Bob Hudson Posted May 31, 2012 Share #1 Posted May 31, 2012 Earlier this year I got a SMALL ARMS REPAIR TRUCK sign from the estate of a 30-year Marine ordnance repairman. Yesterday I got a related booklet - for the M16 M16A1 Machine Shop truck: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share #2 Posted May 31, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted May 31, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share #4 Posted May 31, 2012 I not only got the book with the photo of the drill press - I got the drill press too! It's in several pieces in the back of my van awaiting delivery to a buddy. It's a vintage Walker Turner. I may also get the Atlas horizontal shaper: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted May 31, 2012 This "insert" has some changes regarding a different version: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willysmb44 Posted May 31, 2012 Share #6 Posted May 31, 2012 So where did that plate go? I've seen a few on eBay over the years and they seem to be in a plastic or rubber substance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share #7 Posted June 1, 2012 So where did that plate go? I've seen a few on eBay over the years and they seem to be in a plastic or rubber substance. It is, as you say, a plastic or rubbery substance. My guess is that it went on the back door: they had the Machine Shop Truck shown here, Smalls Arms Repair Truck, Instrument Repair Truck, etc, and I'd imagine that when you had several parked in the same area, the signs helped. Now I have yet to find any reference to these signs online and I suspect they are quite rare. In fact even the booklet shown here is hard-to-find: i'm sure these got trashed when these trucks were phased out. Online there are some photos taken from books such as this one, otherwise the photos of these trucks are mostly of models or a couple of reenactment vehicles, such as this: I found this online showing some costs for these trucks 60 or more years ago: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted June 1, 2012 Share #8 Posted June 1, 2012 Ordnance leads the way!!! Forward repair capability was a major contribution to our victory in WWII. We were still using vans and mobile shops like this when I was in the Army in the 1980's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted June 1, 2012 Share #9 Posted June 1, 2012 Nice find Forum Support,the manuals especially are pretty rare,I've been collecting GMC CCKW items for quite a while and have never seen original copies of those manuals. Most Shop Trucks were on basic -1 or -2 chassis,as were most other specialized bodies,eg compressor truck,chemical warfare etc. The truck pictured in the manual is an early -1 with Timken split axles and an early production 1608 cab. The -2 trucks had the Chevrolet banjo axles. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCnam Posted June 1, 2012 Share #10 Posted June 1, 2012 There is a 5 ton machine shop truck 6x with all tools still inside for sale near Greensboro. no pics, will have to get some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willysmb44 Posted June 3, 2012 Share #11 Posted June 3, 2012 As a former Army Ordnance officer (who was often in the M35 versions of this truck), I'd love to get my hands on one of these trucks someday, but it's probably for the best that I don't, because I'd spend the rest of my life looking for all the tools, parts and TMs to go with it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted June 4, 2012 As a former Army Ordnance officer (who was often in the M35 versions of this truck), I'd love to get my hands on one of these trucks someday, but it's probably for the best that I don't, because I'd spend the rest of my life looking for all the tools, parts and TMs to go with it... Well, along with this I id get some other TM's for your starter kit: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckfarmer27 Posted October 27, 2014 Share #13 Posted October 27, 2014 This "insert" has some changes regarding a different version: 9.jpg 10.jpg New member - first post. By way of introduction did 2 years active Army, 31 and change reserve components. So I know just enough to be dangerous in asking questions. Does anyone have the base document for this change - at least I think that is what I am looking for. I recently acquired a South Bend 10 inch metal lathe that, according to the story I got, probably came out of one of these machine shop trucks - whatever 'Load' configuration had that particular machine. Came from a school bus garage where it has sat for over 40 years in a corner - longest term employee (with 30+ years there) was told when he started that over 10 years prior to that the school got 2 Army trucks. One a wrecker, the other a van that had the lathe in the back. Lathe came on a 5 drawer bench, with fitted wooden liners in each drawer - with cutouts for the various items that came with the machine. Is actually pretty complete and I managed to fit most things in - but several cutouts are missing. So I am curious as to what else came with the lathe in 1945. I did manage to get information from the company and the lathe was delivered on 6 January 1945 to General Tire and Rubber Company in Huntington, WV. Lathe has US acceptance stamp on the bed and I am assuming General Tire, among other things, might have done the final assembly on the shop vans. I am familiar with what was in the system from 1970 until 2003, when I retired. I'm guessing this lathe was washed out of the system just about the time I started - I don't ever recall ever seeing this model, even in the reserve components, in the mid 70s. In trying to track this down I have also been in communication with both the QM and OD museums at Fort Lee. I included a link to this thread, saying I thought what I was looking for might be in this series of publications. They replied they have shelves full of these documents - but none on machine shops. So it looks like you have a rather rare pub. Thanks for any light you can shed on this for me. Dale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigkahunasix Posted October 27, 2014 Share #14 Posted October 27, 2014 When I left Aberdeen in 94, there was one of these vehicles in original condition and fully equipped in one of the warehouses belonging to the Ordnance Museum. I believe Dr. Atwater said it was for an upcoming display when the expansion project was complete. But that all got canked once the realignment crap got started. God knows where it ended up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbtcoveralls Posted October 27, 2014 Share #15 Posted October 27, 2014 So where did that plate go? I've seen a few on eBay over the years and they seem to be in a plastic or rubber substance. The plate was mounted on the left side of the box, lower forward corner near the driver's door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgt norway Posted October 31, 2014 Share #16 Posted October 31, 2014 i still use my old work shop,its conected to my garage. i dont have the truck anymore only the shop van. cheers ken,norway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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