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Stefan Karlsson

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  • Location
    Sweden
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    Director Swedish Tank Museum

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  1. This week the tank was shown to the press and VIP for the first time and it was the longest drive the tank has done in 80 years, aprox 300 meters. The tank will now be on display in the museum during the summer and it will be taken out for a spin (a slow spin) 2nd of September and during a special day 18th of August. More info on the 18th of August will follow on the webpage as soon as the details are set.
  2. Thanks, The tank will soon be ready for display in the museum. More news will follow shortly. Stefan
  3. Latest update. Almost there. The last month a lot of work has been done to complete the tank. The upper body has been liften on and test drive with the complete vehicle has been done before the final adjustments are made. A short film from testdrive a few days ago, more will come on the museum facebook page, so please follow to get the latest news. The tank will soon be ready for diplay in the Musuem.
  4. Do not know if it helps, but we had similar sets in our Centurion ARV's in Sweden, but no box - canvas bags. I suppose the vehicles were complete when they were bought from UK in the 1950's
  5. A few Swedish Military vehicles is now for sale on Swedish Auction site Tradera. Swedish Army Museum is selling a few objects that is not needed any longer. A C 303, a Bv 202 and an unusual Snow blower - perhaps someting for the Alps. https://www.tradera.com/profile/items/4293312/sfhm
  6. Thanks. I will do more updates the following months.
  7. Here is an update of the project. The oldest running German tank in the world! Made in 1918, imported to Sweden in 1921 and taken out of service in early 1930's. New bolts and bushings have been fitted to the tracklinks, a job that took some time. When everything was in place we performed a series of test drive, to check that everything is working as it should. Adjustements has been made, instruments connected etc. The second test drive was performed last Saturday and everything worked fine. Steering is clutch-brake system, original 1918. Everything is original 1918 apart from engine, gearbox, fuel tank and radiator that was installed in 1929 when 5 of the 10 tanks were upgraded. Now we will start the work to put the upper body on to the chassis and the plan is to have the tank ready for display early this summer. There are some films on the Swedish Tank Museum facebook page, please have a look and feel free to comment on the facebook page. We are trying to get more likes on the site so the more comments the better. Stefan Karlsson, Museum Director
  8. Hi, We have a Chieftain Mk 10 that had been standing for years before we started it up some years ago but the problem is that the main engine generator does not charge. We made some serious troubleshooting a few years ago (using a qualified engineer reading the wiring diagram) but the only conclusion was that there is nothing coming out of the generator. The GUE is working, but the problem is that the cables to control the GUE from the drivers compartement are stuck and we have been trying to get them working with lots of rust oil and gentle rocking. But still stuck. So for the main generator - we would need some hints what to check in order to find out what is wrong. Some generators loose the magnetism when left for a long time, could this be the case? If so, how to "recharge"? Could the generator axle be broken due to overload when charging dead batteries? The upgraded Centurions with Continental diesel had this problem. Any other ideas what to check? We have not (yet) thought of lifting the pack. We hope that we do not need to. Any advice that could lead us in the right direction would be most appreciated. Stefan Karlsson, Director Swedish Tank Museum - Arsenalen
  9. Steve, I have been following this restoration for some time and the work done is absolutely amazing, and I would like to thank you for all the updates with pictures, most interesting and usable for other restorers as inspiration. I also try to spread it to my friends to have a look when they have lost their enthusiasm. One question - all these bits that you have made new by casting, were they originally casted? Not drop forged? I am not an expert, but sometimes I find it difficult to see if an old rusty part is forged or casted. From what I learned during my time studying to engineer, drop forged is a lot stronger than casted, but it is also a matter of alloy being used. It would be of interest to know your opinion on this and what you have found out during the restoration. As the director of the Swedish Tank museum I sometimes have to wear a tie, but most of the time I have dirt under my fingernails due to tank and vehicle restorations in my spare time. Now we have recieved the new track pins for our WW I LK II project so now we can continue with the tracks. http://blog.arsenalen.se/en/ Stefan Karlsson
  10. Hi, Anyone who know where I can find a Centurion or Chieftain ARV rear tow hook for sale? 20 years ago we had 3 Cent ARV waiting for the scrap yard and a lof of "nice to have" parts were salvaged, but I did not think that I would need this part 20 years later... We are rebuilding our push truck at the museum and would need a more suitable coupling for the triangular tow bar. It is the triangular thing in the rear middle of a Chieftain ARV or in the middle of the support spade of a Centurion ARV. It is the part that is fitted on the ARV that I am looking for and I think they should be almost the same on both vehicles, it is where you connect the tow bars. I hope you understand. http://data.primeportal.net/recovery/robert_de_craecker/chieftain_arrv_mk2/images/chieftain_arrv_mk2_081_of_103.jpg http://arcaneafvs.com/fv4006/fv4006c.JPG Stefan
  11. On my Dingo, where the belly plates were missing I made new ones in thin metal that was easier to remove. Always + and - to have belly plates on a vehicle.
