antar

What you have to remember is that this outfit is actually only the same width as any normal HGV due to the requirement for it to meet C & U when travelling unladen. The vehicle it replaced was a Scammell Commander and Cranes trailer which was a 10'6" wide tractor and 12' wide trailer. Now that was an imposing vehicle to meet coming the other way down a country lane !!! The current Oshkosh / King outfit has to open its trailer outriggers to carry MBT's ect greatly increasing the overhang on the trailer which obviously creates stability issues. The cranes trailer had no such issues due to the wheel track bieng about 11' wide. There were no fancy hydraulics on the Crane Trailer to go wrong just plain old walking beams giving the most stabillity possible. If you ever pass King Trailers in Market Harborough you will see at least 3 of the "new" trailers in for modification or repair. All the old Commander / Cranes outfits were "sold" to the Jordanian Army with the Challenger 1's and are enjoying their second life in the sunshine after spending over 25 years in UK, Germany, Gulf war 1 and Bosnia in their first life. We call it progress ???

FEC you forgot to say that this was 12DM60 my old ANTAR which now bellongs to Mervyn Annetts in Basingstoke.

Call David Crouch

This is a Crusader EKA Recovery. They are reluctant to sell and it is not complete the engine is in bits. I just happen to have a spare engine ready to drop in.

Quite coincidental this post, I am moving an AMX 13 on Saturday, I used to own an ANTAR MK3 and I used to own a Rubery owen 10 ton trailer which had been uprated to 15 ton capacity !

Some of these trailers were uprated to 15 tonne capacity with the addition of some strengthening gussets and additional plating so they could carry 432s.

They are all on the old style track, single centre pad, most were upgraded to the twin pads per link. Are they both still there, I presume them to be recent pictures due to the MANs i the background ?

No I don't think so, took it to Beltring last year and it was the first time one had been shown there. The REME museum at Bordon have one in the reserve collection, but it has not run for some while. There are a few in Denmark, one which is in private hands.

M578 at playing at work

Thanks for the advice, also going to Sindorff.

I think there is a bit of confusion here, Alvis F V Society is nothing actually to do with ALVIS the company.

Hi Kevin are you related to the famous house movers Watkins ?

Hi Andy, Yes I did see it when it came on Milweb, I have requested a price. Hope they don't sell it before mid May as I am going over to see their collection / museum then. John.

The fluid flywheel bit is a little confusing as this will have "slip" when coupled to a generator. 1800 rpm would suggest a 60 cycle output (USA). I have never seen a big generator that was not direct drive at 1500/1800 rpm. ARE YOU SURE THAT IS WAS NOT FOR A COMPRESSOR OR A PUMP ?

I had a recovery version with a Perkins 540 v8 in it (2800 rpm) and a spicer overdrive gearbox. Flat out it would do 35mph but getting it flat out took about 5 minutes on a level road ! I once suspend towed an Explorer from Leyland, Lancashire to Stockport (fortunatly on a Sunday) on every incline we were down to about 5mph. We were really lucky not to be pulled up.

LWB and long nose by the looks of it ! what engine is fitted ?

Any more pictures of the one in the "scrapyard" ? I think that may be a 20t tractor with the C6 FITTED FROM ORIGINAL. What is parked next to it ?

OK they are 22.5 rims but what width / aspect ratio tyres are on them ?

Not a lot of axle articulation, see how that rear axle is out in mid air before the mishap.

No all the parts are completely unique. The engine is classified as a Rolls Royce C6T but it is the same core as an Eagle out of a Scammell Crusader or RAF S26 Tractor except that it develops 330 bhp instead of 305 bhp. The turbo is side mounted and I think a little bigger than a Crusader rear mounted one. The pump seems to be opened up a bit hence the plume of black smoke when you open the throttle quickly. John.

When I had an Antar (12DM60) it had a plate in the cab saying FEC SPECIAL REBUILD 1980.

What size and tyres do you want I may have a set for you.

Evening Kev, It is John Riley who you met at Saddleworth Wartime weekend. If you get in touch with Melvyn at Heywood, Manchester (I gave you his number when we were at Malvern) he has all my Antar manuals on loan at the moment. You too are welcome to have loan of them for copying ect, just let me know what you borrow. Mel is retired so is about most of the time, you should go and visit him he has 2 Antars a Centurion and a Dyson trailer. If you have lost his number give me a call. John.

Just to add the actual dimensions. The trailer bed is 10' wide exactly. With the twin wheels fitted overall width is 11'6", therefore the tyres are exposed by 9" each side. As I have never carried anything heavier that the CET at 18 tonnes this is well within the rating of the single tyres. With the twin wheels on although the trailer is outside C&U Regulations I'm sure the uncovered tyres would be frowned upon by the Police or VOSA so my plan is to use some very heavy old conveyor belting (3/4" thick) to make a cover for the tyres where they are exposed. This way if the tyres come close to anything when manovering the arches will flex a little.

Manufacture in Elmira Heights, New York in 1976. I bought it in Derby, England 20 September2002. 26 years !!! Most of them had only storage mileage when sold.