Anyone know anything about Thornycroft Amazons?

[jader1973]

I was at a show at the weekend and this was sitting in the club's compound



It appears to be a Thornycroft Amazon like these






Except the one I saw has a dual control layout presumably so it can be driven backwards easily. None of the pics I can find on the internet show anything like this.


The jib had "Australian Pallet Co" written on it so I assume it ended its working life as some sort of yard hack but doubt they converted it to dual control.

Has anyone got any more info?

[mjphotography2016]

Have asked here www.facebook.com/groups/524271604346550/?fref=nf

[andyborris]

I'd suggest it was used to move semi-trailers around, probably used to load (on and off) a Ro-Ro ship. Modern tugs have a rotating cab to aid squeezing the trailers into a ship, the driver can "steer" the trailer into place, rather then back it in.

This speeds the loading process considerably.

Or perhaps, (bearing in mind that Thonycroft made mainly military or very heavy haulage trucks), loading the large cargo planes used by Air Forces?

[v8ian]

I think I remember seeing one at Duxford,
www.yorkshireairmuseum.org/exhibits/historic-military-vehicles/aec-amazon-coles-crane