WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Hello everyone, I originally posted this in the British Vehicles section not realising there was a Tracked Section on the website as I am a newbie to the forum... I am involved in a number of projects relating to WW2 and my home County and as part of one of these projects I have been asked to look into a possible new build Churchill Tank and I was wondering if anyone here would know roughly how much a new build tank would cost? Or be able to provide any useful information or guidance. Thank you all in advance and I look forward to hearing from anyone who is able to help. Kindest regards, Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mk3iain Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Hi Aaron I bit more about yourself and the group you are part of if that is the case would help a lot. More detail on what you hope to achieve, such as theatrical look alike to a fully running exact replica in all detail and of course the possible available budget. Also if you input your profile location. Best wishes Iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 6 minutes ago, Mk3iain said: Hi Aaron I bit more about yourself and the group you are part of if that is the case would help a lot. More detail on what you hope to achieve, such as theatrical look alike to a fully running exact replica in all detail and of course the possible available budget. Also if you input your profile location. Best wishes Iain Hi Iain, Yes of course, I am 28 years old and I am working with a relatively new museum that has been slowly setting themselves up since 2016 and is dedicated to the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited (GRC&W). GRC&W built a total of 764 Churchill Tanks Mk.I to III during the Second World War including a Mild Steel Prototype as well as many other items and products for the military during WW2 including “whale” sections for mulberry harbour. We are still in the process of researching everything at the moment and do not have a set budget as it was. We would love to have a working example but I have been told this could be expensive and well into 6 figures. I am open to options and other avenues. I have been thinking of wood and steel with the exterior and interior looking as it would of done by with no engine or armour platting. This would be used in the museum (eventually) as well as during an annual event which we are currently looking into/planning to hold and we would like to be able to open it up as it was to allow visitors and others inside to have a look. Hope this gives more of a background and happy to speak to anyone who would be able to help or advice in anyway (we are also looking for drawings, plans, etc.) Thank you again. Regards, Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mk3iain Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Thanks Aaron Would be nice if you could locate a range wreck or at least a part of one that had been built by GRC&W. Maybe using a restorable hull as the basis as mentioned on the other thread. Just a rough hull would be a displayable item, with clever holographic projection it could be turned into something special and help raise funds for a build. Its a thought. Iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 17 minutes ago, Mk3iain said: Thanks Aaron Would be nice if you could locate a range wreck or at least a part of one that had been built by GRC&W. Maybe using a restorable hull as the basis as mentioned on the other thread. Just a rough hull would be a displayable item, with clever holographic projection it could be turned into something special and help raise funds for a build. Its a thought. Iain Thank you Iain, I have been looking for a GRC&W Churchill and from my research only one is known to exist a Mk.III in a Sweden museum. That sounds like an interesting idea, I was thinking of fundraising for the replica build but wasn’t sure how to go about doing it, I was thinking of a small model to help fund raise but that sounds like an even better idea, I know of a few Churchill tank hulls and even Turrets are still around in ranges but not too sure if they are GRC&W built. I shall definitely keep a record of your suggestion and when I am next speaking to the Founders/Trustees of the museum I shall let them know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mk3iain Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 You could start with a VR tour of a Churchill and build from there the same data would be usable for a hologram (maybe). The equipment required would then be usable elsewhere in the museum. VR is a good starting point but would not replace the experience of the real thing. Worth talking to the Tank Museum they have done similar with German WW2 displays ( Tiger experience) and they are on here ! They may also have something at the back of a shed somewhere... Iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Agree with the above, get in touch with the tank museum as they offer plenty of advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 30 minutes ago, Mk3iain said: You could start with a VR tour of a Churchill and build from there the same data would be usable for a hologram (maybe). The equipment required would then be usable elsewhere in the museum. VR is a good starting point but would not replace the experience of the real thing. Worth talking to the Tank Museum they have done similar with German WW2 displays ( Tiger experience) and they are on here ! They may also have something at the back of a shed somewhere... Iain Thank you kindly Iain, I shall definitely bare that in mind and get in touch with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 19 minutes ago, Rootes75 said: Agree with the above, get in touch with the tank museum as they offer plenty of advice. Thank you, I shall do just that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Transport History Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Hello, there is a hulk of a churchill somewhere in kent still, not sure where though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Kent Transport History said: Hello, there is a hulk of a churchill somewhere in kent still, not sure where though. Thank you kindly, I shall have to look into this and see if I can locate the hull you mention and it’s owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8Hants Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Just before he died a few weeks ago, my late Uncle told me that they buried quite a few Churchill tank hulls on the Castlemartin ranges. I think they were making hillocks and bumps for what ever purpose. he was RE heavy earth moving in the 1950's 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 I can't see any problem constructing a 1:1 scale replica chassis out of mild steel plate and at relative low cost . Basic boilermakes profile burner , rivet heating hearth & associated gear , or if welded - a good CO2 cake-icer . It is not as if you are on coded pressure vessel work. You may be able to get your hands on your firm's blueprints ? Otherwise you need somebody in Sweden with a imperial tape-measure, pencil & paper. I speak as somebody who served 6 years in a British Railways workshop , 1 year as junior draftsman - then went to sea LoL Then you just need all the bolt-ons as ££££££££££ allows.