Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 In the Tiger 131 Appeal thread, one of the many wanderings led me to post a pic of a pseudo WW1 tank I had fiddled with. I thought perhaps I should give it it's own thread to show a different side of AFV 'restoration'. As the heading suggests, the vehicle started life as a Centurion gun tank before being converted to an ARV. Her number 06ZR25 shows she originally had a T number so would have been built before 1948. She spent some time at SEME Borden as I have a picture of her in service there with SEME markings. Eventually, as with so many, she was srtruck off charge and ended in a scrapyard in Gloucestershire with her camshafts removed and about 100 gallons of oily eater in her bowels. I was asked by her new owner, who lived locally to me, if i could get her going for him. He had bought it unseen and upon closer inspection, I recommended fitting a new engine and gearbox, the steering brakes having been removed along with many smaller parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 At that time, 1998, Meteor engines were plentiful and relatively cheap. We stripped out the engine, clutch and gearbox as well as both fuel tanks, oil tanks and other engine bay stuff before steam cleaning the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 In the ARV, the winch is electrically powered using a generator driven by a Rolls B80, though this one had a B81. Because of this, an extra fuel tank is fitted in the front next to the driver and we used this tank to power the vehicle as it improves access to the engine. Apart from fitting the new parts and getting it running, that was the end of it, or so I thought..... In 2002, I was asked by Carl Brown about the feasibility of producing a working WW1 style tank for a science fiction film. It had to be capable of 20 mph, be able to knock down buildings or at least a set and it had to be in Prague in 8 weeks...... Of course I said ''No problem!'' Fool........! The production department sent some sketches showing the design they wanted and we decided a Cent ARV would be an ideal base vehicle. Carl looked at one for sale but it was in such poor condition that when they eventually started it after a lot of work, the oil filter cannister burst due to corrosion! I suggested the ARV we had repaired as I knew it was mechanically reliable and potentially available. A deal was struck and it arrived back at my yard for it's transformation. We now had a little over 6 weeks. Carls lads stripped out the winch compartment and the engine decking together with the spade and we started work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 I had spent a little time drawing out the required profile and seeing how best to fit that with the constraints the ARV gave us. The radiators were the biggest headache as the director was not too happy about the shape I proposed at the back but given the time factor, he relented in the end. I marked a cut line on the superstructure and the gas came out! Look away now if of a nervous disposition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 The biggest hurdles were the need to have the high idler and the fact they wanted doors in each side for the actors to step out of. The former was achieved by fitting a second set of idlers on a heavy cross beam fixed to the glacis plate. Using Cent idler assemblies meant we could adjust the tracks as needed. The rest of the track run would be supported on rollers at every change of direction. The problem with the doors was the fact that the wheels and indeed the hull was in the way. We removed the offending wheel, blocked the suspension arm and fitted a skid for the track to run on. The track would normally be clear of the skid, it was just there to avoid a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 With the framework completed and the extended tracks fitted, it was simply (!) a matter of plating over and installing 3000 dummy rivets. We had to use steel rivets as the pounding the vehicle was going to take would have removed plastic ones in a heartbeat! The specification also called for a battering ram nose capable of being moved out of position and a retractable cannon. The nose was a problem throughout the shoot. My initial design of using hydraulic motors and a chain drive worked ok but required a lot of hydraulic power. The sfx crew added a recoil spring from an industrial door to assist it which helped but the weak point was the rollers jamming in the tracks if any debris got them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 With time marching on, a full effort was required with everybody getting involved. Though from the look of these pictures, much sitting around went on too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 Due to the driving position being about 10 feet back from the front and several feet below the top of the vehicle, we fitted a camera system for the driver. This used a black and white screen suspended in front of his face and though the depth perception was awful, it did allow you to see well enough to be directed. We went for a test run in the field and all went well, though it did make a bit of a mess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 A quick coat of primer, remove the sponsons and load up for it's trip to the Czech Republic. I would be following with Carl and Simon a week later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 When we arrived at Barandov Studios in Prague, the tank had been painted and weathered as required but our work was only just beginning. The director wanted lights fitted, a new exhaust system with the ability to pump out black smoke and a number of minor mods. The lights were easy, the tank obviously having had the previously but the exhaust was the biggest problem. We had the exhaust discharging through the grills at the back but the director wanted it to appear from the top. I had to build a rectangular duct that collected the exhaust and route it a most convoluted path under the gearbox and over the radiators! This then entered a dummy silencer box and had a fitting to allow lamp black to be injected via a leaf blower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 (edited) The film, if you had not already guessed, was The League Of extraordinary Gentlemen. The tank was required in two shoots, about two weeks apart. The first was the opening sequence with the tank crashing through some gates, turning in the road and then squashing a policemans helmet (Ooh missus!) The SFX department were quite laid back about the whole thing but we thought we ought to check out the set. A pair of brick pillars had been built with some lightweight gates hung from them in a side street. We were to smash through the gates, knocking the pillars flying , turn 90 degrees in the street flat out and roar down the road towards the waiting policemen. Upon examining the pillars, two problems became apparant. One, the pillars were too far apart, the gap between them being only about 8" smaller than the overall width of the tank and two, the pillars had been bulit with a concrete core and proper mortar instead of the dry