Year of the Tracked Vehicle (Corowa 08)

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Lang

Geoff,

Do what you wish with the photo. I am sure there will be many more interesting ones over the next week.

lang

You're a gentleman, sir... and I'm counting on those yet-to-be-taken pics - the more embarrassing the better! Start with Salesman Bob....

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Just a teaser below, I guess you will have to wait for Keith video for better ones...
2 Stuarts, 2 half tracks, 2 Ferrets, a Greyhound a mess of gun Carriers and assorted green stuff went down to the river to play. Quote of the day (from one of the hitchikers in the carrier that suffered from boiling, wet dissy, fuel vaporisation, then got towed home for the last km)..." A bad day in a Bren Gun Carrier, is better than a good day at work"
Can't disagree with that.
Rich.

[zemsi]

... excellent pics Desperately waiting for more to come. Can anyone upload some videos on youtube?

I 2nd my good friend Zemsi's words!!! Waiting patiently .... well, a tad impatiently

[Rusty]

Well of course you get a sticky wet and somewhat stinky Keefy

Oh but look at that grin!!! (nice legs in the background too )

[Rusty]

Down the Barell of a Stuart

[Scrivo18]

Hi Everyone
I have just got home and unloaded the jeep, The Stuart and the Bren are still travelling. The short story WOW , the long story, very condensed, we had a major drama with the stuart after developing a leak in the oil reservoir tank. If you know anything about stuarts that requires that the engine be removed!!
So Friday with the help of some very wonderful people we lifted the engine enough to take the oil tank out through the lower inspection plate, have it repaired and then refited the reservoir. 11.00 PM Friday we test ran the vehicle, by 12.30 am Saturday the tools and many many empty water bottles had been cleaned up. It was about 40 degress most of the weekend, so in side and under a tank was thirsty work.
In what felt like a few minutes the alarm clock was going and we made the run into the assembly point at the front of the caravan park.
An incredible feeling driving the Stuart down the main street, in company with another Stuart.
We then had one more small drama, as the battery we had been using would not stuart the radial for the trip back, so a quick tow and we were back in the game, but a little late. What I did not realise was that the second group, made up of the bren carriers were following me through the street.
There were about 175 vehicles, of which I am sure a full list will be posted, truely an incredible weekend.
As I was busy and then very tired I did not get to have a good look at all the vehicles or the swap, but everyones comments have been positive.
After all the dramas and sleep loss the highlight was then getting a ride in the T34!!
To everyone that helped me with the Stuart repairs THANK YOU, it was a fantastic effort.
Also to everyone involved in the organisation and running of the event, it was fantastic and you should be proud and very satisfied with what was achieved.

Tim Scriven

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Well of course you get a sticky wet and somewhat stinky Keefy

It must've been at least 60 degrees in there and after some time there was a STRONG smell of fuel too!

[Plushy]

Well i made a quick trip up to corowa to get an idea of the layout ready for next year and i must say everything looked great and well organised . So i am looking forward to heading up there next year and getting a proper chance to meet everyone and see everything . I also have to remember to take extra memory cards for my Digital camera as i shot 275 photos between 8 am and 1 pm when i left .

Heres some of my happy snaps .

[Plushy]

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball

You're a gentleman, sir... and I'm counting on those yet-to-be-taken pics - the more embarrassing the better! Start with Salesman Bob....

Unfortunately Salesman Bob was nowhere to be found at Corowa - apparently he had some visitors at home this year.

Will post some pics later as I've just returned.

[Keith Webb]

Here's a pic taken Thursday when we had a run to a beautiful farm on the Murray not far from the airport. A very hot day indeed and many of the vehicles were feeling the heat on the return trip - we may have to subtitle the DVD "Year of the vapour lock".

In front is Tod Vaille's Stuart with Tim Scriven's Stuart behind. Tod's Stuart had a loading mishap and wound up falling off the trailer, doing a 360 rollover, winding up on it's side against a fence.

Tod tells the story in the next DVD of course!

[alexmacca30]

What a few months!! The event is now over and I think all appeared to go pretty well for our first major tracked vehicle event. The parade went off really well and we were able to get quite a pace up on the way to the airport after leaving the main part of town.

The idea of having the arena worked very well. I think more crews would have probably played a bit more if the heat was not so intense.

My thanks to the AFV crews for their co-operation.

[Keith Webb]

This picture was taken by my writer friend Roger Clarke showing how a T34 can have the same effect... as can a hot Stuart as seen by Rusty's pic too.

And STILL grinning I see

[Keith Webb]

It was seriously hot there but this is an excalibur moment from the murky waters of the Murray River - not sure who the hand belonged too but it sort of sums it up. I reckon he had the right idea.

My biggest problem was time, batteries, stock and the heat and dust - there were MANY things I wanted to cover, one of the main ones being the Stuart action on the arena but after doing the segment on the T34 I was out of battery, stock and moisture.