Thread: Land Rovers during the Snowy Scheme

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Bit hard to be certain, but I still think it is a Jeep. Too small to be a power wagon or similar, and I can't think of anything else similar that existed at the time. At the time, virtually the only small four wheel drives in Australia were Jeeps (all 1942-45 and ex-army), being replaced gradually by new Landrovers.

Jeeps may well have had modifications by then as well!

John

I have a number of times thought it was an early Dodge WC series, but of late think that John is on the money with a GPW or MB.

The reason it isn't a WC: the mudguards are about the same width as the screen; and it doesn't appear tall enough.

If it were a WC it would have to be a long way down the hill to get the perspective.

Originally Posted by 123rover50

Yes thanks for the photos.
Shame to think that not one of those Tickford Station Wagons survived

Keith

Doesn't Mike Bishop or Anthony Maeder have one of them?

Originally Posted by 123rover50

Yes thanks for the photos.
Shame to think that not one of those Tickford Station Wagons survived

Keith

How good would it have been if the last issue defenders were Tickfords . Pat

Originally Posted by 123rover50

Yes thanks for the photos.
Shame to think that not one of those Tickford Station Wagons survived

Keith

But not surprising - there were only a few of them compared to thousands of Series 1 - and heaven knows, there are not that many SMHEA Series 1s still in existence. Further, as Australians were becoming aware by the 1950s, coachbuilt bodies are not very durable in our climate, even when not used offroad.

John

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Once again a website with inaccurate information.

The Meteor and Meteorite engines were designed by Rolls Royce but were actually produced by the Rover Co Ltd in a technology swap when Rover engineers were having problems working with Frank Whittle.

The Meteor engine was the tank version of the Merlin. So if we call the Meteor a Rolls Royce do we call the jet engine a Rover?

Rolls Royce V8 petrol engines in an aircraft? Not sure about that. I think we are talking about different engines, a v8 & a turbo-jet engine are different animals. The final Antar engine was a diesel. I suggest you have it wrong. Bob [ click on power jets W2]


"Although taxiing trials were carried out in 1942, it was not until the following year that any flights took place due to production and approval holdups with the Power Jets W.2 engine powering the Meteor.[11][22] Due to the delays at subcontractor Rover, who was struggling to manufacture the W.2 engines on schedule"

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

I don't think the background vehicle is a Jeep. The bonnet looks the wrong shape and the headlights in the wrong position relative to the bonnet? Could it be something like a Dodge Powerwagon or similar?

I initially thought it was a jeep but a jeep front is very distinctive at any angle. The grill is wrong although it may be a slat grill model but I agree the bonnet is wrong and the guards don't look right. I've owned a jeep for thirty years and that doesn't look right.

Sure you are not getting the meteor jet plane mixed up with the meteor tank? Bob

World War II & The Gas Turbin Engins

In the late 1930s, in anticipation of the potential hostilities that would become World War II, the British government started a rearmament programme, and as part of this, "shadow factories" were built. These were paid for by the government but staffed and run by private companies. Two were run by Rover: one, at Acocks Green, Birmingham, started operation in 1937, and a second, larger one, at Solihull, started in 1940. Both were employed making aero engines and airframes. The original main works at Helen Street, Coventry, was severely damaged by bombing in 1940 and 1941 and never regained full production.
In early 1940, Rover was approached by the government to support Frank Whittle in developing the gas turbine engine. Whittle's company, Power Jets, had no production facilities; however, the intention was for Rover to take the design and develop it for mass production. Whittle himself was not pleased by this and did not like the design changes made without his approval, but the first test engines to the W2B design were built in an unused cotton mill in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, in October 1941. Rolls-Royce took an interest in the new technology, and an agreement was reached in 1942 in which they would take over the engines and Barnoldswick works?and in exchange, Rover would get the contract for making Meteor tank engines, which actually continued until 1964.
After the Second World War, the company abandoned Helen Street and bought the two shadow factories. Acocks Green carried on for a while, making Meteor engines for tanks, and Solihull became the new centre for vehicles, with production resuming in 1947; it would become the home of the Land Rover.

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

I don't think the background vehicle is a Jeep. The bonnet looks the wrong shape and the headlights in the wrong position relative to the bonnet? Could it be something like a Dodge Powerwagon or similar?

Or could it be a Toyota FJ25, imported by Thiess in 1958. Bob


Toyota LandCruiser FJ25