Mystery tramway vehicle, help please

I can't offer any real help, or a clue which I was keeping secret. Generally, M&MTB (as a government instrumentality) would buy new, so 'Bitza' looks a bit unlikely. It could well have been bought war surplus, but wouldn't have had too many modifications, unless it was to provide a cab on a hitherto open vehicle. However, all of the photos provided when I raised the Pittman photo showed vehicles with cabs.
I only ever knew the replacement vehicle, a British maker. I have yet to track down a photo to share.
Interestingly, trammies who must have worked with the vehicle have no real idea. It must have lasted into my era, and overlapped the other, judging by the age of the buses to the rear.
There is just a chance that a researcher has it in a database of equipment disposals, but the researcher doesn't frequent the same internet groups.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I was looking at the front hubs, and the front sheet metal, radiator gaurds etc. The front hubs look identical, and the radiator looks the same to me as well. Cab could be off anything, or even made by a bodybuilder or the Tramways. They actually had blokes in those days that could knock up something like that.

Have two morale boosters which are not mysteries:
The AEC Matador was the one which I knew:
tdu.to/398.att?sid=60409

The current vehicle, an International, which has to cope with heavier trams.
tdu.to/a3052/TRV_5May2004.jpg

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I was looking at the front hubs, and the front sheet metal, radiator gaurds etc. The front hubs look identical, and the radiator looks the same to me as well. Cab could be off anything, or even made by a bodybuilder or the Tramways. They actually had blokes in those days that could knock up something like that.

I've gotta agree with Cam, front axle, guards, grill, all match up, plus it looks like a "dog" on the bonnet.

I threw the question back at the trammies to get some dates, and a member associated with fire-appliance preservation has given independent corroboration of the groundswell opinion here. Mack EH. It wasn't replaced by the AEC Matador, it was the bus division's breakdown truck, and so was coping with lighter vehicles than 18 t trams.

From the member: The photo was taken in 1969. After consulting a few relevant publications, I am now fairly sure it is a Mack EH1D. It is considerably different in appearance from a 1942 EH I owned for many years, but seems to be a special limited edition military version 5 ton 4x2 unit made in 1943-44.

Internet is not only fast, it brings experts together: the whole solution was workshopped in only a few hours. Thanks all.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Here is another surviver of the same style.

i agree swage lines on cowl and doors eh mack exactly ! the roof is defiantly wrong but as said here by cam it could be off anything or scratch built

Can anyone provide tech specs for the Mack EH?
Would it have been more powerful, or lower geared, than a typical road-haul vehicle of the era?

A similar question applies for the AEC Matador:
tdu.to/398.att?sid=60409

The story within the tram industry/hobby is that it had been obtained after use as a tank-recovery vehicle.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Here are links to two older ones. They may not work unless you are a member of transportdownunder: I don't know what settings the list owner has applied.

< finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/transport...nder/message/3117> ;
These photos were copied from an M&MTB annual report.

The ARP wagon, taken in the 1940s, could be an Albion.
< groups.yahoo.com/group/transportdownunde...l&start=1&dir=asc> ;

The ARP emergency wagon, photographed in 1941, could be a 1936 Chevrolet.
< groups.yahoo.com/group/transportdownunde...l&start=1&dir=asc> ;

If the links don't work, I can seek approval to repost them here.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

From the member: The photo was taken in 1969. After consulting a few relevant publications, I am now fairly sure it is a Mack EH1D. It is considerably different in appearance from a 1942 EH I owned for many years, but seems to be a special limited edition military version 5 ton 4x2 unit made in 1943-44.

I have a Bart Vanderveen book on Mack military vehicles, and it has photos of the EH-1D, a special military version used mainly by the poms. They were ragtops with barn doors. The wheels and mudgaurds match this photo (which I took back in 1969).

I'd say that whoever did the fit out for the tow truck conversion built the cab.