antarmike Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I'll start you off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 and the AEC built trailer the Crocodile towed. Trailer carries the flame thrower fuel, and pressurised Nitrogen?? tanks to force the fuel out of the Flame thrower. Bovvy of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 That's the VII Croc that's now at Muckleburgh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 The Churchill Toad mine flail. A 1950's conversion from a gun tank. This one is now in Jacques Littlefield's collection. The flail rotor is shown in the transport position and the large box covers the elaborate flail marking system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 The flail rotor is shown in the transport position and the large box covers the elaborate flail marking system. I studied this bit for ages at Beltring and never worked out what it did, there was no one around to ask. would you be kind enough to explain the workings for me Richard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I studied this bit for ages at Beltring and never worked out what it did, there was no one around to ask. would you be kind enough to explain the workings for me Richard? Bernard, As I restored that attachment, not a problem :-D. Will just find the photos of it in its naked state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 The photos here, show the lane marker before the covers were fitted. There are 59 tubes on a chain, the chain is driven around by a rod that comes off the nearside track sprocket hub, the rod pushes a pawl lever on the driving sprocket of the marker. Look at the close up photo and you will see a short rod sticking out, this was where it had been cut off on removal from the tank. So, every revolution of the the track sprocket, the lane marker pawl moves. When one of the tubes is in line with the end, a hammer falls, the hammer having been riding up a ratchet ramp above the sprockets, again look at the close up. The hammer hits a firing pin in the top of the tube. Under the cap in the tube would be a blank .303" cartridge and up inside the tube, a marker post, which is telescopic and with a thin probe on the end looking like a hypodermic needle. The blank fires the post out and as it does the post extends as it is fired into the ground. This is timed to happen every 50 feet. From the controls, the marker can be selected to fire left or right. Normally two flails would work together, so the left one would mark to the left and right flail mark to the right, giving a lane through the minefield wide enough for safety. When the control is in the Off position it in turn operates a cable from the marker to the tank drive sprocket, which disengages the rod operating ratchet. All of this equipment and the rest of the vehicle was in an advance state of decay before restoration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 This photo shows how the end covers lift up for access to reload tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Nice job you made of that Richard but it sounds from your description of the condition it wouldn't have been a straightforward task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Thanks for that detailed explanation Richard, and so quick :thumbsup: who thought it all up? You can see in your first picture the worn patch in the grass under the tank where I had shuffled about for ages looking up inside the thing trying to work it all out :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 it sounds from your description of the condition it wouldn't have been a straightforward task. A solid block of rust, covers eaten away, chains solid and so on. Worse still on the actual vehicle, with both engines under several feet of water, which had laid in there for years. The engine driving the flail drum was a petrol injected Meteor M120, which also powered the Conqueror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 who thought it all up? A railway workshop was involved with the project, and it shows. The rebound springs on the side, for when the flail drum is pulled in to working position, closely resemble cylinders on a steam loco :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 It's a credit to you Richard, a shame it had to go overseas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 It's a credit to you Richard, a shame it had to go overseas. Thanks, but my bit was only a small part of the whole job, it was great to see it in full operation at the hand over. :tup:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 What did you use to free it all off Richard, I think the story of how you went about restoring it would be of interest to a lot of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 What did you use to free it all off Oxy-Acetylene for heat, WD40 and Duck oil........and lots of perspiration. The first part was to work out the dimensions of the covers before removal, as they were falling apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny666 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 i know there is some pics up of the toad but i took aload of pics so here you go: also a gun tank churchill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 (edited) Smashing photos, thanks. As I've been out of the show circuit for so long, does anyone have info (ie a list) of the WW2 tanks that are fully restored and in private hand in the UK, I don't include large private collections as sadly one doesn't seem to see them out and about too often :-( In my limited show visits over the last 5 years I've seen: Adrians M4A4 this year at a steam festival. An M10 (or was it the later 90mm version, can't remember) style destroyer at the same festival. Grizzly (local farm) Three Stuarts at a living history festival. To be honest it was Adrians M4A4 that got my intrest going again as I thought that there were still just a few Grizzlies around... and there at a steam show was an M4A4...where the hell did that spring from I thought! Follwoing this revelation I poked around on Youtube and found tanks in town - jaw dropped again....there were how many WW2 tanks there!!! Edited December 19, 2008 by ajmac sp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longydagun Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 (edited) A fair few considering my god fathers was one of them at tanks in town 06 07 08 An m18 hellcat (nugent) I actually have a feeeling there are quite a few armour collectors in the uk I mean the wheatcroft collection has a fair few tanks doesnt it? How many tanks though i think is hard to put a number on Thanks Alex Edited December 19, 2008 by longydagun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 There is more about than you might imagine. Most, of course, doesn't go out much. Kevin Wheatcroft does have a fair collection and he does show some, he had his Churchill VII at Beltring and Bovvy this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 ARV variant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 In an earlier post I said that I had seen Adrians M4A4, now I'm not so sure:sweat: as there was a Multibank in the Diamond T next to it.... which after seeing the HMVFTV movies today I think was the M4A4 shown which has a Radial fitted?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 When you said you had seen it at a Steam rally I thought 'you did?' That would be Jim Clarks with, as you say, a radial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooky Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Preserved Churchill seen at Duxford quite a few years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 That's the Budge Mk VII Crocodile now with Alan Cors in Virginia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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