1924 Graham Bros truck.

[shubys tractor farm]

G'day all - as previously mentioned- I am trying to restore the origional W.APPELTS delivery truck from Nuriootpa S.A.   1924 model.  This truck was used for delivering  W.APPELTS COOLDRINKS  around the Barossa - Tanunda, Angaston Greenoch and Nuriootpa,  in the 1920's and 1930's.  It also travelled to LOXTON  -every Saturday with a load of full drinks and brought back the empties from there.
   The main hold-up is that the rear wheels have deteriorated beyond repair - these were 24 inch- wide heavyduty wooden spoked wheels - with balloon heavy duty tyres.(6 " wide)  Later Graham Bros trucks had steel spoked artilliary type wheels- these will not suit my truck. I would really appreciate ANY HELP WHATSO-EVER to locate 2 x 24 inch wooden spoked artilliary type Heavy Duty rear wheels  TO FIT TO THIS UNIT. They had a "GB" hubcap  similar to DB fitted to Dodge models of this era.
    I would appreciate any help here  -any contact with other owners of "24 GB " Units, ANY HELP TO FIND USEABLE REAR WHEELS FOR MY UNIT, or for GB  trucks this era,ANY CONTACT-ANYWHERE. Chears DS.

[ianoz]

You may find some usefull infomation here Shuby .
http://www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1327525026

[shubys tractor farm]

Thanks Ianoz for the tip-I find that Forum VERY VERY good. I had not thought about rebuilding the wheels as this truck sat for many years in a creek and the rim, the steel fellow and other parts have actually rusted away at the bottom -So I thought if I could come across a Better pair of heavyduty wheels I would be on a winner. Thanks again for yr help- shubys tractor farm.

[shubys tractor farm]

Howdy all- to keep this topic alive- I have now found a pair of Front wheels off a 1923 to 25 Dodge/Graham Brothers truck which are fairly heavy duty wheels. I am sure I can make these work for the back axle- they were on an old spray cart of a spray unit at the sale  at Callington SA 9/11/12 BUT they cost me a fortune as someone else wanted them as much as me.
I am keeping my options open - still on the lookout for these wheels-Also still seeking any info on the W.Appelts delivery truck of 1924 for the Barossa Valley S.A.--- especially any photos of this unit in it's working clothes or doing deliveries around the Barossa - Nuri, TANUNDA OR ANGASTON or even LOXTON . Any help what so-ever would be greatly  appreciated - to help me restore this origional W. APPELTS delivery truck"Graham Brothers " 1924.era.  Happy Christmass to all Forum members. Chears Dean s.

[franco]

Dean,

If you have the original hubs, a section of an original felloe in good enough condition to determine the cross sectional shape, and a couple of reasonable original spokes to use as patterns for new ones, I would suggest you would be better getting new felloes rolled and the wheels rebuilt. If you are lucky enough to come across original wooden wheels for a relatively uncommon 88 year old vehicle which are still in good enough condition to use without rebuilding anyway, it would indeed be a miracle!

Frank.

[shubys tractor farm]

Thanks FrANK for your interest and yr reply. I appreciate your input-I want to keep this unit close to origional-I think I can make these wheels I recently acquired ----work.  I wish all could see what I am working on - such a rare unit having so much historical revelance to the BarossaValley SA and Loxton SA. I am still seeking any -ANY- PHOTOS of this unit working in this period. If anybody can help here-please contact me -shubys tractor farm.

