Ever found yourself looking at an aircraft and suddenly realised that you’re not actually looking at the aircraft but the aerial fit or the type of propeller fitted to it? Well I’ve found myself going one step beyond…I’ve become interested in Accumulator Trolleys!
If you were to jump in a time machine and take a stroll round any British Second World War airfield you would have seen these all over the place but I’ve never seen a surviving wartime example. I’ve seen plenty of post war Mk. 5 ‘trolley accs’ and I know of a pre-war example at Cosford but the only trace I’ve seen of a wartime trolley is a photo of one at Woodford in 1985.
Dose anyone know of any that are still around?
Anne
By: ZRX61 - 8th March 2006 at 18:27
What…don’t you have the Ian Allan book Elsans at War?!!
& the follow up volume, Aviation Ablutions.. 😉 It has a new addendum about Stanford Tucks **** pot…. 😀
By: adrian_gray - 8th March 2006 at 16:58
What…don’t you have the Ian Allan book Elsans at War?!!
Now that really is full of sh… I’ll get me coat!
Adrian
By: anneorac - 8th March 2006 at 15:34
You think thats bad? I’ve got an uncle in law that’s interested in toilets
What…don’t you have the Ian Allan book Elsans at War?!!
By: Rlangham - 8th March 2006 at 15:02
Not sure what I am disturbed more about this thread 1) that the pinnacle of anoraking is trolley accs and their differences or 2) i wont be able to resist checking out ours at the weekend!
TT
You think thats bad? I’ve got an uncle in law that’s interested in toilets (hope it’s got nothing to do with a fetish with my auntie.. 😮 ), and a soon to be uncle in law that collects antique bottle openers!
By: anneorac - 8th March 2006 at 14:01
Not sure what I am disturbed more about this thread 1) that the pinnacle of anoraking is trolley accs and their differences or 2) i wont be able to resist checking out ours at the weekend!
TT
Ha Ha…made you look! 😀
By: anneorac - 8th March 2006 at 14:00
Airfix did a T.3 and then a T.5 (both being long discontinued).
Martin
Yup. I think they both appear in one of the late 70s catalogues.
Anne
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 8th March 2006 at 13:39
Not sure what I am disturbed more about this thread 1) that the pinnacle of anoraking is trolley accs and their differences or 2) i wont be able to resist checking out ours at the weekend!
TT
By: T6flyer - 8th March 2006 at 12:21
Airfix did a T.3 and then a T.5 (both being long discontinued).
Martin
By: anneorac - 8th March 2006 at 10:04
Once saw a line of JP’s at Cosford with accumulators all being started up, not sure if they were all T5’s or if there were a few 4’s though. By the way, who makes a model of the T4?
Airfix used to although I think it was a T.3/T.4
Anne
By: Rlangham - 8th March 2006 at 09:17
Still have some of that set knocking around in a box, had them since i was a kid. saw the two t/a’s and a few on the figures about a week ago whilst searching for an old Jet Prov model. anyone know if these were used to crank up the JP T4?.
all the best.
Greg
Once saw a line of JP’s at Cosford with accumulators all being started up, not sure if they were all T5’s or if there were a few 4’s though. By the way, who makes a model of the T4?
By: anneorac - 8th March 2006 at 09:16
Not my field of expertise (and of course, I would admit to it, wouldn’t I???), but…the RAF was very good at getting the best out of its ground equipment. Would it be feasible to suggest that a number of WWII era trolley-acc’s were ‘upgraded’ with the post war ‘standard’ multi-holed wheels (fitted to all sorts of things ground-bound) and later three-pin plugs?
I’m not sure if the wheels were a different size or not.
I know that the Mk. 5s were upgraded from the two-pin to the three-pin plug.
Anne
By: anneorac - 8th March 2006 at 09:08
Phew, got images of big radial engines strapped to the top of accumulators then! Do you mean the one like on the right of the picture on this page?
http://home.clara.net/djparkins/fltpath/fpmaster.htm
Click on ‘1/72 WWII’ then scroll down to ‘Trolley Accumulator Set’
Yup…that’s the sort of thing I’m on about. I notice they also do a Mk. 5 in the post war section.
Anne
By: landyman2 - 8th March 2006 at 01:22
Brilliantly sad! Did any one have the Airfix 1/72 RAF Groundcrew as child? as that included a model trolley acc.
Steve
Still have some of that set knocking around in a box, had them since i was a kid. saw the two t/a’s and a few on the figures about a week ago whilst searching for an old Jet Prov model. anyone know if these were used to crank up the JP T4?.
all the best.
Greg
By: Septic - 7th March 2006 at 23:04
Hi Octain,
The one I believe your talking about was made by Trojan, the car and truck makers.
Septic.
By: Hi-Octain - 7th March 2006 at 21:50
Any one got a piccie of the one at Duxford hanger three by the Lanc. Looks older that any offered so far.
Bak in kennel
By: brewerjerry - 7th March 2006 at 21:19
question
Hi All,
Would it be possible to date them further ?
As some early WW2 a/c had 12 volt systems, other early/mid ww2 went to 24 volt systems
Slightly O/T…..
As a ex council apprentice I recall a wooden trolley acc, always wondered if it was ex raf ? it had a 12v / 24v option, a very large lever.
We used it to start a converted mobile tower built onto a truck body ,
( an american dodge ? ex wrvs ww2 meal/tea wagon ).
Cheers
Jerry
By: alanl - 7th March 2006 at 20:18
I have a funny story about me and a Trolley Acc – which I would post if anyone’s that bored…lol (Hint – it concerns the infamous “Winston” Meteor :diablo: )
Go on then I ‘ll bite! Iam always interested in Ground crew tales!
What happened?
Alan.
By: Camlobe - 7th March 2006 at 19:45
Not my field of expertise (and of course, I would admit to it, wouldn’t I???), but…the RAF was very good at getting the best out of its ground equipment. Would it be feasible to suggest that a number of WWII era trolley-acc’s were ‘upgraded’ with the post war ‘standard’ multi-holed wheels (fitted to all sorts of things ground-bound) and later three-pin plugs?
By: adrian_gray - 7th March 2006 at 17:41
Difficult to tell, it’s so small! But if that is an engine on top then odds on it’s a JAP or a Lister IMHO.
I love the 1/72 Fordson N – it really looks the part, and it can hardly be bigger than the top joint of my finger!
ADrian
By: Rlangham - 7th March 2006 at 17:30
J. A. P. engine, before anybody wonders what on earth the RAF were doing using Japanese equipment. Short for J. A. Prestwich, and built engines for almost anything that moved…
I’ll get my anorak…
Adrian
Phew, got images of big radial engines strapped to the top of accumulators then! Do you mean the one like on the right of the picture on this page?
http://home.clara.net/djparkins/fltpath/fpmaster.htm
Click on ‘1/72 WWII’ then scroll down to ‘Trolley Accumulator Set’
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March 6, 2006 at 10:52 am