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What transporter is this?


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OK guys, I give up ! Its not a Mack NO2 because of the wrong body and the front overhang is actually shorter than a DT 980. However I can't reconcile the very long bonnet of the DT with the quite short bonnet of the one in the photo. There is just not enough space between the cab and the front axle.

As an aside, I clearly remember my local vehicle recovery company in Maidenhead, Leach and Jackson, taking delivery of an absolutely mint Mack NO2 in about 1969. As a schoolboy of about 15 I was most impressed by its sheer presence. They also got a very nice Matador at about the same time which I think replaced a blue painted R100 that sat outside their scrapyard premises.

David

Edited by David Herbert
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Where is the photo interpritation unit of RAF Medmenham when you want it. A few dimentions- Diamond T Length 23 feet 4 inches Wheel Base 14 feet 11 1/4. Mack NO2 L 24f 5in. WB 15 feet. Albion CX22 L 25f 6 in. WB 14f 8in. Mack has a high front end look because of the front axle steering mechanism necessitating a high front axle. Mack still appear to use this type of steering drive transfer without C.V. joints to this day.

Edited by john1950
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THE civilian ANTAR did its off road trials at FVRDE  before it was ever considered as a candidate as a replacement for military  use l have the trials on the ANTAR when it was considered  also the trials reports on the DYSON  50ton for use with the  ANTAR  and the modifications needed  some of which were going to be used in a book on the ANTAR  the trials for the DYSON were carried out using the DIAMOND T as the prime mover the need for a trailer  with a 50 ton  load  capability  was  recognized in the late 1940s as the weight of Centurion went up  from 40 tons to 45

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the dyson was more of a replacement for the rogers as the rogers was never designed and couldn't really carry the centurion as not enough tires and they were for ever blowing out. my rogers was definitely used post war so would have carried centurions and it does show.

early post war years british army were trialing ballasted versions of the dragon wagons and other trucks before antar but even between 45-48 it was already decided the DT's were going to stay in service which is why many got re engined with the rolls engines around 1950 on wards. think last DT was with drawn in the early 70's so a 25-30 year service life, so would that be the longest serving tank transporter model in british army history??? i don't know anything bout the antar and commanders service history.

regards sam    

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I think the Antar concept started as an oilfield hauler. An inter axle third diff was incorporated at their request. When used on the Snowey Mountain project they were having problems with lubricating diff bearings because of the slow speed high load operation. Austrailian engineers designed a local fix pumping oil to the affected bearings keeping engineers at the factory informed. This led to factory modification to cure the problem on later trucks. I think this was after a much larger Leyland prime mover was cancelled.  

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Dear All,

It was a monstrosity called, I think, and FV1000 or 1100 or 1200. Wally can remind us!. It was supposed to be a cross country tank transporter, something that does not exist even now.  They had such problems that they had to buy the commercial Antars as a stop gap.  Fortunately, they found that an Antar could do everything that was needed apart from carry a tank cross country.  It could, of course, carry a tank along a track.  An Antar (or a Commander) does not need a metalled road.

They found the solution was to tow the dead tank with an ARV to the Tank Transporter Pick Point.  If the tank was so badly damaged that an ARV could not tow it to the Tank Transporter Pick Point it was not going to affect the outcome of the battle!

With regard to the third diff on the Antar.  I asked Blackie Widdows of 19 Sqn fame if it would be a good idea to fit a third diff to my Antar.  His very strong advice was NO as they were nothing but trouble.  Without a third diff it is necessary to keep the tyres the same size.  Easy in the Army as it is a big firm and they all get changed at the same time when worn out.  I used to run my Antar at 107 tons gross train weight carrying the Conqueror ARV and we never had any problems with the axles.

In the range of vehicles with this monstrosity there was a heavy artillery tractor, again with a fuel injected Rover Meteorite engine.  That was put to sleep as well.  Only the Leyland Martian that we all love came into service but I believe that an AEC Militant was better in all respects.  Again, the AEC was basically a commercial pattern vehicle militarised.  

Of course, the Champ had its own problems and was soon superceeded by the Landrover which was far cheaper and more reliable.  Probably not as much fun though! 

Why did they waste all this money developing these ridiculous vehicles?  Because Defence was told to re-arm and spend money.  A lesson for the future if, god forbid, we have to re-arm again big time.

John

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1 hour ago, attleej said:

Why did they waste all this money developing these ridiculous vehicles?  Because Defence was told to re-arm and spend money.  A lesson for the future if, god forbid, we have to re-arm again big time.

I digress but with almost no commercial vehicle industry  now we would be dependent on other countries.

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We know what it should be, we can see what it looks like, the image is nearly right, the camera never lies, it just clouds the issue sometimes. But the jury is still out.

Edited by john1950
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I have never seen a one before. Thank you for posting a picture and information, It actualy looks stylish and as if it could do a job. I can see where the design had influence on the Martian.

Edited by john1950
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Well going back to the question after much looking at plans and  comparing the scale of them l have got to say that l believe  that it is a DYSON 50 ton pulled by a  DIAMOND T  its a pity that there are no more pictures of this particular rig or more important the trailer as a  NUMBER would confirm it was one of the first fifty to be used for assessment trials 

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In the absence of any contradictory evidence that is the logical conclusion. It is the relative positions of the winscreen, front mudguard, and apparent front overhang that is causing the speculation. I suspect we will not get a definative answer, but who knows what information may surface in the future.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

There are some photos of Tank transporters on various sites on the internet, including an M9 trailer with an M4 Sherman on, behind a White 666. That has a covered dog house like a Diamond T. An american recovery team blew some rear tyres on an M9 recovering a King Tiger towards Spa railway station, eventually completing the trip with a captured Gotha heavy transport trailer that appears to have solid tyres. There is also a picture of a tank loaded 4 axle 50 ton headed by what looks like a DT.

Edited by john1950
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 on the subject of the possibility  of it been a WHITE the only candidate wartime would be the 1064  6 x 4 after the war the british army were issued with a WHITE 6 x 6 but to late for the photo these came from the M A D P mutual assistance defense program and were registered  in the series  XX BP XX also the pent house cover seems to long compared to that of a DT

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