offered anything. The Thornycroft Register did a piece on the unit in their current magazine (oh I also joined the Thornycroft Register).

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2018 7:04 pm

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:34 pm

Hi Brian, et al... :hi:

You've probably seen these pics that were on the HMAS Nirimba. RAN Apprentice Training Establishment FB Page, posted by a Shaun Walker, January 11, 2013...

"hi all, new member to this group. i wasnt at nirimba at all but my dad was. anyway one of your photos shows the old hmas nirimba fire engine, and i'm the guy that
bought it. it now resides in junee about 30ks away from wagga. i am ex navy as well and bought the engine for my dad who remembers it from nirimba in the 60s. my
old man got out and was a fireman for 30 years after that. i would love to know when the fire engine arrived at nirimba if anyone knows? thanks all"

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2018 12:38 am

Thanks Rick. I remember the post at that time (I kept a copy) and actually sent these images to a member of the Thornycroft Register in the UK. When I sent the later images after the unit was delivered to our land his comment was that the vehicle looked way better in 2013 :omg1:

I got a phone call from the Coolamon Fire Museum the other day asking how the restoration was goinging :omg:

The lady who passed the truck on dropped in to see him so i sent a reasonably detailed message (I was going to offer something later but replied at this time). I offered:
It is certainly going to be a long journey. To date I have:

Joined the Thornycroft Register (in the UK) in the hope that I will be able to source information on Thornycroft particular parts. The Register has supplied me with a standard manual covering the mechanical and electrical configurations of the standard built truck. I have yet to source a manual for the main engine but have some leads. They did an article on the truck in their latest edition of their magazine (attached) – I hope that the article meets with your approval.

An ex-Navy member posted an image of the truck when at Nirimba in 1957 (see image). The signwriting on the truck, at that time, read HMAS NIRIMBA, the Fleet Air Arm logo, RANAS (Royal Australian Naval Air Station) with SCHOFIELDS underneath. I hope it will be this signwriting that will be done on the truck – maintains the association between HMAS NIRIMBA and its aviation history.

The Museum at HMAS ALBATROSS also were generous in supplying images of both the NIRIMBA unit and of the ALBATROSS equivalent which helps with the rebuild (of missing items).

Sourced some of the auto rubber used. Unfortunately it is not all exactly the same size and I have to be a little “progressive” with regard to fitting it.

Sourced a new window for the passengers front door (was one of the smashed ones), new window for the drivers screen and both pieces of glass for the frames under the windscreens (see image).

I have nearly finished the drivers door (replacing about 80% of the timber). To get the job done the door has to be put together and taken apart about 20 times (to fit various parts). I had hoped that I could mirror the build of the other door but, unfortunately they were made different ways (see image). I have picked Signal Red as the colour scheme for the truck as it seems the most logical colour. The idea is to complete and paint individual items then store them away when finished. The passengers door will have more of the rot removed and timber splines used (rather than complete timber replacement). I am using Tasmanian Oak in the rebuild.

I have started spraying every coupling and valve with WD40 in the hope that this helps to free them up. I have removed most of the rotten timber floors in the cupboards (to see the level of damage to the steelwork). To date each action has shown more work needing to be done. The truck will need to be fully rewired, the brake hydraulic system fully dismantled and overhauled and the radiators removed and repaired. I have yet to try to turn over the engines, mind you I have only been down at the property twice since I had the truck relocated.

At this time the entire cabin is going to have to be disassembled and the entire timber frame replaced (I have attached a couple of images to show the typical damage to the wood frame). I am trying to leave this task to some time later (just making bits and pieces when I can with the intent to do the rebuild in a block period).

The manager of the fire museum hopes that the vehicle will be available for display by their centenary (2029) :pull hair:

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2018 1:22 am

Wow, good luck, Matey...! :omg1:

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2018 6:47 am

Well done Brian!! :ok:

Anyone who has restored a vehicle - much less one of this size - understands the many hours of hard yakka that goes into every small repair. You have certainly been busy old son! :lol1:

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2018 5:28 pm

My thoughts are with you Brian, it is certainly a mammoth task you have undertaken.
I guess it is a little bit at a time and not looking too far ahead.

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:25 pm

Chippy Ned wrote:

My thoughts are with you Brian, it is certainly a mammoth task you have undertaken.
I guess it is a little bit at a time and not looking too far ahead.

That is the plan........

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:13 am

Just a little update, we spent Christmas down on the land and I allocated a set number of hours on the "old girl". As the plan is to concentrate on getting better access to the engines, I removed the front cowling and radiator for the trucks engine and the engine cover and radiator for the Ford side valve V8 pump engine.
Now the front cowling was not overly heavy nor the screen covering the front of the radiator but I did not consider the relevance of the words "attach a lifting strop to the radiator" in the manual as being of any particular significance (note to self, it is a truck built in the 50s for defence use - nothing is light) :sheeesh:

Fortunately "Toots" was withing yelling range and helped to lower it to the ground.
The top pipe that takes the cap has let go from the tank but appears to be fixable (mate with car restoration firm has offered to fix it). To be expected all the radiator hoses are stuffed so I now have a drawing and shopping list for that radiator. I removed the fan and drive belt (surprise, off a Massey Ferguson tractor - no doubt whatever fitted at the time) and did a first degrease of the area (noted the engine was painted ship side grey).
With regard to the Ford pump motor it was necessary to remove the remains of the trucks engine muffler, remove the various components that make up its engine cover, remove the screen covering the radiator then remove the radiator (fortunately much lighter than the other radiator). As with the prime mover all hoses are stuffed as are the belts so another drawing and shopping list. I gave the V8 an initial degrease (noting that it appears to have been previously painted smoky grey not Ford blue).
My younger son Clinton (semi driver and retained firefighter) came down for Christmas lunch, and he happily crawled all over the "old girl" assisting in working out how the various systems operated. The high range/low range lever appears to work as does the lever to engage/disengage the PTO to the auxillary pump. Unfortunately the pump has been taken apart and we do not know for what reason (note to self, will need to remove and investigate the PTO pump - later). He thought it a bit strange that the gear shift appeared to have a control to operate a split diff when the truck is permanent four wheel drive (actually operates the gate to allow engaging reverse gear).
The piping from the foam tank to the main pump has been isolated but this is clearly due to the corrosion in the back end of the foam tank. He left with details of the original tyres still on the truck and is going to check out availability with a tyre firm he used to drive for. He is also going to see the firm that services his truck to see if they have some old, serviceable batteries they do not need.
My mate with the vintage car restoration firm visited shortly after Christmas and looked all over the "old girl". Where I was going to panel repair the aluminium body components (hammer, dolly, bog) he has determined that they will be repaired at his factory using the english wheel and resprayed in his spray booth. All the steel cupboard doors will also be refurbished at his factory and he believes that he can source the missing or damaged cupboard locks from a supplier in Sydney (I checked and the locks appear to be a different size but we will see). He started describing what I needed to have done to the seats so that he can complete the upholstery on them (and I had concerns that I was trying to get ahead of myself).
It is still a big undertaking, I have no illusions with the time and effort required but remain upbeat that progress will be made.
The past couple of nights I have been mucking around with "publisher" to make up a sign pattern for the side of the tank (to match that on the truck in 1957 not what is on it now - remains of the Nirimba crest).

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:45 am

Love your work Brian...! :yea:

1950s ex-HMAS Nirimba Thornycroft Nubian airport fire tender

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