Pzkpfw-e Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 http://collections.beamish.org.uk/search-results?query=tank+&searchType=everything&withPhotos=0&hiQuality=0&go.x=21&go.y=27&offset=40 A couple of pictures on this page, I can't get them to open. I wonder what happened to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Isaac Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Nice pics, yes, took ages to open. M4A2? I guess the bulge on the left front of the hull covers there steering adaption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) Looks like a M4A2 to me. Another great example of "Shermans into ploughshares"! Sherman tankIan Hutchinson driving an early 1950's Sherman tank pulling a scraper box at Winston Open Cast Coal Site, near Staindrop. Location: Winston County: Co Durham NEG20942 Sherman tank pulling a scraper box working at Winston Open Cast site, driven by Ian Hutchinson. 500hp twin engine, 30 mph over rough gound. Location: Winston County: Co Durham NEG20938 Ian Hutchinson of Mickleton - driver of Sherman tank used at Winston Open Cast site near Staindrop. 500hp twin engine, 30 mph over rough ground. Location: Winston County: Co Durham NEG20937 Edited November 12, 2014 by mcspool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 These Shermans were run by George Rotinoff as part of his open cast mining operation. The same man who built Rotinoff trucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 It was North Tees Colliery :- http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/n004.htm Born & bred in the area , as lads we used to get on out bikes & go off to OCCS to watch the plant working esp. drag-lines , I do recall cadging rides on Vickers Vigor but don't recall Sherman. Often strip-mining (as well as restoration work) with box-scraper was used at old Board & Wall pits to get at stacks (pillars of coal left holding the roof) , some fields had props holding corrugated sheets up only 6ft or 8ft under the surface. My memory serves me bad here , ISTR that North Tees was in fact Long Wall mining & that miners were seen walking to & fro in full kit as late as 1968 , leading me to think that when the NCB pulled out it was private underground mined by the under 30 man rule and then strip-mined . I would therefore guestimate those photographs at abt. 1970 or very early 1970's , don't recall any box-cuts there involving drag-lines at all. Unfortunately - in mid 1970 I went off to sea as a Junior Engineer , so would not have been around . Hutchinson is a common local name , I guess Ian Huthinson is / was related to the Hutchinson family who built & still run a garage The Mickleton Service Station - I guess they may be able to tell you more.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 These Shermans were run by George Rotinoff as part of his open cast mining operation. The same man who built Rotinoff trucks. Ah yes, that explains the "O" in the background of Ian Hutchinson. From my webpage "Shermans into ploughshares": Among the companies that did conversions were Rotinoff Construction Ltd of Poyle, Buckinghamshire. This company marketed a simple bulldozer conversion on the basis of a turretless M4A2 Sherman tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Fascinating thread .....I've seen the picture of an orange Sherman ploughing a few years ago but...apart from that one.... did any of these others survive maybe ?....or are they still perhaps lingering in a forgotten corner of a far flung plant yard somewhere ? ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 George Rotinoff was involved in piling and concrete, in a business started by his father which merged with another company to form West Rotinoff Piling & Construction. He left the business in 1944 and started his own company, Rotinoff Construction and operated opencast coal mines in Northumberland. It was in 1946 that he started converting Shermans to tractors and dozers for his own companies use. The site at Poyle, mentioned was an ex-Ministry of Supply tank repair base and he bought that around this time to maintain and construct his equipment. There was an article with photos in a recent Vintage Roadscene magazine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Lee Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Fascinating thread .....I've seen the picture of an orange Sherman ploughing a few years ago but...apart from that one.... did any of these others survive maybe ?....or are they still perhaps lingering in a forgotten corner of a far flung plant yard somewhere ? ... The orange one here? http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?16255-shervick/page2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 I am now of the opinion that the Winston O.C.C.S. operation by Rotinoff must have been in the 1950's , probably small private mine clearing - well clear of the NCB pit. The only thing presently, I can find is that Rotinoff were at Perkinsville in 1950's :- http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/p707.htm Rotinoff Construction Ltd. evolved into Lomount Mining (themselves just part of a larger construction group) , Lomount always had large sites and were direct contract to the NCB Opencast Executive - the last Lomount / NCB site that I recall was a few miles south of Lanchester and must have lasted several years until abt. 1990 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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