From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Enquiry from a collector about a maker's plate found on a mechanised rail-car in Jordan, suspected to be a WWI-era armoured car conversion.
| Identifier | Morton\M21\ img056 | |
| Date | 8th February 1971 | |
| FRK 47, Knightsbridge Road, Leabrook. South Australia - 5068. Feb 8, 1971 p/w Messrs Rolls Royce Ltd. Archives Dept. Dear Sir The distressing news of the probable dissolution of "Rolls" prompts this enquiry for information which I hope you will be able to supply before "Rolls" records are lost. First let me say that I am an elderly boffin with a "kink" : the "kink" being a collection of makers plates from various forms of railway rolling stock - mostly locomotives. Some years ago I was in Jordan and at a point beyond the present terminus at Maan there were many mounds of junk railway material left behind by the Turks after the first war, and here was found remains of locomotives and all forms of railway vehicle. Scratching over the pile of debris I found what appeared to be the remains of a "home made" mechanised rail-car or trolley, probably an improvised product of His Majesty's ubiquitous Royal Engineers. There wasnt much left for identification but on one portion was one of your Company's plates which was duly extracted for the "museum". As I like to annotate my "exhibits" I would be really grateful if you could supply me with any information concerning this vehicle from the "rubbing" of the plate which I enclose. My guess is that the R E's requiring some mobility on the then Hedjaz Railway manufactured this vehicle from one of the armoured Rolls-Royce cars which were is use in Gen. Allenby's forces. | ||