Quad Rear Engine Armoured Car

[30sqnatc]

Army - well sort of. The first picture is my 1:35th scale model of a NZ Forest Service Ford quad fire engine. They were made in the late 1940's using the chassis of ex Army Ford rear engined armoured cars. The armoured cars had originally been made during WWII by the NZ Railways Hutt Workshops.

After the armoured bodies were removed the Forest Service had over 50 converted into fire engines, water tankers and pumping units. Many were still in service in the 1970s.

After retirement several have been reconverted by military vehicle collectors back into armoured cars using armoured bodies rescued from the Waiouru training area and riversides where they were used to strengthen flood banks.



The second picture shows a model of one of the quad water tanker appliances designed to carry water to the quad fire engines.



Paul

[Dave Homewood]

That is neat Paul, both of them.

I have not heard of the NZ-made Quad Armoured Cars, can you post a photo of what one looked like in Army service please? Or are these the same as the Quad gun tractors used by the NZ Artillery to tow their 25 Pounder guns and limbers? They were meant to be really grunty four wheel drive units when not towing a load.

[30sqnatc]

Pictures including one of the NZ manfactured wheeled carriers serving in Korea with 16 Field Regt

www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1672

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Paul. OK, so it's nothing like the Quad gun tractor then. I have seen one of these ones you linked to but didn't know what it was.

[30sqnatc]

May 23, 2010 21:46:10 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Thanks Paul. OK, so it's nothing like the Quad gun tractor then. I have seen one of these ones you linked to but didn't know what it was.

No it's exactly the same (ish) it's just the rear wheels became the front wheels and the front the rear, the motor was the same but mounted facing the other way, oh and all the body was thrown away. The crank handle and steering wheel were identical

I use Tamiya Quad model axles, wheels, motor, radiator and drivers controls.

[Dave Homewood]

Um, so are you saying that the Morris C8 Quad gun tractor/Canadian Ford Quad gun tractor seen here
www.aaamodels.co.uk/List_Pics/ITALERI/ITAL_7027_72_QUAD+25PDR.JPG
and
www.nexternal.com/sbm/images/tam35044.jpg

are the same chassis design a the NZ-built Quad, only in NZ they built them backwards and with a different body? The ones in your link look more like large Dingos than the Quad gun tractor.

[30sqnatc]

Yes they are both 101 1/4 inch wheebase. The rear engined Ford chassis were actually built in Canada, the body was designed and built in NZ based on Indian Pattern Wheeled Carrier design. Theirs was riveted ours welded.

The picture shows the chassis sans armoured body.



The Ford FGT Quad artillery tractors are actually deceptively large vehicles.

Paul

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks. I have learned a bit from this thread.

My mate's Dad drove Quad gun tractors (among other things) in North Africa and Italy. I have looked over the one in the museum at Waiouru, and there's one at Classic Flyers too. They're big things all right.

[htbrst]

Necroing this thread in case someone is interested (?)...A chassis of one these has popped up on Trademe which gives a good idea of what the it looked like under the skin..

www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/other/listing-2043678042.htm

New Zealand Army 1943 Wheeled Carrier Chassis. This was brought into the country during WW 2 to make The NZ Pattern wheeled carrier armored cars. 99 chassis were brought in and only 76 had been finished by the end of the war. They run a flathead V8 engine in the rear and you steer at the front.

[delticman]

May 1, 2019 16:32:53 GMT 12 htbrst said:

Necroing this thread in case someone is interested (?)...A chassis of one these has popped up on Trademe which gives a good idea of what the it looked like under the skin..

www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/other/listing-2043678042.htm

New Zealand Army 1943 Wheeled Carrier Chassis. This was brought into the country during WW 2 to make The NZ Pattern wheeled carrier armored cars. 99 chassis were brought in and only 76 had been finished by the end of the war. They run a flathead V8 engine in the rear and you steer at the front.

Interesting because they were built in Railway Workshops.

Our ones were a bit different from the Indian ones, also built in Railway Workshops.

www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/India/ACV-IP.php

[30sqnatc]

Well I tried convincing the wife we needed one of these. She replied we had no where to store it but didn't appreciate my response that her car would have to go to make space on the drive way..

[30sqnatc]

I'm taking a little break from RNZAF modelling so I'm building a 1/48th Quad Fire Engine from a Tamiya Humber armoured car for a friend who is building a 1/48th scale NZ bush tramway layout. Naturally the forest needs some fire protection.

IMG_3553 by tankienz, on Flickr

[camtech]

Would love to have some dimensions, plans, etc for both the armoured car and the quad fire engine. Looking to build a version in meccano to about 1/12th scale.

[30sqnatc]

fullsizeoutput_1720 by tankienz, on Flickr

Just the headlight lenses and firemans eyes to add and I can declare it done

[30sqnatc]

Camtech,

Quad fire engine and tanker drawings as requested.

fullsizeoutput_17e7 by tankienz, on Flickr

fullsizeoutput_17e6 by tankienz, on Flickr

[camtech]

Thank you very much.
Looks like it might be an earlier start on this model while stuck at home.
When I get to that stage, I'll post some pictures.

[30sqnatc]

Now I've started on a 1/48th Quad Tanker.

IMG_4334 by tankienz, on Flickr

[30sqnatc]

Bit more added.

IMG_4362 by tankienz, on Flickr

[denysjones]

A number of these tanker units passed over to the old forest service fire squads and eventually two of them came into the possession of the Fire Services Historical Society at Ferrymead.

However after some years the committee of that society deemed them to not be in their aegis as their collection was headed down a simply NZ Fire Service path and so they were moved on, I'm not able to recollect whereto.

They were similar but distinctly different in appearances so I think you'll find that there were at least two variants.

cheers

[saratoga]

Pretty sure MOTAT had one of the quad tankers.I have a photo,somewhere!, taken at the aircraft park about early '80s.I had always thought it was based on a jeep chassis.