Chris Bamford Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 We are working on this 1912 6-ton CommerCar truck down at Fort Edmonton, our local historic park. It was originally a 1200 gallon water truck for the civic street cleaning department. The photo was taken the Dec/02 day we got it back together enough to start and run - first time in 6 years, and a former volunteer had started the project back then.The 40-HP four drives through a 5-speed gearbox and chain drive. Top gear speed is 17 mph at 1500 rpm. Hold onto your hat! The ugly newer deck and seat base are gone, and we are building a period stakebed modeled after one shown in the Commer catalog.Any leads on similar trucks elsewhere? We've got a variety of questions to sort out on this one - at the same time it's quite original and a good resource for someone else's research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I have a complete factory sales book (80 pages with chassis, body and engine illustrations) for 1912 Commer Cars. If you had a model # (type) I could photo copy the appropiate pages for you if you were interested. The reason I bought this book was because my grandfather drove a 1911 Commer in Winnipeg and was instrumental in setting up the 1911 Commer that the Winnipeg Fire Department purchased. After the general strike in Winnipeg he drove a 1917 Commer truck until the company traded it in on a 1934 Diamond T which he drove until 1962 when he retired at the age of 83. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bamford Posted March 8, 2004 Author Share Posted March 8, 2004 Yes, please.Our CommerCar is a Manchester series, Type PC, 6 ton, no chain case.Attached photo is a (1913?) Commer catalog scan showing our truck as sold by the factory.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 WOW! Two hours and twenty two seconds to get an answer on a fairly obscrue 1912 truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeSoto Frank Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 I like the "1912" catenary wires overhead for electric railway...is there also a historic streetcar or interurban exhibit where the truck was photographed?Great project - good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bamford Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 We have a great vintage street railway operating at the Fort... The Edmonton Radial Railway Society website is at http://www.edmonton-radial-railway.ab.ca/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_MikeWilliamsUK Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Trinidian,One of my other interests is the LNWR, the largest British railway. They ran several Commercars before the 1914-18 War: double deck buses, 'Observation cars', a goods lorry and an 'Express parcels' van. Don't suppose your catalogue happens to show photographs of any in this railway company livery? In 1914 they had a total of 27 Commercars. I know little about them and a search on-line comes up with nothing at all. Where were they made?Mike Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commerCAR Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 It's great to read about your Commercar project - we wish you well with it. Having taken a brief look through the files of the Commer Archive and Register here in the UK, I have found an original photo showing the back of a 1912 Commercar PC type street watering car. I have attached a low-res scan of the picture. Please keep us informed of your progress. I wonder if your machine was supplied as a 'WCP Commer' through Wyckoff, Church and Partridge, based at Broadway and 58th Street, New York? Peter Daniels Commer Archive and Register (CommerCAR)Salisbury UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commerCAR Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Sorry, the photo of the 1912 Commercar PC did not upload - I am trying again.CommerCAR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Mike. Sorry the book lists London and North Western Railway Company as a repeat purchaser but none of the 85 different illustrations of bodies and livery show the railway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Chris.Did you recieve my PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Any one know how to contact Chris. I have 21 pictures to send him by e or snail mail. He has not replied to my private message or else I screwed it up and it didn't get sent properly?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hey TIN, try his "hot mail" address listed in his home page. Just remember to remove the "remove me first" statement. A lot of people don't see the private message "flasher" for some reason. But then you have to be registered in to read it. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Thanks RW. Talk about dumb. I saw the hotmail address but I didn't realize "remove me first" meant remove me first as in do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leylandstype Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 "We are working on this 1912 6-ton CommerCar truck down at Fort Edmonton, our local historic park. It was originally a 1200 gallon water truck for the civic street cleaning department."I am from Melbourne, Australia, and would be interested in seeing some photos of the 1912 CommerCar if this is possible. Particularly of the parts that make it go i.e. underneath! Thanks Robert Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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