A Nod To Brent - a friendly thread, filled with frivolity, cream teas and pasties. Longing for the happy days in the South Hams 1947.

[gwrrob]

Please yourselves.  

 

 

 

[M.I.B]

The QLR is a neat looking model....not seen it before. Not sure how many Command/signals lorries were allocated per division.....MIB will know. Generally though I wonder if wheeled vehicles were routinely moved on rail transporters rather than under their own power in convoys?

 

Trouble is there don't appear to be any 1/76 RTR tracked vehicles available

 

John

 

 

Dozens and dozens and dozens of QLRs per Div John.    But as you say, they were most likely to be found on top of LORIOTs etc.  A WARWELL or WARFLAT for one truck or one truck and gun is unlikely.

 

In 1947 the "Funnies" would still have been around - did Airfix mot make a Sherman Flail or was it a Churchill Flail?  That is perfect for a load.

 

 

Funnies have a habit of being one model behind the MBT of the day because they take longer to develop so it would not be wrong to see a Churchill bridgelayer with a Comet MBT unit.  ARRVs were always one model bahind until the introduction of the CRARRV  Challenger 1 units had to put up with Chieftain ARRVs for a long time, and Chieftain Regiments usually had Cent ARRVs.

 

We still had Cent AVREs in 1993 in Iraq.  Two were used to breach the Berms for the US Big Red One to get through because US equivalents weren't up to the job.....

 

A single piece of armour is very realistic - on it's way to a major overhaul, or back from major overhaul - it wouldn't have to be with others in a huge ( expensive) rake.

 

I am going to order mine this week with a Flail or Churchill bridge layer if there is such a thing on the market.  EDIT - there might just be a rush on Airfix Churchill Bridgelayers.......  but the bridges were usually not loaded on the tank for rail or road transport for height reasons.  So model it without or build up the bridge sections and pop them on something flat or an OPEN C.

 

SUMMARY

 

One WARFLAT is fine with something armoured on it.  

Or empty.  

Armour can be "dated" if it isn't an MBT (gun tank)

 

Do Carry On!

Edited June 27, 2017 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Forgot to add that if you are modelling a tank as a load, remove the light weapons (machine guns) - they would be removed for unaccompanied transport.

 

In most cases - snap off the barrel if it is protruding from the turret or glacis plate, or if it is externally mounted - omit to fit it in total.

[The Fatadder]

So the all important question, is was any armour of any kind either based in Devon or maintained down there in the late 40s? 

Did the commandos have anything which could have been transported by rail?

[M.I.B]

So the all important question, is was any armour of any kind either based in Devon or maintained down there in the late 40s? 

Did the commandos have anything which could have been transported by rail?

 

BARVs would be a strong possibility for an RM unit.  But only one or two - not a train full.   And I would guess that a BARV would have to be scratch built on the correct chassis.

[The Fatadder]

BARVs would be a strong possibility for an RM unit. But only one or two - not a train full. And I would guess that a BARV would have to be scratch built on the correct chassis.

Interesting, maybe onto a winner if a kit can be found. Based on old chassis lasting longer I presume a Sherman would be ok

http://www.milicast.com/shop/product.php?productid=1797&cat=3&bestseller=Y

[devondynosoar118]

I saw our current BARV this week, it's definitely out of gauge. The Sherman was already very close to the limit if the loading gauge, you wouldn't get a taller version through it, unless it was on an ultra low riding wagon and even then the BARV looks too tall.

The Marines told me the BARV in nicknamed the bullet magnet!

The REME developed a BARV, with a Sherman chassis. For once it's tall side profile was an advantage!

Edited June 28, 2017 by devondynosoar118

[The Fatadder]

I would suggest Sherman's were not widely used for specialist vehicle conversions due to their high side profile and foreign manufactured spare parts. We had to pay for everything post war and I very much doubt the MoD were keen on spending in USD.

That was my logic as well, though the kit manufacturer linked refers to the Sherman BARV lasting to the 60s and replacement with a centurion conversion.

Presumably there were more than enough war surplus Sherman's to scrap for parts to maintain a small fleet avoiding the need for USD spares purchases

[devondynosoar118]

Note edit, I checked my facts!

[colin penfold]

But remember peeps. Out of gauge loads still run on the railway. They just need special traffic arrangements.

