Antony Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Can anyone tell me what this is? It looks a bit like a LARC but has an inverted hull on the top which hinges down to the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 M2 Bridging Ferry. http://www.primeportal.net/ce/hans-hermann_buhling/m2b_alligator/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 (edited) It's at Pin Mill just down the river from me. I know why it is/was there too. Edited January 6, 2010 by Tugger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 There was at least one in private ownership, huge great thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 in my early years delivering steel , there was loads of these at hilton depot waiting to be cut up ......:cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 It's at Pin Mill just down the river from me. I know why it is/was there too. Thanks sirhc for the identification, and yes Tugger it is at Pin Mill, and I would be interested to know why it is there. Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I was trying to find out some further info, but my 'source' is unavailable at the moment. If you know the area, you may know of the old steel fishing boats up at Ipswich docks. Apparently, the guy who owns the Alligator was going to cut them up and use it to ferry the steel down river to Pin Mill where it would be loaded on to lorries for scrap. However I was told that Ipswich Port Authority who police the upper reaches of the river were not happy about it considering it's speed, manouverability and amount of commercial shipping it would have to avoid. No doubt the residents of Pin Mill would have been none too happy with lorries up and down the lane taking away the scrap either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 wasnt there one of these at war and peace a couple of years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 i believe there was i think it belonged to someone in the N,L,B,A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Yes I remember it too, I've got some pics somewhere. They had it in the arena and showed how the prop deployed... on a long beam over the top and into what would be the water so it would in effect pull the craft rather than push. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Think that was the French original. We had an M2 at Leigh On Sea which the commercial boat yard wanted to use for ferrying stuff around. I did something on it for CMV yonks ago and at some point the owners sprayed it desert yellow colour which looked fantastic but can't have been right. It disappeared a while back. The fuel bill was enormous, but it all worked... Some are used as amphibious stages and so on for gigs. Interesting. MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnd_W Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Hi, Its a german produced M2 Alligator Bridge and Ferrying System. The new system the M3 is in use at the 28 Engineer Regiment based in Hameln, Germany! Have a look to my page, then you will see some more of these vehicles! http://armaniwoe.jimdo.com/history-of-british-army-in-hameln/ Best regards Arnd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 Thanks Arnd, very interesting pictures, Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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