Smith 10 ton rough terrain crane

[Ashcollection]

Found a third one, its very different in detail to my one, the one in Nelson Green's yard or the other pictures I've seen i.e. in wheels and tracks about the Ruddington sales, so is this one the prototype? It is just like the one in the "sales brochure page" that can be found on the net and also the one pictured climbing the grade in the Janes book, any thoughts gentlemen? It doesn't have a chassis plate either, just a brass plate on the chassis with a number on it. 

I can list loads of differences in the build details, but I haven't got my anorak on right now so I will leave that for a later post! haha

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by Ashcollection

[PJ.768]

Yes this is a prototype, used for trials at MEXE Christchurch, and did wading trials at Appledore early 70's.

It was the forerunner to the ones issued to 17 Port Regt RCT and the one (03FX46) that I operated for Port Division Army School of Transport. I ran the first training courses for these when they were issued in 1974. Great fun taking them out on the road for driver training.

[magpie]

On 6/5/2019 at 9:41 AM, PJ.768 said:

Yes this is a prototype, used for trials at MEXE Christchurch, and did wading trials at Appledore early 70's.

It was the forerunner to the ones issued to 17 Port Regt RCT and the one (03FX46) that I operated for Port Division Army School of Transport. I ran the first training courses for these when they were issued in 1974. Great fun taking them out on the road for driver training.

The original trial were done in the late 60s .  I looked after 00EX10 while i was with 408 (BR) troop RE in Hameln  67-70

[wally dugan]

[wally dugan]

I was going to post this under amazing what you find when you have time but l think it;s best here. This diagram is small by some of my others as  it only imperial  26 x 18. It's amongst the things that came a few  weeks ago from my friends estate

[PJ.768]

Going by the shape of the counter weight it looks like the early experimental one .

 

[Ashcollection]

yes looks just like the one we stripped parts from before it unfortunately got scrapped.

[PM3D]

Here's the last one in happier days in the wading tank at MVEE. The chassis was designed and built by All WheeL Drive/Clark in Camberley. This last one passed through the Clark factory in 1973 and underwent acceptance tests at MVEE Chobam (Chertsey). I had worked on an earlier one in the AWD/Clark development dept. in 1965. I have a vague recollection of doing some work on it at MEXE Chistchurch in the spring of that year.

As far as I recall the batch were built in the mid 60's. Why we had the last one in 1973 I don't know.  It was either a repeat order or a rebuild.

[Ashcollection]

Hi PM3D

so whats your view on how many where actually made? 

[PM3D]

Hi Ashcollection,

Deeply buried in a low batt 57 year old memory cell, I have a figure of 12. 

I am not sure if the one in my pic is the 13th or one of the 12. I can remember taking the photo like it was yesterday, actually it was a cold day in March or April, and I had been working on the unit for many weeks before we took it to MVEE.

The fact that it has no registration number on the counterweight suggests something.

Do you have any idea/opinion of the total quantity?

Kind regards

Peter

 

 

[wally dugan]

The fact that a  VRN is not  shown but it will have had a establish number as all equipment had  that will appear in the files with any VRN allocated

[radiomike7]

For what it is worth I have found 03FX15/47/48 all listed as Smith 10 ton rough terrain crane.

[wally dugan]

Having gone though the file's what found is it was not uncommon for vehicles mainly plant to be transferred to MEXE CHRISTCHURCH and no VRN allocated or displayed in the records only as l said the establishment number  is recorded and date of transfer

[B series]

 

Regarding the Smiths cranes.

I know of the following ERM:  00EX10, 03FX15, 03FX46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 54, 55 and 03FX56.

 

[Ashcollection]

20 hours ago, B series said:

 

Regarding the Smiths cranes.

I know of the following ERM:  00EX10, 03FX15, 03FX46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 54, 55 and 03FX56.

 

the survivor we have that used to be at the Museum of Army Transport is 03FX48

[Ashcollection]

I've heard of numbers of 6 or 12 produced out of a contract for 52 that was cut back. So it looks like it was probably 12. the prototype has been scrapped but we stripped lots of parts off it first, I have 03FX48. there is half one left at Nelson Greens yard don't know that ones number, all the rest must have been cut up straight out of Ruddington, as there's no evidence or pictures of any others beyond that point.

[B series]

Thank you for the additional information Ash Collection. (when this covid stuff is over, I will pop over again for  another visit to catch up).

Further info on Smiths cranes:

00 EX 10 served with 408 Bridge Tp, RE based at Hameln, Germany

03 FX 46 served with Port Division, Army School of Transport

03 FX 56 was sold at 178th Ruddington sale April 1983

03 FX 46, 47, 50, 51, 54 & 55 were sold at 179th Ruddington sale. I was at that sale, and impressive they looked all lined up, but many of the tyres were completely deflated, so much so that some vehicles lent against the next one. If I remember correctly, they were all in deep bronze green, and some did not look as if they had been used very often.

 

03 FX 48 does not appear in the Ruddington catalogues,  cannot find it in many other MOD sales catalogues.  I presume therefore it was donated by Army/MOD to the Museum of Army Transport.

 

 

 

[Ashcollection]

21 minutes ago, B series said:

Thank you for the additional information Ash Collection. (when this covid stuff is over, I will pop over again for  another visit to catch up).

Further info on Smiths cranes:

00 EX 10 served with 408 Bridge Tp, RE based at Hameln, Germany

03 FX 46 served with Port Division, Army School of Transport

03 FX 56 was sold at 178th Ruddington sale April 1983

03 FX 46, 47, 50, 51, 54 & 55 were sold at 179th Ruddington sale. I was at that sale, and impressive they looked all lined up, but many of the tyres were completely deflated, so much so that some vehicles lent against the next one. If I remember correctly, they were all in deep bronze green, and some did not look as if they had been used very often.

 

03 FX 48 does not appear in the Ruddington catalogues,  cannot find it in many other MOD sales catalogues.  I presume therefore it was donated by Army/MOD to the Museum of Army Transport.

 

 

 

luck it was donated, I bet the others got cut for their axles, tyres and engines!

[wally dugan]

03 FX 48 served lastly  with 52 PORT SQUADRON  RCT

[wally dugan]

RICHARD

I found this while looking  for suitable pictures of the museum to include in the book this is the earliest one l could of the R=S it was  swopped for a coles MK 5 that was no good for what was needed

[RavingNoah]

Hey there, uh...lol.  Just a heads up, there's some of us random internet people who love a certain game (Snowrunner) who were introduced to this model crane, and have been combing the internet for it.  Does anyone here, obviously of those who actually worked with this model, and own one...of...what, 12 in existence or something it said above??

Does anyone have an expertise on what one of these sounded like, both the general engine sound, and the crane when operated, etc.  We play the game, and was introduced to the notion of this model from a Twitter post, shared on Reddit in our game forum.  https://x.com/thinkdefence/status/1728530233614053504?s=20

I don't know how many players have as voracious a curiosity as I have, but I would love to see a modder be able to, at least for us, eulogize this bad boy as a version in the game.  We would be super excited, but have no idea what it sounded like, or what it's particular capabilities were.  I doubt we are engineers or whatever, but maybe some of us are.

Anyway...good day, and sorry to intrude.  :: tips hat ::