Guides...and blogs
Gambling, gut instinct or foolhardiness?
Wednesday 15th October 2014
Sometimes it pays to take a chance.
It is the middle of an auction and a lot that we had walked past earlier, a large but dilapidated wood chest, came up for sale. We had no intention of bidding until the auctioneer offered that the chest contained some interesting plans.
To us interesting is THE magic word. Hearing it unhinges any common sense we possess and we decided to bid blind. Unfortunately someone else had obviously examined the contents in more detail and had left a commission bid, that was higher than we wanted to go. Gritting teeth, we bid up, and up again, until the lot was secured.
Later came the reveal, some old maps, and other restricted licence maps that we would not be able to sell for copyright reasons. Then came a file of old pension papers, totally valueless. Based on what we had seen the saleable maps and the chest would get most of our money back but we would probably lose money after paying buyer's premium and selling fees.
Underneath them all was a tight roll of what looked like more maps. We opened one to see a large linen backed wall chart, with a coloured sectional drawing of a Fordson Tractor. It was glorious! In all there were 24 charts, and these are listed below.
It would be nice to say that fortune favours the brave, but bidding blind is not recommended. It is a curious coincidence that the more one researches potential purchases the better the buys tend to be!
Schedule of Ford Motor Company Limited Wall Charts WWII
Issued by Ford Motor Company Ltd Facilities Department unless otherwise stated. All 40 inches x 30 inches unless otherwise stated.
Drawing Reference Number/Title (& date if shown)
1/K8340/495: 8 H.P. Ford Rear Axle
2/K8340/495: 8 H.P. Ford Starter Motor, Generator and Distributor
3/K8340/495: 8 H.P. Ford Braking System
4/K8340/495: 8 H.P. Ford Steering Gear and Linkage
5/K8340/495: Fordson Tractor Lubrication and Maintenance Chart Dec 1942
6/K8340/495: Sectional Drawing of Fordson Tractor (issued by Ford Motor Company Limited, Dagenham, Essex by Appointment Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
2/J6433/415: The History of Measurement, issued by Ford Motor Company Limited, Dagenham
3/J6433/415: W.O.C.1 and W.O.A. Maintenance Routine Chart 1 Oct 1942
4/J6433/415: W.O.C.1 and W.O.A. Maintenance Routine Chart 2 Oct 1942
5/J6433/415: Transfer Gearbox Section Dec 1943
1/K8293/845: Fordson Commercial Vehicle Rear Axle
2/K8293/845: Ford Electrical Components
3/K8293/845: The 8 Cylinder Engine Feb 1944
4/ K8293/845: Operation of Four Speed Gearbox
5/K8293/845: Operation of Coil Ignition System
6/K8293/845: Principles of Carburettor Operation
3/K8050/554: W.O.T. 6 & 8 Maintenance Routine Chart 1 Oct 1942
4/K8050/554: 8 H.P. Ford Engine and Gearbox
1/L4039/1045: Operation of the Otto Cycle (4 stroke) Engine
3/L4039/1045: Three Quarter Floating Rear Axle
7/L4039/1045: W.O.T. 6 & 8 Front Drive Axle Oct 1942
1/K8246/475: W.O.T. 2 Maintence Routine Chart 1 March 1943
2/K8246/475: W.O.T. 2 Maintence Routine Chart 2 April 1943
G/6499/424: 4 Stroke Engine Cut Out Ford Industrial Education 41" x 31", Ford Motor Company Limited, Dagenham