1950s ex-HMAS Nirimba Thornycroft Nubian airport fire tender

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:09 pm

Have we used this photo before..??? :down:

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:03 pm

Yes, this was taken when it was at Ladysmith for many years (before its move to Junee, onto Coolamon before its current residence at Bevendale).
]Have just arrived home from Wheelbarrow with a number of patterns to replace somewhat rotten bits of timber that support the front doors. The aim is to get sufficient strength in the remaining frame to refit the front doors so that I can then remove the skin at the front to start measuring up the missing timber under the skin. Meanwhile Toots is suggesting concentrating on the engine to see if it actually starts. Stopping being a future problem as the rear brake cylinders are still soaking at home on the premise that I can remove the bits so that they can be resleeved whilst the front ones are still on the truck.

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:11 pm

Brian, you should be able to blank off the rear hydraulic lines and just keep the front ones operational.

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:29 pm

Seejay wrote:

Brian, you should be able to blank off the rear hydraulic lines and just keep the front ones operational.

Sadly the front ones are no better than the rear (the hydraulic cylinder is actually behind the backing plate and both the hydraulic and handbrake operation is done by the cylinder manually expanding the brake shoes) . I removed the front shoes so that I could move the truck but the wheel cylinders are still on the front backing plates because the front brakes are an even weirder design). I contacted a vintage brake part supplier in the UK who wished me the best of luck and, if I am successful in removing and breaking down the cylinders, then he has the repair kits for them. It is a strange design but my vintage car restorer mate showed me the same system on an Austin truck they are restoring (well, the rear ones). At a stretch (if all else fails) I might be able to fit a particular Girling wheel cylinder that will enable hydraulic brakes (but no handbrake). At this time I figure until the engine starts and I get the front doors to fit onto a secure door post, I will not lose too much sleep.

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:01 pm

Jeez! You're a better man than I, Gunga Din! :omg:

I love a challenge, and love a restoration project even more, but what you have there is enough to make a team of tiffies blanch! :lol1:

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2022 1:11 am

As a practical exercise, my initial action was to stop the truck being sent to scrap which was achieved.
The second was to attempt to conduct some form of austere restoration that might see the vehicles life extended (without sending myself down the gurgler) and, I think that is "kinda" being achieved.
I have had the truck just on four years, collated more of its history and, with help from former Nirimba and Albatross personnel, the RAN FAA Museum, the RAF Firefighting Museum, the Hampshire Cultural Trust (holders of the Thornycroft Works documentation), a couple of separate Facebook pages (including historic trucks and derelict buildings) and other obscure sources. I have sourced minor parts from the UK and recognised there are some parts that are no longer around. Through that effort all three of the vehicles built (in 1953) have been located with only the Nirimba unit being "complete" (one Albatross cab/chassis is in Warrigul Victoria and, it would seem, the other Albatross unit - remains of cab/chassis, is on the main road somewhere between Howlong and Corowa in NSW).
In the course of this I have supplied information to a young bloke in Argentina who has ended up with a similar looking unit (help from the Hampshire Cultural Trust) albeit with the later fitted B80 Rolls Royce engine.
Naturally I have done a certain amount of work on the truck (sometimes it does not seem to be that much) but life does not get boring.
The RAN Fleet Air Arm is celebrating 75 years in operation this year and, I believe, these were the first "purpose built" airfield fire tenders built for the two RAN naval air stations (following on from the WWII MONAB vehicles originally supplied).

Pony · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:51 am

Where or who has the unit in Warragul Brian?

I know there is a Vehicle restorers club here, as the camera club I am in used their club rooms for a brief period while we were seeking new clubrooms.

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2022 2:22 pm

Gentleman by the name of Gary. Actually he said they are at Darnum near Warragul and the images he sent suggest the truck is in a shed with a collection of other vehicles.

Stroppy Chippie · **Posted:** Sun Nov 06, 2022 2:16 am

During the Rocks Run I recounted a little snippet of my Dads history/life regarding an accident at the 1952 Farnborough Air Show and was asked to post the story and You tube link on the accident. The link actually offers images of a Royal Navy airfield fire unit not unlike the ex Nirimba unit (2.43).
I came across a slip of paper in Dads (Douglas) stuff with the following written on it:

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

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

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Mon Nov 07, 2022 1:41 pm

1950s ex-HMAS Nirimba Thornycroft Nubian airport fire tender

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