[shubys tractor farm]

Again ALL - JUST TO KEEP YOU GUYS INFORMED, I have been overwhelmed by information coming my way by many sources -some by this FORUM - many by books I  have been directed to -  and friends and other scources in the Barossa Valley SOUTH AUSTRALIA -   and so -  to keep you all up to speed  I wish to post the following:-
  My unit appears to have been bought  by APPELTS on 2nd August 1924  and then registered later that month -  with the number S.A.34465.
   Further information concerning this truck  was reported in "The Register " (SA)  on the 24th Dec 1925  when-------QUOTE
 "on 20th December '25, a serious accident occurred here at 9p.m. on Saturday, A motor lorry owned by the firm of W. Appelt (Cordial manufacturers), and heavily laden with bottles of cordial, was proceeding along the Greenoch Road when the steering gear locked. The vehicle lurched into a creek on the side of the road, and Mr Grier, who was driving, was pinned underneath the wreckage, and one of hs legs was fractured in three places below the knee. The sufferer was conveyed  to the Willows Hospital, where he is progressing favourably. The lorry was only slightly damaged, but the loss was severe, as practically the whole load was destroyed." End  QUOTE.
   I realize that no body else has posted information concerning their restoration unit - such as I have done- Yet I see there are many interested people - so I post this information with the offer of more to follow to keep you guys informed of my progress.  There is more to follow  - Thanks for looking - Chears  Shubys Tractor Farm.

[cobbadog]

Keep posting Shuby,
It is interesting to note that it appears that the load was more important than anything else.

[dave351cid]

keep up with the story mate. love reading about old machines and their history. 

[shubys tractor farm]

G'day all- I acknowledge that there has been a lot of interest in my origional posting and I appreciate the interest. Just to up-date you all - I have been seeking information on APPELTS in Nuriootpa SA, and I placed an advert for same and an article was raised  as a result of this  re the Graham Brothers Truck  in Barossa Newspapers  but I received NO replies - Hard to understand when this company started in 1905 and closed down in 1975.  I have placed many adverts for wanting to buy old APPELTS  bottles and crates  and yet again ----NOTHING.  I have a mobile display board  showing pictures of my unit as found and lots of info about APPELTS  which I have displayed at many rallies  in Adelaide, Angaston, Booleroo Centre Milang  and Loxton but again no results.  Frustrating- yet I will not give up.
  I am still seeking ANY information about this truck - especially any photos of it in it's working clothes - so that I can copy origional signwriting  etc.  AGAIN I place my plee- any help greatly appreciatedChears all shubys tractor farm.

[shubys tractor farm]

G'day all- just to let you know I am still working on this project.  Origional chassis now pulled down and in restoration - fully sandblasted and spring hangers etc. checked and rebuilt where necessary. Motor and gearbox all seem in good working order.  Work progressing slowly as I had a new HIP REPLACEMENT  recently and now I can do things.  I am still seeking any APPELTS bottles, APPELTS CRATES, APPELTS Sineage especially on the truck, and any other APPELTS  SIGNS OR ANYTHING OR INFORMATION  relative to APPELTS.  Again I place the plee---Any information or especially any old photo's of this truck in it's working condition -especially the sineage and scroll work on the truck - would be most greatly appreciated. Thank you all for the many visits to this site-----I am overwhelmed.  My humblest thanks to all who responded and visited this site. Shubys tractor farm.

[wee-allis]

Hi Shubys Farm,

Glad you re-opened this thread.  Just recently I was given a GRAHAM truck radiator badge/sign. It is 195mm long with letters 30mm high with the exception of the "G" which is 43mm high. It is complete with the two long fine thread screws and nuts to go through the core and still has the original cross bar to go on the inside of the radiator.

If it any good to you, it is free to a good home. Just let me know and I'll get it posted to you, if you send me your address.

If not suitable, it is still free to anyone else who needs it for a restoration, not just to hang on a wall.

Steve.

[cobbadog]

Good to hear that your are on the mend with a new hip and the project is still going forward. Well done.

HIP HIP Hooray!    pun intended.

[shubys tractor farm]

Love your response- Cobbadog--Having not almost being able to walk without severe pain before opp--- to now -PAIN FREE - I'm LIKE A KID WITH A NEW TOY. So keen to get on with my many projects. Thus the reason why I have not responded in last 2 yrs or more.   To all out there---Keep on restoring --Keep on saving our heritage. Dean S -shubys tractor farm.

[wee-allis]

Dean, I got your PM about the badge and the other stuff, but You still haven't sent me your address so I can send the badge to you.
Steve.