[The Stationmaster]

So the all important question, is was any armour of any kind either based in Devon or maintained down there in the late 40s? 

Did the commandos have anything which could have been transported by rail?

 

Royal Marines artillery unit based in Plymouth - not armour but field guns (25 pdrs at that time?).

[colin penfold]

Airfix used to do a good kit for a quad tractor and 25 pounder as I recall

[Captain Kernow]

So what would have been the most common tank to be transported by rail in the late 1950s/early 1960s, or were all tanks by that time out of gauge?

 

I've used the (now Airfix kit) Saladin armoured car as a load for 'Bleakhouse Road', and they don't foul the entrance to my fiddle yards!

Edited June 28, 2017 by Captain Kernow

[M.I.B]

I think some of the BARVs and definitely the bridgelayers with bridge on are beyond OOG and cannot travel.

[Mallard60022]

Royal Marines artillery unit based in Plymouth - not armour but field guns (25 pdrs at that time?).

I remember seeing tanks on Tank Transporters coming to/from & through Plymuff (well the outskirts) but I never saw any on trains (late 50s, 60s)

A. Hitler.

[The Blue Streak]

So what would have been the most common tank to be transported by rail in the late 1950s/early 1960s, or were all tanks by that time out of gauge?

 

I've used the (now Airfix kit) Saladin armoured car as a load for 'Bleakhouse Road', and they don't foul the entrance to my fiddle yards!

 

There's always the Saracen Armoured car - only 10 ton so I would imagine within gauge and available in 1/76 Airfix

 

Another one of My Dads photos (that's him in the Saracen Malaya 1954)

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[The Blue Streak]

Anyway one last suggestion for chaps who want tanks on trains - you don't need to spend money on those fancy new wagons, you just improvise with what you have. Like We do here in WA .

 

And just to prove there is a prototype for everything - this turned up on a grain train in the West Australian wheat belt about 2012 or thereabouts.

We loved it, but the managers still wanted it painted over it was policy at the time to remove any graffiti ASAP.

 

 

and yes the "F" really was back to front

Edited June 29, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[Captain Kernow]

I've used the (now Airfix kit) Saladin armoured car as a load for 'Bleakhouse Road', and they don't foul the entrance to my fiddle yards!

As seen here in a photo taken a few years ago by Chris Nevard:

 

[The Stationmaster]

So what would have been the most common tank to be transported by rail in the late 1950s/early 1960s, or were all tanks by that time out of gauge?

 

I've used the (now Airfix kit) Saladin armoured car as a load for 'Bleakhouse Road', and they don't foul the entrance to my fiddle yards!

 

Virtually nothing in the way of MBTs as Centurions (and all later British MBTs) were out-of-gauge laterally.  Possibly some earlier MBTs in the early 1950s before re-equipment with the Centurion but I think that would have finished before 1960.  Main things for rail transport after that would be things like Saracens which were in gauge plus numerous sorts of soft top vehices.

[M.I.B]

Tracked artillery was very much in gauge until the early 90s. Very suitable for WARFLAT and WARWELL traffic.

[Clearwater]

An early 80s shot from Coventry. Assume these are warwells but no idea what's on them!

 

David

[Ian Hargrave]

An early 80s shot from Coventry. Assume these are warwells but no idea what's on them!

 

DavidC.022.jpg

 

Scorpion armoured vehicle ?

[gwrrob]

An early 80s shot from Coventry. Assume these are warwells but no idea what's on them!

 

DavidC.022.jpg

 

I bet they were made at Alvis and like everything else in this country is now a bloody retail park instead of manufacturing.  

[M.I.B]

Pictured above is something from the FV430 series - numerous variants for numerous jobs from armoured taxis for bullet catchers (FV 432s), to mortar carriers with big round sunroofs in the back, Recovery ones with folding cranes on (434s), and ambulances too.  Command vehicles for Generals to run wars out of, and ones full of radios to tell everyone the General's latest ideas.

 

EDIT

 

And the Abbot self propelled gun (tracked artillery) was on a 430 chassis too.  I think that was an Airfix kit(?)  Ideal for a load of these wagons.

Edited June 29, 2017 by M.I.B

[gwrrob]

For those not in the know the Alvis factory was opposite Carbodies , the company who still make the London black taxi .