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In July I attended a steam rally in Bridgnorth where
friend and former REME Craftsman Len Crane's Fair Organ mounted on a 1967
Bedford TK lorry suffered an engine problem that rendered it un-drivable.
Len did National Service between 1949 and 1951, rising to the rank of
Corporal and spent much of his service in the REME workshops in Egypt.
Already at the show with my 1943 Scammell Pioneer recovery lorry
Invincible, I offered to tow the Bedford the 18 or so miles back home, which was achieved without problems, although at a rather sedate pace.
Fortunately being a Sunday evening the traffic was relatively light, but
some of the hills were quite steep (1 in 7 the steepest) and it was
inevitable that we would cause a considerable delay.
If you were one of the 44 drivers that my son Richard counted that came
past when we pulled into the first available lay-by please accept my
sincere apologies.
Once home the work on the Bedford required the removal of the cab and so
once more the Scammell was called upon to help. By use of the hand
operated crane we were able to lift the cab off and place it on the
adjacent lawn. Once Len had completed what turned out to be a more or less
re-build of the engine, Invincible returned to lift the cab back on. In
the event the organ only missed one booked show and now runs better than
ever.
Of interest, whilst at the Bridgenorth rally I met an 86 year old REME
recovery driver who drove Scammell Tank Transporters and other vehicles in
Italy during the Second World War. His sons had brought him to the rally
especially to see the Scammell. |
