1950s ex-HMAS Nirimba Thornycroft Nubian airport fire tender

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:13 pm

Seejay wrote:

Brian, a quick question for you....

Were you discussing the unique quality of the grease nipples on the fire tender at one stage? Namely that they had a flat top instead of a 'nipple' profile, and that the grease gun connection would have to slide onto it?

I've had a look through this topic but can't find any mention. That said, if you are looking for such a connection, I found one today in my toolbox in a pile of old sawdust. :lol1:

There was a discussion, I managed to find one and it is sitting down on the shelf next to the truck grease gun (well, the grease gun I use for the Massey Ferguson as well). Thank you. I just need to release the myriad of pipe ends and remove the current 57 year old grease in the piping. I seem to remember another MOBI extraordinaire offering one earlier...

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:54 pm

gsrobertson wrote:

Hippy Chippy wrote:

Yessiree, :licking:

especially the ones we use to :happy1:

test the temperature of the beer at the
'Munich Bauhaus' on our Annual RANSH Sydney Rocks Xmas Pub Crawl Smokeys... :tchin:

The right one looks colder than the left one.

I take it you mean HER right one, Gordo... :-k

...as opposed to the beer on the right... :drink 42:

(as we look at them... the beers, that is...) :roll:

sbjohns · **Posted:** Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:32 pm

Beers, what beers????/ :omg:

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:18 pm

On another Faceplant site an image of what appears to be a Thornycroft cab/chassis appeared with the query as to what brand of truck (I believe the location is between Howlong and Corowa NSW).
I offered the suggestion that it is a Thornycroft and, quite possibly the final batch of three built for the RAN way back in 1953. As with the vehicle at Warragul, Victoria there is no firefighting back end on it (so both ex Albatross units incomplete - cab chassis only). Some seemed surprised that I could even offer the engine and chassis number...........

Bruce D · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:24 am

How's the re-build going ?

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:07 am

Bruce D wrote:

How's the re-build going ?

Slowed somewhat as priority was moved to the shed build. I have now completed the build of the 8 metre x 9 metre x 5 metre shed to house it (intent is to remove the aluminium skin cabin panels and rebuild the timber frame, rather than continue to work out in the weather). I am looking forward to getting it into the shed so I can post a image of the truck in a right hand bay (mirroring the March 1961 image that Kelly Woods posted).At this time the brakes have locked on and there is a bit of effort required to overcome that issue.
Front doors are completed and back down at the trucks location, rear doors are at home and in the process of repair.
All the missing glass has been replaced bar the shaped one on the cabin on the passengers side. I have found a mob that can do the glass bending though I may look to replacing with perspex.
I have removed what remains of the engine pipe for the Thornycroft engine and it with the remaining bits of the muffler are with a exhaust mob (full replacement). The bloke was a little surprised that I had taken the entire exhaust system for the truck out of the back of my Subaru.
The roof vent has been removed and repaired (nearly), then to be painted. This is the intent with a number of the items on the truck, remove, relocate, repair, return.
Was never going to be a five minute fix but it is not being forgotten about.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:18 am

Proud of you, :notworthy:

my son...! :goodman:

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:22 am

I have a wealth of exceptional people from a special training establishment to thank.

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2021 7:09 am

Well done Brian, you are progressing well. Hope you can make it to the Rocks Run so we can catch up..

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:32 pm

Not a great deal of progress occurring on the tender (partly due to it being 254 kms outside of the Sydney "ring of tripe") however, I came across something of my Dads where he recounted being at the 1952 Farnborough Air Show and, particularly, where they were when the fatal accident occurred. I went onto You Tube and sourced the following footage (somewhere in that crowd are my grandparents, Dad and uncle). Of particular interest, noting this thread, is the Royal Navy airport fire tender around the 2 minute 43 second mark. One built before the Nirimba unit............

Dad wrote:

Farnborough Air Show September 22 to 25 1952.
Mum, Dad, Richard and Douglas – Armstrong Siddeley.
John Derry killed with Co Pilot after sonic boom from 25,000 feet. Headed straight for crowd, plane disintegrated, engines flew over our heads into crowd on hill killing 38 people. Fuselage crashed into fence in front of us (speed 600 mph).
Car caught fire on reaching Ivanhoe Road.

1952 Farnborough Air Show Crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89GTFjEH-c

1950s ex-HMAS Nirimba Thornycroft Nubian airport fire tender

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