mix specified. Upon reporting back, panic ensued! Holes were rapidly drilled in the pillars and steel cables tied between them to ensure they would stay against the tank when we hit them. I was also concerned for the sponsons as they were only held on with four bolts so I stiffened them up and welded them into position. The shoot was set for 3.00 am or some such time and December in Prague gets very cold! Anybody who has done any filming knows there is an awful lot of waiting around. When it came to the start time, the director walked over to tell us what he wanted. It was along the lines of ''Come through at 20 mph, turn sharply in the road and carry on down to the bottom''. Carl said ''We can't do that'' big mistake....... While the director had a fit, Simon and I melted into the background and let Carl take the flak! Sometimes it pays not to be the boss! Upon explaining what the tank could do, the director seemed to calm down and in fact began to ask our opinions! We had worked out the best way to operate was for Simon to drive, I would control him via a radio link giving brief instructions and hand him over to Carl for the run down the street. It worked perfectly! We hit the pillars dead centre and stopped in the road with bricks flying. A quick ''low reverse, right stick'' from me and he was off down the street. We were right to worry about the pillars though, they dented to 5mm plate of the sponsons quite badly! Edited January 28, 2010 by Adrian Barrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 (edited) The second scene was the tank travelling through the bank, knocking down ledger tables and racks and finally arriving at the vault door before blasting it open with the cannon. It was filmed in two stages, the straight run through the bank and then the final wall with the steps down and the stop at the end. The first part went very well, I stood behind the tank while Simon drove and I just had to give minor corrections to keep him on line. The large amount of debris falling prevented him from seeing a thing. The second part was going to be a little trickier as I had to not only correct him for line but also stop him at precisely the right point. I decided the only place I could do this from was directly above the vault door so I could adjust him coming towards me and stop him below me. It was suggested I should just stand on top of the set beams but I am not that brave so I asked for a cherry picker. In the end I had to make do with a ladder leant against a large wooden beam suspended from the steel frame bulding on wire ropes. I hooked one arm around the beam and the other held the radio. I reasoned that if the tank came through too far, I could jump down onto it's roof, my feet being about 12 feet up. With a final call from the second unit director of ''Whatever you do, don't hit the door'', we were off. It all went perfectly until I called ''stop, stop, stop''. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor surrounded by the crew and a lot of rubble! What had happened was the nose ram had jammed with rubble and made the tank about 3 feet longer than it should have been. despite the tank skidding on some rugs, we had stopped it precisely where we wanted, it was just the nose sticking out that hit the set. Unfortunately, the set collapsed with me on it and I ended up with a smashed elbow! I was soon whisked off to hospital for surgery and was looked after very well. Hmmm, student nurses.....! All in all, an interesting experience! As a footnote, the tank came back again to have more work undertaken. It was to be used in a BBC production about the Great War and so we had to remove all the nose and cannon and modify the sponsons with 6 pdr guns which is how it appears in the other thread. Still not a replica but close enough for that production. I believe the tank is now in Jordan so I think our relationship has finally come to an end! Edited January 28, 2010 by Adrian Barrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rog8811 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 That is quite a story ! Nicely done, thanks for the photos and description. Regards rog8811 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodge Deep Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I have to confess I've never seen the film all the way through... it was on TV the other week... I stopped in mid (whatever it was I was doing) and watched your bit... It was very good You do have a very cool job Adrian... I'm dead good at making tea and i'm handy with a brush...:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Nice job Adrian, apart from the tracks it's hard to see a Cent is under the boiler plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 The tracks were another reason for using a Cent, they wanted us to drive from workshop to set and the first scene was just off Wenceslas Square! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Wow! Can't believe you managed to convert that in 8 weeks :wow: Great work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I thought it was an impressive job when I saw the film - I'm even more impressed now!! :wow: :wow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Great story well told, as always I wonder what these film props cost.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Adrian :Hows your elbow now ? did you make a complete recovery or does it give you problems ? I agree to do all the work AND get it across Europe in 6 weeks ! The movie has been playing on cable for the last week or more so I have caught it at various points and watched it to the end several times . Must be a lot of other stories behind the production as well . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Well done Adrian , great thread ! I was wondering what you will be converting to make the new Lancasters required for the new Dambusters film being made soon !:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 Adrian :Hows your elbow now ? did you make a complete recovery or does it give you problems ? I agree to do all the work AND get it across Europe in 6 weeks ! The movie has been playing on cable for the last week or more so I have caught it at various points and watched it to the end several times . Must be a lot of other stories behind the production as well . I cannot straighten my arm anymore, the end of my ulna was completely smashed so it's now a funny shape (matches the rest of me!). I've two pins and a knot of wire in there but it causes me no real problems now. The film is shown here nearly every week too. I sometimes watch the first couple of minutes, have a chuckle and then turn it over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 why is it now in jordan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 The King of Jordan is building a Tank Museum, he is a tankie himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteor mark 4B Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I was wondering if you intend converting it back to an ARV, don't want to upset the REME!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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