Waltzing Matilda Jet Powered truck

Yeah there is a lot of conflicting stuff about it – lots of stories, but no real facts as yet.
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I have sent “WerkHorse" a msg about some TNT stuff and mentioned ‘Matilda – so I am sure he will jump in when he can.
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The questions that come up, is it really “Matilda” – which I believe to be true, but in today’s world – believing just isn’t good enough and of course what condition / state is it in right now ?
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As the photo of it with a jet engine on the back suggests, they had got to a point with the restoration – but there is not a date on the photo that I know – so its hard to guess exactly what state the truck is at now. I think the original motor is gone, but they have the right basic type – but of course its all the rest of the stuff that goes with it – and I don’t know if they are trying to make it run which is a lot harder nowadays – as bits for those Canberra bomber engines are a lot harder to find now.
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And then there is all the other support stuff it need’s if you are actually trying to run it on a drag strip.
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I am trying to find out as much as I can , before we make contact with the ‘farm.

I think one of the major problems with those antique British jet engines is they are cartridge start. The cartridges have quite a short shelf life (if you can source them at all).

Here are some B-57's (American built Canberra) starting in formation.






And a British one

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationThis would be great turnkey engine, ready to fit but it only has 400lb thrust. Good for a ute or boat, not much chop for a heavy truck.


It would almost certainly be cheaper, faster and more efficient to find a more modern, electric start engine of the desired thrust than try to res erect and maintain a 70 year old museum piece.

Lang

Personally – I don’t think it needs to actually run the jet engine anymore, it just needs to be there and as complete and as close to original as it can. The truck engine was always in it and that will move it around nicely. It would be great if the engine ran, but I am not sure that’s a good idea.
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“Waltzing Matilda” was the first jet truck, it proved its point, set its records and deserves the rest and celebration. The aircraft guys have taken basically all the bits for that type of engine to restore planes – so good parts are costly and an issue, and only old very non airworthy stuff is generally about cheaply, making a non fully rebuilt jet engine – potentially dangerous to run.
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Ever seen one explode .. its messy and if not in a plane, could easily kill “by standers” – and if they do explode on a plane – there is usually a crash that follows.
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To actually run it on a drag strip takes a whole lot more than just the jet running anyway and what would be the point – there are more “showy” jet trucks around, all spitting fire and brimstone – and ‘Matilda was never that type of truck, so most could consider it boring to watch in today’s world.

OK first up... I've replied to your message Moth

Now.... Yes I've researched W/M for many, many years.... And the story as I know it goes a little sumthin like this...

Ewan, the owner of Golden Bee Honey at Mole Creek, Tasmania, started buying Ford Louie parts from a bloke years ago... The company/family have always had Fords.... There was some sus stuff going on and this guy had the parts Ewan needed (Ewan never new about the previous history of the parts)... Somewhere along the way he discovered that it was the remains of W/M and used those poo arts, plus any other parts to build the 4x2 semi that he then used within the business.

The truck we know as W/M ws retired when a new Ford/Sterling was bought in the late 1990s and the slow process of tracking the rest of the parts, the body, the jet engine, etc. began.

Now during this time a lot of info, and a heck of a lot more rumours, were sorted through, verified, dismissed in the hunt fir the original body to house the jet. Through one of my research projects I ran into the original consulting engineer for the jet intake on W/M who I duly introduced to Ewan. Ewan and I have also discussed the many stories of W/M being buried many years ago and we believe we know where the body was buried... But unfortunately the property owner isn't a friend of humans and talks down the barrel of his gun first (have been chased from his driveway once due to a missed turn).
I believe that the only real thing stopping the project from being finished is the building of the bodywork. Ewan has told me he has never had the intention of running it as a jet truck but rather a static display.

So basically the truck currently is a cab/chassis with the jet on the back which comes out occasionally to shows here in Tassie and is basically all of the parts that Ewan could get hold of.... Is it Waltzing Matilda??? Well it's as much of it as it will ever be

These are my photos taken in 2008 at the Deloraine Truck show

The cartridge starts if they are the same as used on some early
pommy tractors can be made at home using shot gun cartridges..

They are big brass cartridges about 60mm wide and 190mm high. They make great brass beer mugs.

I’ve heard the story of the guys burying the original body – it just seems not quite right.
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Why is always the question I ask, why destroy it and bury it, it would have been worth more as the intact body – rather than ground fill .. (unless it was stolen – and that would show up somewhere).

Not 4 get n Tom Watts atempt (RIP)

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