Bushfires in Australia

[lynx42]

30th December 2019 is not a day one would normally wants to remember, but it is one which I will never forget. Some time ago I had a very rare item donated by Hookways Airlines to our Museum. Hookways had purchased all of the Australian Navy's Grumman Tracker Sub-chasers when they were retired many years ago. As well as the planes there was the complete Link Trainer for the Grumman Trackers. It consisted of two 40 foot semi trailers. One had the fuselage of a Grumman Tracker and studio, the other the computer to operate it. Whilst we were preparing to establish it at the Museum it was stored at a mates place. Unfortunately the fires on the 30th. put paid to that dream and completely destroyed both trailers. Fortunately my mate and his wife survived the fire at Sarsfield Vic. as did all their animals. I am so, so glad that my mate Pete and his wife Jen were unhurt in what must have been a terrible experience. It is a bit disappointing that the trailers were destroyed but no one was hurt, so I will put the museums loss down to bad luck. Here are some photos taken today and some before of this unique and rare item which will now no longer be kept for prosperity.

First views.

IMG_8531a.JPG IMG_8473a.JPG IMG_8479a.JPG

Fuselage trailer

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Computer trailer.

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More to come.

[lynx42]

How hot did it get to soften the springs this much?

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Looking at where the pilot sat.

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Computer trailer.

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ID plate saved.

Grumman Trackers 022a.JPG

[lynx42]

This is what we lost. Photos from when I first saw them at West Sale.

Grumman Trackers 011a.JPG Grumman Trackers 055.JPG Grumman Trackers 057.JPG

Trackers at West Sale.

Grumman Trackers 207.JPG Grumman Trackers 092.JPG

Sad, but as no one was hurt, all is good.

Cheers Rick.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Rick,

To use that very descriptive Australian word - Bugger!! Sad to see the losses mounting as this thread progresses - your museum's trailers, Robert's sheds and Tony's train carriage. There are more losses we are yet to hear about, too, I suspect.

As you have said, the very real up-side is no loss of life among the MLU community, for which I'm sure we are all grateful.

The fire situation in Australia should make us all sit up and think about our collections and how safe they are from a situation like that being experienced by our MLU friends in Australia. I for one will be doing some re-evaluation of the risk factors.

Best regards

Mike

[maple_leaf_eh]

Breath deeply. Exhale deeply. Ultimately what we have is just 'stuff', and we are only taking care of it for the next owners. Things are lost, and there is little that can be done.

What we need are people, and from the sounds of it everyone we know on MLU has passed these events safely. Touch wood (as I knock on my forehead), we'll all be around to reflect on these times come the rainy season.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Just watched the news here. Even here in Holland the fires are a big item in the news every day.

Just devastating......

take care guys!