Antar Gallery

[Richard Farrant]

Another Antar load to identify...

Load has registration 87 ZS 28 if it helps....

 

A Nuffield built Neptune, British version of the American LVT. Powered by a 12 cylinder Meadows engine. Built in late war period.

[antarmike]

Odd camo on this Antar, doesn't look like a British paint scheme. And front mounter Fire extinguishers on aMk2. Any Ideas?

[antarmike]

But equally a lot of the FVRDE artic Antar pics show it carrying the hull of FV221 Caernarvon, with abuilt up wooden superstructure of some sort.... Could be Caernarvon again , under this tarp??

FWIW Caernavon was a stopgap measure during Conqueror development. Two models were built both fitted with Cent Turrets in an adaptor ring, in the Conqueror hull. I don't know wehther this is the 17Pdr or 20 Pdr Centurion turret on this Caernarvon.

 

Here is FVRDE Artic Antar with Caernarvon.

[antarmike]

Antar Rigid six being lifted on the lifting rings attached to the front and rear axles.

This is an oilfield exploration Antar.........

 

Shot of Civvy Oilfield Antar load carrier, winching load up to level of load deck.

Sort of early Drops, (and Ice Road Truckers)

[Adrian Barrell]

The Cent gun is a 20 pdr and the Neptune isn't! It's an LVT3 which saw use with the British Army post-war.

[Richard Farrant]

and the Neptune isn't! It's an LVT3

 

 

 

thanks Adrian, I can see the difference now

[antar]

 

Hey, that me at the Basingstoke festival of transport in my old ANTAR !!!

[antarmike]

There's plenty of pictures of you at Basingstoke doing the rounds....

[antarmike]

And here is your spare Antar you got from Southend...(in happier times)

[antar]

And here is your spare Antar you got from Southend...(in happier times)

 

That is now with Dave Weedon in York. Its a little bit erie Mike but I think that the picture you posted the other day of the Dingo ballast in the DT was my old Dingo too....

John.

[Towie]

Does anybody no the where abouts of the Antar Mk3 petrol YNJ932T i have been sufing the net and i just keep getting Australia this vehicle was sold to Mervyn Annette in 1996 -1997 and does any one have any more pictues of the Antar.

[antarmike]

Does anybody no the where abouts of the Antar Mk3 petrol YNJ932T i have been sufing the net and i just keep getting Australia this vehicle was sold to Mervyn Annette in 1996 -1997 and does any one have any more pictues of the Antar.

 

Antar Mk2 went to Australia as a vehicle that was going to be a recreation of the Snowy Mountain Hydro-electric Antars, all three of which were scrapped. Mervyns Old Antar is one of two that have gone to Aus for convertion/ adaption to look more like the Original Snowy Mountain Antars. The general feeling is that not much progress has been made towards setting them in a museum setting. Pictures on this thread. Also try entering "Snowy Mountain" as a search. It has been mentioned several times in different threads.

Edited October 24, 2009 by antarmike

[Towie]

Thanks for the reply Mike i had an email from a Jill maden that says they have not inported any antars and want to buy one for the museum ive copied email below,

 

Mat

We don't have a Thornycroft Antar to display and would love to have one. Our Museum is not yet open but be hope it will be next year. We can only display things that actually worked on the Scheme or are the same make and model. Several Antars were imported from the UK to carry the very large and heavy elecrical equipment. I am not at home but when I return this week I will have to investigate if your Antar Mk3 is the model that worked on the Scheme. From memory they were low loaders.

Is the truck in Australia or the U.K.? How much would it cost to ship to Australia?

How much do you want for it and what condition is it in. It looks great in the photo.

Regards

Jill (Madew)

 

i will keep trying

[Richard Farrant]

Thanks for the reply Mike i had an email from a Jill maden that says they have not inported any antars and want to buy one for the museum ive copied email below,

 

 

 

 

Hi Mat,

 

There is definitely an Antar now in the Snowy Mountains area, it was seen at the Cooma rally last year, UK reg. no. XSK481

 

Take a look at this link;

www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?p=86635&highlight=antar#post86635

[antarmike]

Thanks for the reply Mike i had an email from a Jill maden that says they have not inported any antars and want to buy one for the museum ive copied email below,

 

Mat

We don't have a Thornycroft Antar to display and would love to have one. Our Museum is not yet open but be hope it will be next year. We can only display things that actually worked on the Scheme or are the same make and model. Several Antars were imported from the UK to carry the very large and heavy elecrical equipment. I am not at home but when I return this week I will have to investigate if your Antar Mk3 is the model that worked on the Scheme. From memory they were low loaders.

Is the truck in Australia or the U.K.? How much would it cost to ship to Australia?

How much do you want for it and what condition is it in. It looks great in the photo.

Regards

Jill (Madew)

 

i will keep trying

 

Unfortunately you are talking to the wrong person and the wrong Museum organisation

 

Mervyn Annetts bought Mk2 Antar YNJ 932T from Tony Potton in 1995.

 

In 2005 a deal was struck with Phil Rye from NSW (president of the Snowy Mountain Historic Equipment Association) to buy the Antar, but until Mervyn had secured the purchase of the Mk3 replacement Antar from John Riley (NVS 131), the deal was held up. But a little later everthing fell into place and Mervyn drove the Mk2 Petrol Antar down to Southampton docks for export to Aus later in 2005.

