ekawrecker Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 These two 0860 Militant 6x6 Artillery Tractors went through Aston Down MoD auctions in 1993, very late for these type. They were latterly used as driver training vehicles. A friend of mine bid for and won Lot 356 which was a non-runner caused by a broken gear linkage rod between the gearchange unit and gearbox (suprise-suprise!) When I went to collect it, I took another rod, bolted it into place and drove the Militant on to the low loader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 And a Thornycroft light trenching machine hiding away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyFowler Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 How did you know I was gonna ask what that was Mike !:thanx: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 And a Thornycroft light trenching machine hiding away! While on the subject of Thornycroft light trenching machines does anyone know where i can get a brake drum for the front axle from ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 These two 0860 Militant 6x6 Artillery Tractors went through Aston Down MoD auctions in 1993, very late for these type. They were latterly used as driver training vehicles.A friend of mine bid for and won Lot 356 which was a non-runner caused by a broken gear linkage rod between the gearchange unit and gearbox (suprise-suprise!) When I went to collect it, I took another rod, bolted it into place and drove the Militant on to the low loader. Ekawrecker, thank you for posting these two wonderful photographs. That 'fresh out of MOD auction' look is the look that I'm always trying to recapture with my lorries. I wish I could have been there to help you bolt on the replacement rod. Both of these AEC's appear to have had work done on the lower part of the cab doors and 01 BP 28 seems to have had a plate welded on the front bumper. It also doesn't appear have the usual type of towing jaws fitted. What did your friend do with his Militant ? Was it converted into a recovery vehicle as so many of these gun tractors were ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 If you enlarge the lower 'photo of an obviously restored gun tractor you can see what appears to be the same modified front bumper, and towing jaws, as in the top picture. Both vehicles also have a spotlight mounted in the same place. Personally, I've not seen a spotlight mounted on any Militant in this way before. If you think the 'lollipop' type flashers are fitted at unequal heights on the lorry in the top picture, as they are on the one in the lower picture, then this could be the same vehicle. Or, just one of a batch that were all modified in the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilitantGraham Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 The standard Mk1 bumper is recessed in in the middle which makes it harder to couple on to a trailer and significantly reduces the available lock when suspend towing with an A frame. Maybe these were modified to make it easier as they are training vehicles. The towing hitches look standard, they have just rotated. One's upside down and the other is on its side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) How did you know I was gonna ask what that was Mike !:thanx: Edited February 5, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Isn't that just what Lee Enfield needs for digging latrines at A&E 2010? What a shame it is post war so will not be allowed - oh well, back to the pick and shovel then :sweat: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 While on the subject of Thornycroft light trenching machines does anyone know where i can get a brake drum for the front axle from ? Is there one on the other side of the vehicle you could pinch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Ekawrecker, thank you for posting these two wonderful photographs. That 'fresh out of MOD auction' look is the look that I'm always trying to recapture with my lorries. I wish I could have been there to help you bolt on the replacement rod. Both of these AEC's appear to have had work done on the lower part of the cab doors and 01 BP 28 seems to have had a plate welded on the front bumper. It also doesn't appear have the usual type of towing jaws fitted. What did your friend do with his Militant ? Was it converted into a recovery vehicle as so many of these gun tractors were ? My pleasure 6 X 6, glad you liked the pics. My friend rallied his Militant for a few years (I took it to GDSF in the late '90s) and it's in bits at the moment having the cab and body done. Rest assured, he'll be keeping it as a gun tractor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 This is an 0859 Militant 6x4 tanker as operated by the RAF reg no 37AD13, which I saw in a dealers yard in the late '80s. One of the least common Militant types, they were also unusual in being fitted with 11.00x20 tyres all round. (twinned on rear axle!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 An imaginative use for another one of the batch of 0859 Militant RAF tankers was this conversion to a dustbin lorry! It's also been fitted with the more conventional 14.00x20 tyres and wheels. I saw this one operating in Glasgow in 1987, but I'm not sure how long it lasted in this form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 The standard Mk1 bumper is recessed in in the middle which makes it harder to couple on to a trailer and significantly reduces the available lock when suspend towing with an A frame. Maybe these were modified to make it easier as they are training vehicles. The towing hitches look standard, they have just rotated. One's upside down and the other is on its side. Thanks Graham. I inexcusably forgot that these earlier gun tractors would have originally had a recessed towing pin and, as you correctly say, the lorries in ekarecker's 'photos have been modified to accept the swiveling type of towing jaws that you see on the later MK 1's. I'd not seen this modification before. What they would have been like originally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 An imaginative use for another one of the batch of 0859 Militant RAF tankers was this conversion to a dustbin lorry! It's also been fitted with the more conventional 14.00x20 tyres and wheels. I saw this one operating in Glasgow in 1987, but I'm not sure how long it lasted in this form. Blimey, you've been about a bit mate ! Thank you for posting more wondrous Militant 'photos. I can only assume the operator of this dustbin lorry was hoping to recruit Militant enthusiasts as drivers, to work free of charge, just for the pleasure of driving a MK1 around all day. I would have done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Blimey, you've been about a bit mate ! Thank you for posting more wondrous Militant 'photos. I can only assume the operator of this dustbin lorry was hoping to recruit Militant enthusiasts as drivers, to work free of charge, just for the pleasure of driving a MK1 around all day. I would have done. The Glaswegian dustbin lorry operator had another 2 Militants, a skip loader and another dustbin lorry, both of them the more conventional Militants. I can't find the pics at the moment, but when I do I'll post them. In the meantime heres another HAA Militant with the 'Rusty wheelarch disease'! I saw this in North Yorkshire and it worked the A170 and surrounding roads including the notorious Sutton Bank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Daymond Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 how long ago was the picture taken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 how long ago was the picture taken? From memory, in the mid '90s Simon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Daymond Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 don't suppose they're still there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Is there one on the other side of the vehicle you could pinch? already pinched that one and put it on the other side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 AEC Militant MK1 SSA29K ex grampian snow plough converted to winch tractor, boughton winch ex fowler challenger tractor ,anchor from land drainage machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 aec militant mk1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extrogg Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Came across this pic on the 7 SQN RCT group on facebook. No association with pic taker. The caption for the pic says Vehicle park Antrim N.I 1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 Came across this pic on the 7 SQN RCT group on facebook. No association with pic taker.The caption for the pic says Vehicle park Antrim N.I 1977 Thank you very much for posting this wonderful photograph. A Militant tipper is top of my list of desirable lorries and the tipper is one of the rarest Militant Mk 1 variants in preservation. The 6 X 4 in the 'photo was about 20 years old when this picture was taken. I wonder if it survived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Thank you very much for posting this wonderful photograph. A Militant tipper is top of my list of desirable lorries and the tipper is one of the rarest Militant Mk 1 variants in preservation. The 6 X 4 in the 'photo was about 20 years old when this picture was taken. I wonder if it survived. Yes, they're very nice! I've never seen any in preservation 6 X 6, I've only ever seen a couple in a yard once. I wonder where they all went? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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