Rick W Posted December 22, 2007 Share Posted December 22, 2007 A bit of info about this odd machine... http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/killenstrait.jpg[/img] It was called the Killen-Strait, I have no idea why it had such an odd name, so if anyone can enlighten us! Richard Hornsby and Sons produced it in June 1915 and is pictured here being tested in front of Churchill and David Lloyd George at Wormwood Scrubs. It successfully cut through barbed wire I believe. After that trial they mounted an armoured body onto a Delannay-Belville chassis, but this proved unsuccessful and any further trials/production was abandoned. I think this was Englands first foray into the world of armoured, tracked vehicles. http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/killen-strait.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 22, 2007 Share Posted December 22, 2007 It was called the Killen-Strait, I have no idea why it had such an odd name, so if anyone can enlighten us! Richard Hornsby and Sons produced it in June 1915 and is pictured here being tested in front of Churchill and David Lloyd George at Wormwood Scrubs. It successfully cut through barbed wire I believe. After that trial they mounted an armoured body onto a Delannay-Belville chassis, but this proved unsuccessful and any further trials/production was abandoned. I think this was Englands first foray into the world of armoured, tracked vehicles. Rick, The Killen - Strait was an agricultural tractor built in the USA. The references in several histories of tanks makes reference to Hornsbys building it, but I am sceptical about this, unless they were building the tractor under licence for farm work. It is more probable that they under took the conversion to a war machine. Here is an advert from 1916, for the Killen-Strait agricultural tractor; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted December 23, 2007 Author Share Posted December 23, 2007 I think you are right Richard, it definitely has roots in agriculture and traction engines and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 There sems to be a big difference between the Agric and the war machine. The Agric seems to have only one central rear track with outrigger wheels whilst the war machine has two rear tracks and no wheels...Whislt realted they are definitely not the same model or design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 Or has the Agric machine got a track on one side at the rear and a wheel on the other?? possible if intented for direct ploughing where the track would run on the loose ploughed soil in the last furrough and the wheel would be on the hard unploughed virgin soil. Most odd if it was but I can't make the picture out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted December 23, 2007 Author Share Posted December 23, 2007 That particular one in Richards picture definitely has a round solid wheel, must be for ploughing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted December 23, 2007 Author Share Posted December 23, 2007 http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o72/rik242_2006/killenstrait3.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 23, 2007 Share Posted December 23, 2007 The advert is for an agricultural machine, but obviously what the armoured vehicle was based on. The fact that it was refered to as a Killen-Strait shows it to originate from them. The text is difficult to read, but it would not be difficult to have tracks both sides if need be. It is obviously configured that way for ploughing. I believe the advert was from a magazine dated 1916, so later than the armoured tractor trials. Anyhow, my purpose for posting the ad was to show where the name came from. ;-) Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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