Ram Kangaroo Restoration

[carl brown]

Hi all

I am in the early stages of working on a Ram kangaroo restoration.
This Ram will be restored to full running and driving condition.

It is an early machine gun turret model. It would be good to find out its CT number as all id has gone from it.

The casting numbers under the back end are as follows;

53018-1

6-42-D 78

I know there is a correlation between these numbers and the CT number. Who can help me ?

Looking also for a pair of headlamps to fit the RAM. Can anyone shed some light on where I might find some ?

Carl

[servicepub (RIP)]

Carl,

Good for you! Check www.RamTank.ca for vehicle histories. The CT number may be determined but what is needed is the shop number. This is stamped into the cylindrical cross-bar that spans the front mudguards.

[carl brown]

With some careful blasting and cleaning I have found the serial number.
It is 1141.

How do we cross reference this to the CT number ?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by carl brown

With some careful blasting and cleaning I have found the serial number.
It is 1141.

How do we cross reference this to the CT number ?

Hi Carl, see our collective Ram knowledge at ramtank.ca

Shop. No. 1141 is CT159577:
- Nov 1943, delivered from Cdn Mech Depot to Cdn Ord Depot (Borden)
- Jan 1944, shown as Struck Off Strength to the British, delivered to 8 AFV Depot, Leicester

Do you have some pics of your Kangaroo?

Cheers,
Hanno

[tankbarrell]

CT159577 is not shop number 1141. That was a late Ram with Sherman bogies and ball mount. David Herbert has 1141 as CT40921.

[servicepub (RIP)]

I will have to add some explanation of 'shop' numbers vs 'CT'umbers and 'TKC' numbers to my web-site. There is a direct corelation between CT and shop numbers (I have to find this but the original research was done by Dave Herbert and I trust his analysis). This corelation was important as any modifications made on the assembly line (shop number) had to be translateable to a sequential identifier that readily identified a specific tank (CT number).
The TKC number appers to have been used as a shipping conttrol number only. As can be seen by the numbers listed on RamTank.ca, these TKC numbers are not sequential and there is no direct corelation with either the shop or CT numbers. Clear as mud?

[carl brown]

Here are a few pics of what we have started with !

[servicepub (RIP)]

Your shop number 1141 translates as CT40921. Here is what RamTank.ca shows;
Oct 1944, shown as a Cruiser, held in stock
July 1945, shown as Struck Off Strength to the British
no photo on the database (yet)

I have added a section on numbering to the site and, thanks to Bill Miller's documentation, can now explain discrepancies in the first 31 MkI Rams.

http://www.ramtank.ca/ramcensus.htm

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Sorry, I was working away from home when I posted my remark about the CT number and made a mistake correlating it to that TKC number. I should have known better.

I have now checked my sources, including David Herbert's notes, and can confirm Shop Number 1141 has Census Number CT-40921. It was built December 1943. It was one of the very last Ram tanks built with M3 Medium Tank transmission, final drive and bogies. CT-40937 was the last one built in this configuration.
From Shop Number 1158 /CT-159402 onwards the Ram tank was fitted with M4 Medium tank final drive and bogies.

Carl, I presume your Ram hulk came off Pirbright ranges, too?

Hope this helps,
Hanno

[carl brown]

Hanno. It didn't come from pirbright this time. It came from Fingringhoe Ranges, Colchester, Essex along with a later hull with ball machine gun in the front.

[servicepub (RIP)]

Carl,
Can I use some of your photos for my web site? Also, you may wish to visit a new section at RamTank.ca which shows a number of Ram interior shots.

[carl brown]

Thats fine. If you need any more pics then let me know. Interior pics on the web site are great. Thanks

[the_shadock]

hello guys,

I also try to maintain an updated database of surviving RAM/Kangaroos tanks, and it starts to be a bit difficult, since a lot of wrecks were recently recovered or still remain on various fireranges.

Here is the document which tries to list all the RAM/Kangaroo survivors :

http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving...iser_Tanks.pdf (the document is 3.4 Mo)

Please tell me if this document contains errors. I'm sure there are some !! For sure I also forget to list 1 or 2 vehicles.

kind regards,

Pierre-Olivier

[carl brown]

Thought you would like to see where we are at with the restoration so far. Hull is stripped out, lots of hull repairs being carried out, busy refurbishing wheel stations etc.

Progress is good but slow! hoping to have it running and driving middle to end of this year.

Regards
Carl

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hi Carl,

Thanks for letting us know about your progress. I see Adrian´s welding manipulator is being put to good use again, must be at least the third tank it is used for?

Can´t wait to see it running, I do not have to tell you yours will be the first Ram Kangaroo restored to running condition ever!

Attached goes another "before" picture to show the forum members what you started off with:


Keep up the good work!

- Hanno

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by carl brown

Hanno. It didn't come from pirbright this time. It came from Fingringhoe Ranges, Colchester, Essex along with a later hull with ball machine gun in the front.

Sometime ago I had a link to a photo page that was a gallery that some intrepid photographer took of hard targets on UK ranges. He drove down the access roads in several training areas, GPS recording and snapping photos. The preamble included some warning about post 9-11 access being very difficult. Don't know what it was called (or I still have the link but don't recognize what it does.) Anybody recognize this story?

Similarly, are there any websites that list rifle ranges in the UK? I surfed onto one once reading about .50 cal target rifle shooting clubs.

[NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)]

Hi
Are you the guy that made a show on the History chanel and have a tank museum in the UK the name of the show thank overhauling
You have the same turning machine for the tanks

http://dethroner.com/2007/02/15/tank...ies-to-the-us/

[tankbarrell]

Same turning machine, different guy.

[NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)]

Hi
OK thank
I love so much that show and i found those guy making a wonderful job

[cantankrs]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

Same turning machine, different guy.

Hi Adrian,

My first post here - just wanted to say I caught that episode of Tank Overhaul recently - and wanted to say Well Done for building the turnover frame.

Also nice resto job (a while back) on your Chrysler Multibank Sherman.

Alex

[NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

Same turning machine, different guy.

Hi
who are these guy i can't find anything on then on the web

[RWDiesel]

Hello

Taped that episode they are from the Isle of Wight Military History Museum, owned by Dave Arnold.
At least that's what it sounds like on the tape, hope it helps in your search.



Cheers Ronald

[tankbarrell]

The Tank Overhaul episode featured Dave Arnold and the Isle of Wight Military Museum. They also featured in another episode about Comet.

I made the manipulator for a Sherman project some years ago and as Hanno points out, this is the third tank to use it.

All (most) of the tank restorers in the UK help each other out, it's a small world! There is quite a bit of cross channel assistance too.

[NORTH-SHORE(CANADA)]

Hi
Thanks
i found the infot on the history chanel.
And on the coverall in the back Isle of Wight Military History Museum
Hop they do more show is fun to watch