exet1095

The Lightweight Land Rover was limited by the Beverley - hence the flat wheel hubs so you could get two in side by side. No idea about the Belfast and the One-Tonner. I enjoy your posts Clive, and it’s good to be on topic too!

Hi Clive, I am sure you were told that; I was told that it wasn’t allowed to be wider than the Rover. Probably, both are true. The wheels certainly bounced along the same ruts. Now they use Pinzgauers; again quite narrow. The Aussie ones we saw were much quicker into action without that faff with the wheel. What fun a PRE could be! Paul

It’s not the gun that’s difficult to deploy; it’s the ammunition. 105 is man-portable. 155 is backbreakingly heavy, physically much larger, and not great for moving forward without lots of lorries and lots of people to handle it.

When we converted from an OP battery with 25 pdrs (as a training aid) to a Light Gun battery (in 1992) we went from being able to fire 100 round fire missions to, “one round, fire for effect!” I therefore have no idea what our short-term maximum rate of fire could be… The ludicrous Department for Transport stipulation that the track of the gun couldn’t be wider than the one-tonner tractor, and the ensuing rigmarole of taking the wheel off to swing the gun around before going into action also slowed us down. (The Aussies added a spacer so they could simply swing theirs round.) Going into action in a simulated ambush was much quicker when we just unhooked the 25pdr from the Bedford and pulled it onto the platform than faffing with the Light Gun. Paul

That’s well and truly VOR! Even though I came too on my Ferret crew driver course, it looks beyond my skills to get it going…

All about the Pycrete aircraft carrier that was thought about during WW2. Sadly, their graphics are not as good as those in one of my father’s old Eagle annuals.

Thanks, I’ll have a look, but railway modelling being what it is, I’m sure someone else has already found the right profile.

Hello, does anyone know where to source the correct profile black plastic trim strip to restore a pair of last shape H&M Multipack switch housings and a Powermaster to a decent external condition? I assume Hammant and Morgan used a standard extrusion… Many thanks, Paul

Can you name and shame the retailer? This is an egregious breach of consumer law; the price that is displayed is the one they have to charge.

The great thing about our current three-part ammunition is that when you fire a round there is nothing left, apart from a tiny vent tube. No hot, heavy empty case rattling around in the turret, and getting stuck under the gun. Also, three part is a lot easier to load, but there you are… Paul

Adrian was a great railwayman and a charming neighbour. May he rest in peace.

Thanks for your work on that 8F today, and for your advice and camaraderie. I hope the cut recovers quickly. All the best, Paul

Looking good - my favourite and least favourite vehicles on my FMT600… I hope to pop by tomorrow to see them in the flesh.

I’ll bring some sniper tape to sort out those loose straps and my spring balance to check that it’s weighted to 25kg… Paul

A quick D&M pic of an RWMIK. Note the raised commander’s seat, lack of bulkhead top and vents, and commander’s GPMG mount. Horrible Rover - no doors, windscreen or roof. Try driving one from London to Otterburn. Worse still, commanding one on that raised seat whilst driving up the M1 in the rain…

Many thanks - it was an enjoyable exhibition. Glad it was so busy, and only sorry that I couldn’t spend more time there.

Good luck track-bashing an MBT with two crew members! Bombing-up? Who does the night radio stag? In all seriousness, being part of a two-man CVR(T) Spartan crew was too much like hard work, even though we were just a rebroadcast vehicle.

When we (266 Battery) got Light Gun vice 25pdr in 1992 the tractors were brand new RB44s, not FC Land Rovers. Later on, after I had transferred away, those less than ideal RB44s were replaced with Pinzgauers. The last time I saw a Forward Control Rover in service was c1993. Paul

No, but please share it here.

Thanks for the warning never to buy anything from you!

I’m very sorry to hear about Robbie’s death; he was a wizard with photos and a charming correspondent. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

I think you’re suffering from false memory syndrome. Apart from the changes at the M40 junction end, the road remains pretty much as built. The roundabouts around Brackley are annoying, but are not newer than the rest of the road. Paul

No. However, nor does my Toby…

It’s the same chassis as Hornby uses on the ex-Dapol Austerity tank engine. Paul

A Oakes in Oldbury has a lot of Hornby, Heljan and Bachmann older new stock locomotives discounted by 40%. Other good offers too. I have just spent the last 90 minutes of my journey home regretting not buying an 8750 pannier… Paul