 

Phil Rye has been collecting Snowy Mountain scheme equipment for the last 30 years, and when he can't find an original, he buys an equivilent model to represent the missing vehicle. All three original Snowy Antars were scrapped in 1999.

 

A second Antar XSK 481 was bought by Phil Rye (from Brian Bailey) in May/June 2007 and this left for Aus almost as soon as the deal was done.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2009/10/snowy-equipment-display-on-today-and-tomorrow-.html

play the audio clip and it is clear Phil Rye has both Antar's over in NSW. He clearly wants to rebuild them to Snowy Mountain Spec, (although where is is going to find two Rover Meteorite Mark 101 DIESEL engines from I don't know, YNJ 932T and XSK 481 both have a mark 204 Petrol Meteorite.)

 

I am not entirely sure but I think he is this guy, who trades in Winter snow handling and clearance plant and equipment.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/phil-rye/8/74b/688

Edited October 25, 2009 by antarmike

[Towie]

Thanks Mike thats some great info perhaps its still alive will keep trying to track it down they are probally parked up somewhere awaiting the completion of the museum

for the end of 2010.

Edited October 30, 2009 by Towie

[Towie]

Hi Mike and richard i think i have tracked the truck down to a little town in NSW Australia Berridale thanks to your help Mike with the Radio station clip

 

http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2009/10/snowy-equipment-display-on-today-and-tomorrow-.html?program=south_east_nsw_breakfast

 

I believe two truck was at a exhibition in berridale last weekend

 

i think we have found it thanks to the power of the internet and some good guys

 

Many Thanks Guys

 

Mat Potton

[antarmike]

Hi Mike and richard i think i have tracked the truck down to a little town in NSW Australia Berridale thanks to your help Mike with the Radio station clip

 

http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2009/10/snowy-equipment-display-on-today-and-tomorrow-.html?program=south_east_nsw_breakfast

 

I believe two truck was at a exhibition in berridale last weekend

 

i think we have found it thanks to the power of the internet and some good guys

 

Many Thanks Guys

 

Mat Potton

Are you related to Tony Potton who used to own it?

 

I went to look at it when Tony had it for sale, but after a day of trying we couldn't get it to run, so I left it. Mervyn bought it shortly after and found the clutch and associated bearings were very ill indeed and he did quite a major rebuild, but being ex Thornycroft he had the knowhow and the contacts....I found my Antar a few years later, and I am really glad I didn't buy Tony's Antar because in my opinion the C6T model is a far better spec.

[Towie]

Yes i am his eldest son from what i can remember when i was driving it there was a noise coming from the release bearing but not all the while i can remeber the starter motor used to stick but we parked it at the top of the field and used to bump start it very scary as once it started there was just enough space to quickly turn the heavy steering before it went through the neigbours fence thankfully it did allways start,

when mervyn collected it we we winched it on with our TM Bedford that had Holmes 750 gear onto a low loader,

[antarmike]

I spent an afternoon with the Antar drawing fuel from my Land-Rovers fuel tank, but it had trouble with the starter motor, and wouldn't crank over reliably. I wanted to tow start it with my Matador, but Tony was worried if we pulled it off down the hill and it still wouldn't start, we might not be able to get it back up again from the bottom of the field. Having only a few pints left in my Land-rover after all the false starts, I decided to call it a day and use what little petrol I still had to drive home.

 

Did you ever get to meet Maurice Sanders who wrote the Mud, Men and Machines book? I guess that is you on the cover then?

Edited October 25, 2009 by antarmike

[Towie]

Yes maurice lived in the village eaton bray close to us, we used to take the Antar to rallies and he brought allong his timber truck sadly he passed away i think it was about 2 years ago,

 

I can remember my dad went away on holiday on year and left me to run the recovery firm i got a call from bedfordshire police to recover a 6 wheeler skip lorry

the lorry was balancing on the caulk hill cutting when we arrived the truck lots grip and fell to the bottom of the cutting this was no job for the TM with the Holmes gear

i was 15 at the time and could not drive on the road i called a local guy that had a HGV and mad him drive the Antar to the scene once at the scene of the accident the police blocked the road and i was abble to postion the Antar to use the Darlington winch to recover the truck from the bottom of the hill it drag it up a vertical drop within 10 minutes i loaded the truck on the A frame and then let the driver take it back to the farm It was a fine winching truck,

 

the guy my dad (tony) brought it from was in timber in worthing i think his name was Cooper he actually used the Antar to winch a 40t hymac out of the sea that had got stuck due to the tide coming in he sold it to us because he couldnt get it through most farmers gats being over 10 feet wide,

[antarmike]

And I used to live just down the road in Aston Clinton....

[antar]

Just to close the loop here is a picture of my Antar Mk3a as it was delivered to Mervyn Annetts, and then a picture of the two together before Mervyn drove the Mk2 down to the docks.

John Riley.

[antarmike]

And in passing John Cooper from Worthing from whom Tony Potton, bought YNJ also had a Mk3 Antar. This sold in auction and is now owned by David Crouch at Kibworth. Has anyone got pictures of any of David's Antars?

[Towie]

Well isnt it a small world Mike, Some nice pictures John of the two together, This has been a great help tracking the old girl to where she is now will keep oyu all updated and hopefully have some new piccys