Ram on Staffordshire Range

[ajmac]

I was looking into Rams and found reference to a Ram on Upper Hulme Range, Staffordshire, there were a number of photos that looked quite modern. Is it still in place?

http://www.ramtank.ca/ramphotos2.htm

[Adrian Barrell]

It is the subject of a potential recovery for restoration, I can say no more! It is visible on google earth....

[Stormin]

It is the subject of a potential recovery for restoration, I can say no more! It is visible on google earth....

 

1Deg 57'19.48"W 53Deg 09'33.21"N

 

Or NGR SK03078 62464

 

Interestingly near a place called RAMshaw.

[ajmac]

Hang on.... I thought the condensed version of all the many range threads was that there was nothing left in the UK.... obviously that wasn't the case. Either way I have given up on the armour restoration route, even if I came into a good easy project (which is IMPOSSIBLE) the transport costs to actually use it and make it available for the public to enjoy are very high. As said before, if I had a farm (which jamac says is out of the question:embarrassed:) I'd try harder.

[Adrian Barrell]

I don't remember anybody claiming there was nothing left. The vast bulk of the old stuff is gone and access to the remainder is very difficult. Disused ranges such as this are likely sources but they are often SSSI status and dragging hulks 2 miles cross country is often frowned upon!

 

Nothing is impossible, the hard things just take time. Transport costs etc are part of tank ownership. Unfortunately, it can hardly be done on a tiny budget.

[Adrian Barrell]

1Deg 57'19.48"W 53Deg 09'33.21"N

 

Or NGR SK03078 62464

 

Interestingly near a place called RAMshaw.

 

Correct!

[steveo578]

Adrian Barrell

I don't remember anybody claiming there was nothing left.

 

 

With respect, not on this forum but I can remember some-one known quite well to both of us who was big in AFV restoration(1st name begining with R) who actually stated in writing (I'll dig it out if necessary) that MOD policy was to clear all ranges of WW2 stuff as of 1985-86 ie at the time of the Bovington Friends expedition to SPTA and the inference has been persued elsewhere so I'm not surprised that Alastair is -shall I say puzzled.

 

The vast bulk of the old stuff is gone and access to the remainder is very difficult. Disused ranges such as this are likely sources but they are often SSSI status and dragging hulks 2 miles cross country is often frowned upon!......Nothing is impossible, the hard things just take time.

 

There are often problems with English Heritage and other NGOs who have massive powers and unless a policy change can be effected time is unlikely to resolve anything, For example an on going case in Sweden where an old guy had squirrled trucks and cars on his land -now dead the L/As NGOs etc have placed a none negotiable 50year environmental ban on removing anything from the site- despite it being pointed out that storage of derilict motor vehicles anywhere than a hard standing breaches EU environmental law(for the sake of the water table) not to mention that derilicts encourage vandalism and potential forest fires.

 

Steve:-)

[Adrian Barrell]

Well several threads on here show there to still be stuff about but I suppose people see what they want to see!:-)

 

I have received a few PMs about this and it seems there is and has been much interest in getting it recovered. I am not personally interested but was only aware of one potential aquirer. He has history of getting the job done but I will check to see if he is still interested.

 

Personally, I don't care as long as it is recovered, preferably for restoration and not sitting around until it appears on ebay for big bucks......

 

If anybody on here does get it, I can supply wings and much internal stowage! :-D

[eddy8men]

alastair you don't need a farm to restore old range armour, you just need the ability to reject other peoples view of reality and substitute it with your own, hey it works for me.

 

eddy

[Adrian Barrell]

Many have underestimated the work involved in restoring range wrecks....... Mind you, there is restoration and restoration.

[John Pearson]

Many have underestimated the work involved in restoring range wrecks....... Mind you, there is restoration and restoration.

 

You are not kidding:

I know someone who has done one ex Lydd range Daimler Armoured Car and has now started on a second. The second one is a kitform vehicle made up from parts from at least 8 other vehicles from Sennybridge, Salisbury Plain and Kircudbright, the main chassis rails came from 2 different cars, one had a 3" buckle in the side. The hull has two left sides, one of which has been modified into a right side and welded on inside out so to speak. I joked that the second 'restoration' would have been easier if he had not had a vehicle to start with and he agreed!