  12. Hi everyone, 1918 just before the war ended the LK II light tank was built in Germany. In 1921, 10 of these tanks were smuggled to Sweden as agricultural tractors. Trials began in 1921 and these trials was probably the reason why Sweden had a successful tank industry in Landsverk in late 1920's and 1930's. In 1929, 5 of the tanks were upgraded with a more powerful (85 hp) Scania engine and new gearbox. Out of the 10 tanks only 4 remain, one original and complete with Benz engine - at Arsenalen Tank Museum outside Stockholm. One upgraded but empty tank in Munster (Gift from Sweden in 1992) and another two upgraded but not complete tanks in Arsenalen storage. 16 years ago I had the idea to restore one of these tanks into running condition, everyone thought I was a lunatic, but we started. Because the local regiment was closed and a new tank museum project came up, the project was put on hold for some time. In 2013 we decided to start up again and after 3 1/2 years we passed a milestone last night when the engine, gearbox, steering and final drive was running for the first time in 80 years. Next step is to put the tracks together, we are waiting for new pins, and with tracks on we can try the tank without the upper structure. Final step is to put the upper structure on the tank and we hope it will be running for the first time during the summer. Next year the tank will celebrate 100 years. On Arsenalen facebook there is a film from monday evening when everything was running. https://www.facebook.com/arsenalen.sverigesforsvarsfordonsmuseeum/ There is a blog where you can read about the project: http://blog.arsenalen.se/en/ We will give you update later on. Stefan Karlsson, Director Swedish Tank Museum
  13. Interesting project, could you tell a bit more? Why borrow an engine, restore it and then return it - it makes us curious. If you have not, you should contact Weald Foundation for some advice https://www.wealdfoundation.org/ Stefan
  14. As a Museum Director, with my heart in MV as a former (lack of time) collector I can understand both sides and it is not an easy task to run a museum. On one side you have all the collectors, enthusiasts, nerds etc (people like myself) and on the other side you have the general public with less or no special interest (yet) and they all have different demands. In 2008 it was decided to close the former Tank Museum in Sweden, a museum that opened in 1969 and the only things that had happened during 40 years was that the number of vehicles had increased and the people working i the museum had been changed. Endless rows of vehicles stacked together in old and dark hangars. A paradise for nerds but a nightmare for a whife. The number of visitors was maximum 6000 a year. In 2009 the museum was closed and we got the task to create a new museum at another location so the entire collection was moved to Strangnas where the new museum opened in 2011. The debate became absolutely insane. I can understand that people was upset about closing that museum but sometimes you have to realize that the world is changing and you will have to follow it even if it hurts. The new Tank Museum museum has fewer vehicles on display, but arranged in a way so that also the general family can understand and find it more interesting. Instead of 6000 enthusiasts we now have 25 000 visitors a year – 25 000 is a lot for a country like Sweden and these people might end up as future enthusiasts. Money – yes – you need money to keep a museum running and some one will have to pay. The more interesting you can make it the more visitors you will get, but if you are not careful it will turn from a museum to a amusement park. It is not an easy task and it does not matter how you do it – you will always have people who does not like it. Every day we have visitors arguing about vehicles that they would like to see and my answer to them is that “if you can agree on what vehicle that is missing we will put it on display” then most people understand. It is not easy to please everyone, but we do the best we can. Stefan Karlsson, Director Swedish Tank Museum
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