Ex-W.D. Vehicles on Rescue Work
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THERE are many uses to which adapted ex-Service vehicles can be applied, although caution must be observed in purchasing military machines, as they do not all comply with the regulations governing the construction of civilian vehicles. Ex-Service lorries and tractors are popular for conversion to breakdown tenders, and a London company is employing them successfully in this role. Lammas, Ltd., 63, Garratt Lane, London. S.W.I8, has a fleet of 10 specialized machines, most of which were formerly military vehicles.
Perhaps the most useful machine is a Bedford OS type fitted with a crane. This vehicle is able to deal with heavy lorries. Another type often employed is a Willys Jeep adapted as a mobile crane. Although mostly used for tackling light vehicles, it can, if necessary, haul surprisingly large machines, because of its extremely low bottom gear ratio.
An interesting conversion has been made with a Bedford QL four-wheel-drive lorry, which was purchased at Great Missenden. Often it has been found that a damaged vehicle can be repaired on the spot, thereby obviating the need for a tow, and to deal with cases of this sort, the QL is equipped with a comprehensive set of repair tools and accessories, which are housed in a workshop built behind the cab. The high grouqd clearance of the QL makes the vehicle suitable for operations in floods and on soft ground.
Mobile Floodlights
Another mobile crane usually employed on difficult jobs is an ex-Service F.W.D.—the heaviest vehicle in the fleet. To facilitate night operations it has its own built-in lighting and generating plant. For use with other vehicles there is a trailer which can carry lighting equipment.
On some breakdown operations the wrecked machine is loaded on to a platform lorry to be taken away. On this type of work a Hydracrane, based on a Morris-Conimercial chassis, is generally emploVed by the company, in conjunction with a Bedford platform lorry. The Hydracrane can lift loads up to 2 tons.
Besides dealing with vehicle salvage, the company is also expert at machinery dismantling and disposal, and for this purpose it has some specialized vehicles, including an ex-U.S. Army Studebaker 10-ton articulated outfit and a Ford six-wheeler.
Conversion to breakdown tenders of the ex-Service vehicles is carried out in the company's own workshops. Cranes fitted are mostly hand-operated and are of Harvey Frost or Mann Egerton manufacture. Besides the cranes, powerful head lamps, perhaps built-in generating plant, towing hooks, fixed sides with plated hand-rails, and boxes for tools and equipment, are installed.
Vehicles are painted a bright signal red, and a note of individuality is struck in that each vehicle has a distinctive, warning signal.
24-hour Service
Mr. A. C. Lammas, head of the company, told a representative of this journal that his concern was ready to go to any breakdown at any hour in the 24, anywhere in Britain. Some years ago a tender was called out to a crash near Dorking. A car had fallen over a cliff, overturned and caught fire, the driver escaping with a slight shaking. It was found impracticable for the complete wreck to be hauled up by the mobile crane—a Dennis— so men with acetylene cutters were lowered and dissected the vehicle. The parts were then pulled up separately to the top.
During the war the company was kept continually busy, and many dangerous jobs were done in air raids.
A large stock of spares for many different types of vehicle has been built up, and the sale of spares forms another branch of the business. On the breakdown side, Mr. Lammas hopes to have 30 mobile cranes in service in the future. Contributing, towards that total is a G.M.C. sixwheeler, which was being fitted up at the time of our visit. Besides vehicle salvage, however, Mr. Lammas intends to extend the scope of his company's business into other spheres of salvage, demolition and disposal, and for this purpose he will probably acquire and adapt more ex-Service vehicles, which have proved so suitable for breakdown work.