I have absolutely no doubt that no2 will turn out like no 1 in time, ie not just good but 'as new' but in total he will have done about 8 or ten hours every week for about 20 years to build them.

I saw the Jagdpanther and Grant in 1988 and walked past them, sad that they were never going to be saved, too far gone. Both were eventually recovered and restored, albeit very differently. Many (most?) ranges now hold nothing but odd lumps of 'scrap', which most people would say were not restorable but if you put enough money and time into it then almost anything can be done. Unfortunately, the days of fitting gravity feed fuel and batteries and starting them up (2 examples known!) have long gone though.

[Adrian Barrell]

Ah but Bob is a true craftsman!

 

Every wreck has at least one useful part on it, or at least that's what I used to tell myself after a long trek to get to it......:-D

[ajmac]

Chaps, you will note that I didn't say anyone had specifically said 'there are none to be had', but when you consider all the old photos that are posted from back in the 80's when the original restoration guys were trudging through ranges they nearly all say something along the lines of..... 'sadly no more', 'recovered some time ago', 'that range was picked clean way back when' etc... I guess it´s a case of: There is always ONE more!

Edited September 30, 2010 by ajmac

[ajmac]

Well several threads on here show there to still be stuff about but I suppose people see what they want to see!:-)

I'd like to see there is an abundant supply! That Ram looks so much better than anything shown to be still in place on UK ranges and what eddy has shown me, with all the money sloshing around in WW2 AFVs it really did come as a surprise that it is still in place. It's even got some track and bogies!

Edited September 30, 2010 by ajmac

[eddy8men]

hi alastair

 

i'm going to let you in on a big secret but don't tell anyone else, there are still plenty of ww2 armoured wrecks to be had for restoration, i have 5 lined up in my wish list but the only reason you're not seeing pics of them is i want to have a crack at them first before anyone else but remember this is just between me and you so don't tell adrian or carl or kerry or dave or kevin or nigel or ian or john or bob

 

eddy

 

who else should be on the list?

Edited September 30, 2010 by eddy8men

[ajmac]

Eddy,

I've got more than enough on my plate for next couple of years and free storage at my friends farm will only go so far Besides... shouldn't you be setting to work on that Churchill, from what I remember of the video it needs the odd bit and bob doing to it before it's....... a reliable runner.

[eddy8men]

a man can never have too much red wine,too many books, too much ammo or too many tanks

[Stone]

Many have underestimated the work involved in restoring range wrecks....... Mind you, there is restoration and restoration.

There are also range wrecks and range wrecks...there's a LOT of relatively modern stuff sat about in bases after having been blown up. The reason is they have to check whether the armour works properly, so a brand new test vehicle gets towed out in a field somewhere, shot at / bombed and then after the evaluation is just left to rot. I found four and a half very U/S Vikings 'parked' in one spot which looked a lot more restorable than some of the range targets that get tackled! (then again if I told you where they were I'd have to kill you :angel:)

 

One of them had a brilliant list written on one side in chinagraph, it was something like

 

1) emplace

2) place charges

3) place dets

4) run detcord

5) start cameras

6) BOOM

 

Stone

[steveo578]

eddy8men

a man can never have too much red wine,too many books, too much ammo or too many tanks

 

If you continue to post such deep thoughts you might have to join the "Gild of Philosophers, Oracles, Soothsayer and Allied trades":nut:

 

Steve

[JoelH]

Out of interest Stone are these Vikings anywhere near Salisbury Plain?

 

Cheers,

FB

[Adrian Barrell]

a man can never have too much red wine,too many books, too much ammo or too many tanks

 

Nor live long enough to do them all!

[eddy8men]

there is restoration and restoration

[Stone]

Out of interest Stone are these Vikings anywhere near Salisbury Plain?

Not a million miles away, but not on the training area. They also had some badly knackered Vectors and a bajillion FFR Landies...

 

Stone

[Bobbyblitzer]

As of August 2020, the Ram is still there. 

[David Herbert]

There are a number of very similar videos of it on YouTube. It is certainly restorable and not far from a range access road as can be seen on Google Earth.

David