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Another possibility is to contact some owners and if you have set space available, offer free storage of their Churchill. Their are a few well off owners who may lend you something to display. There’s likely other concerns such as insurance and liability etc. but it could be another option to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 there's a nice early churchill hull on lydd range that should be an easy recovery. also a turret in an rspb reserve in leamington spa and i have access to a full set of early track for free. you get the permissions and i will recover them for you 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, eddy8men said: there's a nice early churchill hull on lydd range that should be an easy recovery. also a turret in an rspb reserve in leamington spa and i have access to a full set of early track for free. you get the permissions and i will recover them for you Thank you for this, I shall look into this further and see what I can find/dig up (no pun intended). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 the turret is in tunbridge wells not leamington spa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 7 minutes ago, eddy8men said: Thank you very kindly for both pictures and the correction. I have sent an email already regarding the hull. I need to find details for the turret next. Thank you again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Transport History Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 9 hours ago, ruxy said: I can't see any problem constructing a 1:1 scale replica chassis out of mild steel plate and at relative low cost . Basic boilermakes profile burner , rivet heating hearth & associated gear , or if welded - a good CO2 cake-icer . It is not as if you are on coded pressure vessel work. You may be able to get your hands on your firm's blueprints ? Otherwise you need somebody in Sweden with a imperial tape-measure, pencil & paper. I speak as somebody who served 6 years in a British Railways workshop , 1 year as junior draftsman - then went to sea LoL Then you just need all the bolt-ons as ££££££££££ allows.. The wasted cost of building a replica, you may as well find something genuine, and do a steady 'rolling' restoration on it. It's one of the interesting things I find in museums. finished stuff bores me a little lol. Have you considered a lottery grant, to assist in paying for an acquisition/ heavy recovery? A genuine local historical subject is always worthy of lottery funds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 3, 2020 Author Share Posted September 3, 2020 9 minutes ago, Kent Transport History said: The wasted cost of building a replica, you may as well find something genuine, and do a steady 'rolling' restoration on it. It's one of the interesting things I find in museums. finished stuff bores me a little lol. Have you considered a lottery grant, to assist in paying for an acquisition/ heavy recovery? A genuine local historical subject is always worthy of lottery funds Thank you for this, I have been looking into all avenues including lottery funding. The one problem I have been having is finding a Churchill Mk. I, II or III with its original data plate intact/in place proving that it is a Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited built Churchill or even other information allowing this to be proven in other ways. For a local history subject such as this for lottery funding I have found it needs to be proven and have evidence that said vehicle being recovered is a locally built vehicle and that it is of some historical importance, etc. If the funds were available I am sure a full scale replica using same methods, materials etc., could be done as a bit of an “experimental archeological” type project. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am looking into and willing to hear everyone’s thoughts and ideas regarding this as nothing at the moment is set in stone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Transport History Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Then some heavy research is needed first, to establish what was built locally, and how to tell. not easy, but possible. how many churchill lines were there? and what were the years/numbers produced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2Aaron91 Posted September 3, 2020 Author Share Posted September 3, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Kent Transport History said: Then some heavy research is needed first, to establish what was built locally, and how to tell. not easy, but possible. how many churchill lines were there? and what were the years/numbers produced? Thanks I have already undertaken a lot of research and a total of 764 Churchill’s were made by the company all being Mk.I to III research so far: T-32246 to T-32470 - Churchills I-IV T-68641 to T-68816 - Churchills I-IV T32396 - Churchill I Gloucester RC&W Mild steel pilot model T32397 - T32470 - Churchill I, II Gloucester RC&W Production models T32396 - T32470 - Total 74 Tanks T67866 - T67990 Gloucester RC&W and Birmingham RC&W Production Models T67866 - T67990 - Total 124 Tanks T68716 - T68840 - Churchill III Gloucester RC&W Production models T68716 - T68840 - Total 124 Tanks You can see that numbers T67868 to T67990 are claimed by both Gloucester RC&W and Birmingham RC&W. Could it be that these numbers were allotted to Gloucester originally and then moved to Birmingham? What numbers were carried by the remaining 442 Gloucester Churchill’s? This is the information I have managed to source so far and a few further questions I am trying to answer while asking about replica’s, etc. Some of the above list are mentioned in The Tank Museum, Bovington paperwork as “assembly only”. The above information has been gathered from a number of websites, forums and The History of the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited (1960) and The Churchill Tank. Edited September 3, 2020 by WW2Aaron91 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdLav Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 (edited) On 9/2/2020 at 10:00 PM, eddy8men said: the turret is in tunbridge wells not leamington spa I live in Tunbridge Wells, there are two but one is rotten and the other is a Mk1? Edited December 5, 2020 by AdLav 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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