Tim Gosling looks at the 30-year restoration of his brother Steve’s 1917 J Type Thornycroft subsidy lorry
In 1983, vintage vehicle enthusiast Mike Jones of Ruthin heard rumours of a surviving Thornycroft lorry in a shed at the Penmaenmawr granite quarry in North Wales. Apparently, the lorry had been driven up the mountain in the 1920s where it was used as a stationary power plant to pump water.
When that part of the quarry ceased operation, the Thornycroft was left behind. Mike went to visit the shed and his first view was the front of the chassis poking
’A real breakthrough came in 2009 when a complete engine was sourced from a New Zealand quarry’
Out through a wall. Going inside he found the rest of the lorry - just some of it to be more accurate. The wheels and axles had long since been removed as had the back half of the chassis. The engine had been replaced with a later powerplant, but the gearbox was in quite good condition, as was the scuttle and a few other bits and pieces.
Getting the chassis off the mountain was going to be a challenging exercise, but, after knocking down two walls and hiring a bulldozer to carry everything, it was accomplished.
Mike estimated that the restoration of the lorry …
