Tankman10

This is one of the best reproduction tanks I have ever seen, and no wonder seeing how much it cost to manufacture (around £250,000)... The tracks for it were in the order of £30,000 to manufacture so I believe, not bad for a total screen prescence of around 4 seconds. I was fortunate to see her whilst she was in storage at the museum and without her sponson's, it is quite surprising how bare she is inside with just a driver's seat and steering controls and a bulkhead between the driver's compartment and engine compartment. She will be on display and hopefully in action during up-and-coming events at the museum (would love to see her in mock "action" against Bob Grundy's German A7V).

I'd buy it John! But, yes, a Sherman one... and maybe the Churchill, T-34, Crusader... etc, etc, etc the list could go on and on!

I'm looking at this as a birthday present myself. I've been fortunate in seeing a "pre-production" copy and it looks to be a VERY interesting read with lots of previously un-released photo's. Counting down the days.... and NO no socks this year I hope!

Not sure if the manufacturing drawings do still exist, but certainly under the current conditions of the Museum Workshop, there is no chance of having the parts manufactured "in-house". For a start, they do not have the equipment to produce such items, nor do they have the workforce (specifically trained to operate such equipment). As a volunteer in the workshops, I do hope that when the new workshop has been completed, that the Museum heirarchy will have the sufficient forward thinking to have an engineering workshop on site, the opportunities to bring much needed finances into the museum offering engineering services for manufacturing parts, or indeed, offering a restoration service "ie... "Have your vehicle restored at the home of the Tank" would be financially beneficial to the museum, even offering a shot-blasting or painting facility i'm sure would bring in much needed money for the Museum funds (and then they can re-invest some of that money into restoring or keepin the running fleet mobile).

Hi all and thanks for the nice welcome! I must say the club house looks good... and the cordite & Jasmine scent makes me feel right at home! Yes Robin, Tankman10 does have a name.... Hi all, i'm Andy (or as Big Al will know me as "Little Andy"... semi long story!), and no, i'm not actually retired (still only 38 i'll have you know!... just ignore the grey hairs!), just lucky to have free weekends and no kids (not until 2 weeks now though with kids... daughter on the way AND she will learn to like camo!). I'm looking forward to spending some time on here and once loaded up to the system will hopefully be adding some of my photo's to here (removing an M3A1 Stuarts engine photo's amongst others anybody?). Andy

Hi all, Have just joined HMVF after migrating from the now defunct Tank Museum Forum. I've been a member of the Friends of the Tank Museum since about 1993, and have been VERY lucky in being able to help out at the Tank Museum since then. My first foray into helping the Museum was getting their Sherman and Comet ready for the VE Day +50 Parade in Weymouth in 1995, spending a weekend painting the Museum's Sherman and luckily got a chance to drive an M5 Stuart and the Museum's Sherman that Weekend. After that, I learnt to drive both an Alvis Saladin and Saracen, taking them to public events to advertise the Museum. In recent years, I finally got my H Licence, using this to drive the Museum's M548 rides vehicle, and also now assist in the Museum's workshop, having a chance to work on many of the Museum's exhibit's. I am now involved with the restoration of the Friends of the Tank Museum's M3A1 Stuart, and also crew it when it is out at events like Tankfest or War & Peace.