still in use commercially....

[Lynn Eades]

David.You obviously know a lot about tanks, and I don't. Re your last item.(5) To me it makes no economic sense to set out to build a hull using tank running gear.(big expensive job)More likely, the builders would have won the low priced tender for govt surplus tanks, and based on this, built the haulers. (Yarders?) Tank running gear is not really suitable for bush work. Commercial crawler tractors are obviouly far more suited. the compomise is all about price. No doubt, It'll be a tank hull.
These things usually drive/ drag (winch) them selves to the top of the highest hill, and once there, and set up. They dont move again until the whole area is cleared.
I used to work for Owens Services, (It was for many years the only company handling the export of logs from all N.Z. ports) As I recall 3 of them arrived on the Mount Maunganui wharf from a heavy lift ship, and for some reason unknown to me(just lucky?) I had the lovely job of steam cleaning one of them at the Dept. of Agricultures secure cleaning area. This was required before it could be cleared by Ag and fish, and moved from the Port.
BTW thats not getting a few pine needles off the nice orange paint either. That means being in the bowels of it for hours. Hot!, wet!, loud!, and covered in greasy shit! (can I say that?)
This would be about 15 years ago and this machine could well be one of those 3.
I have never seen any of them in action, but I understood that there were already Sherman (used loosely now) based, Log haulers (spar yarders) already in use in Kaiangaroa Forest.
Brent, you could buy it!.... Then you can clean the paint of the tow eye.
I dont think we have a Sherman here although there is a Grizzly in Auckland.

[things_green]

David.....points noted, thankyou.
if the owner is obliging I shall endeavor too tick those 5 boxes.

Lynne; I'm envious....'playing' with one of these beasties!
what a blast......having one, even a chassis would be neat...but realistically I sold my LP2a project because i didn't have the finances and or the ability too finish it...this would be a MUCH BIGGER job.....
neat idea though.....My wife wouldn't mind....but I would have too paint it green pretty rapidly too 'hide' it under a tree

Note; I am not mowing the lawns in preparation for the New Years Eve party...
just where do my priorities lie !!!

Brent

[Lynn Eades]

Hi Brent, I was roughly aware of why the carrier went. Is the Dodge project still happening?
I agree about the tank, but that one would need a lot scrap cut off the top.

[The Bedford Boys]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

I dont think we have a Sherman here although there is a Grizzly in Auckland.

Who's is the Grizzly in Auckland? The National Army Museum in Waiouru has a Grizzly.

[Lynn Eades]

I think it will be the same one.

[things_green]

okay....the owners were very generous....let me loose unsupervised....

I ticked 4 out 5 boxes David.....
Having seen the escape hatch below where the driver would have originally sat I'm pretty sure it was (at one stage) an original hull.


between the idlers....


hole beneath the engine....poor pic I'm afraid.


transmission


front LH (drivers original position).


LH rear idler attachment.


looking from the rear.....escape hatch sorta visible.


inside view of the RH suspension.

cool toy ;-)
Brent.

[tankbarrell]

Oh well, not an original hull, at least not the rear 3/4, just suspension and transmission from a donor vehicle. It's possible they used a front half to make use of the transmission mounting.

[things_green]

poop....c'est la guerre

[David Herbert]

Brent,

Sorry that I wasn't paying attention. Usefull set of photos, thanks I have never seen one of these in detail so I'm learning. As Adrian said, most if not all the hull is home made which I admit suprised me for the reasions Lynn Eades gave above. They must not have needed it to be as heavy as a real one which has sides 1 1/2" thick and the front part of the floor is 1". The real one has sharp lower edges to the sides rather than the rounded ones here and that would be a usefull point to look for. Good source of running gear though...

David