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Desoto Power Wagon
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From Ron Thallon, Australia
It was originally sold the State of Victoria Railways , and stayed for 20 years. Then ended up with the New South Wales Bush Fire Brigade with a water tank on the rear. I was told there were some Power Wagons assembled in the U.K., so that may explain the English KEW motor and electrics, then exported from there to Australia.
Update from Ron, 18Jan05: The vehicle is definitely ex Victorian Railways...but was sold to the NSW Bush Fire Brigade in the early sixties...This fits in with the my winch research and dates the vehicle approx 56/57. So the railway did purchase the original vehicle, but only had it 6 years or so and all the serial numbers are correct as well as the possible tow truck configuration. The problem with the [mismatched] chassis number is resolved: Apparently it was involved in an accident and hit a tree or bridge. [must have been a bloody big tree] as the front chassis rails were bent. Solution ...the front rails were cut off and replaced with two rails which were cut from a WW2 weapon Carrier and welded onto the original rails. The cut was just behind the steering box. A 5/16 inch reinforcing plate was then bolted to the outside of each chassis rail. All this was done in a small outback country town. Good old Aussie ingenuity. So the original Vic rail history is correct... just shorter. The number on the grafted chassis rail is from a WW2 weapon Carrier manufactured in 1942.
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![Desoto Power Wagon
From Ron Thallon, Australia
It was originally sold the State of Victoria Railways , and stayed for 20 years. Then ended up with the New South Wales Bush Fire Brigade with a water tank on the rear. I was told there were some Power Wagons assembled in the U.K., so that may explain the English KEW motor and electrics, then exported from there to Australia.
Update from Ron, 18Jan05: The vehicle is definitely ex Victorian Railways...but was sold to the NSW Bush Fire Brigade in the early sixties...This fits in with the my winch research and dates the vehicle approx 56/57. So the railway did purchase the original vehicle, but only had it 6 years or so and all the serial numbers are correct as well as the possible tow truck configuration. The problem with the [mismatched] chassis number is resolved: Apparently it was involved in an accident and hit a tree or bridge. [must have been a bloody big tree] as the front chassis rails were bent. Solution ...the front rails were cut off and replaced with two rails which were cut from a WW2 weapon Carrier and welded onto the original rails. The cut was just behind the steering box. A 5/16 inch reinforcing plate was then bolted to the outside of each chassis rail. All this was done in a small outback country town. Good old Aussie ingenuity. So the original Vic rail history is correct... just shorter. The number on the grafted chassis rail is from a WW2 weapon Carrier manufactured in 1942.](albums/userpics/10001/Sundown1.jpg "Desoto Power Wagon
From Ron Thallon, Australia
It was originally sold the State of Victoria Railways , and stayed for 20 years. Then ended up with the New South Wales Bush Fire Brigade with a water tank on the rear. I was told there were some Power Wagons assembled in the U.K., so that may explain the English KEW motor and electrics, then exported from there to Australia.
Update from Ron, 18Jan05: The vehicle is definitely ex Victorian Railways...but was sold to the NSW Bush Fire Brigade in the early sixties...This fits in with the my winch research and dates the vehicle approx 56/57. So the railway did purchase the original vehicle, but only had it 6 years or so and all the serial numbers are correct as well as the possible tow truck configuration. The problem with the [mismatched] chassis number is resolved: Apparently it was involved in an accident and hit a tree or bridge. [must have been a bloody big tree] as the front chassis rails were bent. Solution ...the front rails were cut off and replaced with two rails which were cut from a WW2 weapon Carrier and welded onto the original rails. The cut was just behind the steering box. A 5/16 inch reinforcing plate was then bolted to the outside of each chassis rail. All this was done in a small outback country town. Good old Aussie ingenuity. So the original Vic rail history is correct... just shorter. The number on the grafted chassis rail is from a WW2 weapon Carrier manufactured in 1942.")
