Leyland Gun Tractor

[PPS]

Anyone have any photo's of this beastie?

I remember "cabbying" one around the S.E.M.E. Bordon area in 1970, and what a pain it could be if you missed a gear

It had a similar cab to the Leyland Recovery, but a cargo style rear body. It was a 6x6 if I remember correctly.

I tried finding a photo on:-

http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/fu...arPicsHome.htm

But with no luck.

Paul.

[PPS]

I have remembered that the cab of the gun tractor was what they would now call a "crew-cab".

It was larger than the Recovery although the bonnet and front part of the cab were the same.

Paul.

[Richard Farrant]

Paul,

I may well have worked on that gun tractor, as the first one that I had to repair came from Bordon, had to change the transfer box, that would have been mid-70's. They had a synchromesh gearbox, so were in fact quite good to drive. We also had Cargo versions and many Recovery ones coming through Workshops.

The crew cab of the gun tractor was not unlike a railway carriage!

[PPS]

That is quite a good comparison Richard, the cab was quite "roomy2 for want of a better word.

I believe that the Driver Training Wing at that time obtained ay least two of them. I think I was used as a guinea pig to see if it was feasible to carry out HGV 2 training on them. I often wonder if anything ever came of it.

I only had a few days on it before I moved on to the next stage of Trade Training, bench fitting if I remember correctly.

Would still like to see a picture of one again though.

Paul.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by PPS

Would still like to see a picture of one again though.

Paul,

Not a good photo, it was taken on Bovington tank training area at a club event around 1987

[PPS]

Thanks Richard,

That is the "beastie". The cab is even bigger than I remembered now that I have seen a photo.

Paul.

[PPS]

Richard,

The one thing that has come back to mind about being a "pain" if you missed a gear was that during the time I was driving it, the Instructors were trying to figure out if it was possible to change ranges on the "splitter" box, as well as the main box, while on the move.

Maybe that is why one of your first jobs was a transmission

Paul.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by PPS

Maybe that is why one of your first jobs was a transmission

Paul,

Might well have been
It has just come to me, that it was wearing the old unit and div signs (just on the way out around then) and it was RCT School of Transport (I think), which could have been based at Bordon at the time before moving to Leconfield.

[Les Freathy]

Here you go Richard a nice shot of one of the just pre production artillery tractors
cheers
Les

[Les Freathy]

And this one will test the old memory buds its in the bottom yard at Rowcroft i took it on a day of piddling rain when visiting the plant yard opposite the gate you would have been in the workshop some where at the time
Les

[PPS]

Richard,

It could well have come from the RCT School, it was in the same area as Martinique and Havannah Barracks at the time I was in Bordon (278VMB).

I honestly cannot remember what Div markings it may have had; as a "Sprog" approaching his 18th birthday it was something to talk about on leave.

As an aside, I attended the RCT School in Leconfield some years later, and under another cap badge, for a DMI course.

Paul.

[PPS]

Les,

Thank you for that photo of the Tractor as well.

I do seem to remember seeing the other version, Cargo I think in your other photo, as well somewhere but where escapes me.

Paul.

[Les Freathy]

Sorry Paul the first photo was directed at you, the second for Richard at the old depot
Les

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
Sorry Paul the first photo was directed at you, the second for Richard at the old depot

Thanks Les,

Stirs old memories Must have been taken a long while ago ( early 70's ? ), because of the Morris Traveller in the left of the photo.