M-5 Bomb Trailer Restoration

[Second Air Force]

Paul,

A thought just occurred to me--since these trailers were so popular as hay wagons etc. with farmers here in the Colonies, do you suppose it would be worthwhile to advertise in farming publications for one? Surely the AAF disposed of the equipment while still in the UK, and some of those M-5s may be parked in barnyards today. Just an idle thought.

Scott

[Holedigger]

You never know just what those old government "cast offs" will end up doing. Back when I was in school, the grounds maint. dept at the school had an irrigation pipe trailer with, I think, T-6 wheels...go figure. On a certain History Channel show about NW Lumbering, I noticed one of the logging vehicles was a WW2 vintage Tank recovery vehicle(Sherman Chassis). Still working away!!!

[Django]

Might be worth a try. Are there any tractor salvage yards around there? They might be a good place to call too for leads.

[Second Air Force]

The poor bomb trailer has made zero progress since December. I'm waiting for a set of prints/dimensions of the missing fuse box before I can go any further with the restoration.

In the meantime Django and I have discussed a new project that I am thinking about that will combine military vehicles and warbirds. I can't tell you any more just yet, but this project is going to make people in both disciplines madder than h-ll.

Anyway....we drove out west a little bit today and took some pictures of this cool CCKW 353. I may try to retrieve this old girl as trade material for the MB/GPW I require.



Scott

[N3Njeff]

Easy with that one, she looks tired!!

[Second Air Force]

It's only got 8648 miles on it, Jeff. Honest!


That truck has been at a well drilling business for at least 19 years (that is how long I've known about it). Fairly recently it was pulled out of the weeds, I suppose to be more easily seen by idiots like me. If I were to acquire this beast it would be for trading purposes. I love the old military trucks, but I just don't need something that big to move the next time I get forced to pull up stakes. Hate to see it just return to nature, though.

Scott

[RAMC181]

I wonder if that auger setup is WWII too.
It looks very similar to that fitted on the Chevrolet 1.5 ton 4x4s.

All the best,
PB

[Second Air Force]

Paul,

I'm not sure when the auger equipment was installed. There are small plates on each cab corner from a company in Tulsa, Ok. that make me think the drilling equipment was added postwar.

From my meager research on these trucks it appears that the Chevy G-506 had an auger attachment during the war, but I have not seen references to a CCKW with such equipment.

Scott

[RAMC181]

Zeligson seem to have started out in 1946, refurbishing and modifying ex-military trucks for the civil market.
I've never come across a CCKW fitted with auger equipment in service either, but I wondered if Zeligson could have fitted war-surplus equipment to the base vehicle in their rebuilds.

All the best,
Paul

[Second Air Force]

That's neat, Paul. Now I don't have to research the Zeligson connection quite so hard! The truck was definitely professionally modified. All the data plates are still intact, but I wasn't able to get an image of the serial number. It has a Timken front axle, but I didn't get under the rear to check those differential housings.

I didn't spend any time on the drill or powerplant to see if it might be military surplus as well, but it certainly could be. I intend to go back out there and see about price or if it is even for sale, and I'll be certain to take photos of the drilling attachment when I'm there.

I googled Zeligson and found out a little more. An interesting bit of trivia surfaced--Zeligson also founded Crane Carrier Corporation. CCC builds specialty truck equipment in the old Spartan Aircraft manufacturing plant on Sheridan street in Tulsa.

Thanks for your interest!
Scott

[Django]

Hopefully you can get it cheap. Is it too big or too new for your bomb trailer? Or just too much of a project at this point to convert?

[Second Air Force]

I would love to restore a truck, Django. I'd rather do a little Chevy bomb truck, but either would be neat. My problem would be not having a shop large enough to rebuild it in and the fact that I wouldn't be able to move the project when/if we're forced to move. A Jeep is easily portable, these beasts definitely are not.

This truck is probably an earlier '42 from some intraweb research I've been doing. It would be neat to do some form of Air Corps fuel truck or such with it........

Scott

[N3Njeff]

My books are packed away so I cant look up to see if they had a auger unit on the CCKW. It very well may have had one and that might be a orig set up. I will ask a expert in a E mail and he will tell us. I do know that the 50's vintage Reo and the later M35 series with AM general had a auger set up for telephone maint companys. You would need to get that truck pretty cheap to save it for parts or to pass it on to make some $$$$$ out of it. GMC's are not exactly a shortage and there are better trucks out there still to be had.

Good luck with the WW2 Jeep.......................everyone wants a mint for them.

[JDK]

Cross post from the Hangar:
The James Stewart narrated recruiting film for the Army Air Forces has a showing those funny bomb trailers being used with B-24s

The whole 17 minute recruitment film:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 0928&hl=en

Oh, and James Stewart says your wings will get ya the girl...

Regards

[Second Air Force]

Thanks for the link, James. That film is useful for my bomb trailer AND the Y1B-17 model project I'm building. I noticed that some of the YBs had already gotten the Hydromatic propellers and some in the same formation still had the older style. Great interior shots of those early Forts as well. I need to go back and try to read the B-24 serial number, but it is a very early machine, possibly a C or earliest D.

Scott