Seen Over Your House Today

[PR19_Kit]

The Dean Forest Railway are having a Military themed event this and next weekend, all concerned with the return to steam of one of the Longmoor Military Railway Austerity saddle tank engines, which was dutifully rededicated by its former Commander this morning. There was another of its former stable mates in steam as well as the DFR's usual GWR small Prairie, so it was all go there. Mrs_PR19 and I went to have our lunch at the excellent restaurant there as well to look at some of the exhibits.

Right by the entrance were these three....



The Dean Forest Armoured Division no less!


And just inside the gate were these two!





An M18 Hellcat tank destroyer and a Jeep. Apparently the Hellcat was powered by a radial aircraft engine!




What it was all about, 'Rennes', the Austerity 0-6-0 tank engine.


I had to take some more pics of the Stalwart as I worked on a prototype back in the '60s.







The Stalwart's load, but quite why it was carrying an RAF bomb I'm not sure.




The part that I was working on, the forward drive shaft which we had to strain gauge. As you see, access was NOT at a premium when they designed it!

[crudebuteffective]

Longmoor military railway......i remember the old track bed well.... and hate it

it was often used as the scene of our ENDEX forced marches back in the 80s


AAGH!!!!

[TheChronicOne]

Glorious, Kit!  Man, those are in damn good (looking)  shape..  M18... . . 

Oh, and better you than me working on that drive-train bit...  although I suspect it was more fun than was let on.. 

[PR19_Kit]

Oh, and better you than me working on that drive-train bit...  although I suspect it was more fun than was let on.. 

The test drives to obtain the data were pretty good, especially the bit where we jumped off a 3 foot high 'kerb' at 45 mph to 'unwind' the drive shafts........... 

[zenrat]

Mmmmm, Stalwart.

In an ideal world there would be a Stalwart under my car port and a Rotodyne at the bottom of the garden.

[scooter]

Yes it was- powered by a Wright R-975 Whirlwind.  It also holds the record for being the fastest tracked AFV in the US inventory (and probably the world), until the advent of the Abrams, with a top speed of around 50mph.

Mmmmm, Stalwart.

In an ideal world there would be a Stalwart under my car port and a Rotodyne at the bottom of the garden.

In my ideal world, I'd have a Hellcat (or a StuG) in the garage.

[KiwiZac]

In an ideal world there would be a Stalwart under my car port and a Rotodyne at the bottom of the garden.

I don't know AFVs very well but one of those seems infinitely more realistic to obtain than the other!

[Captain Canada]

Great stuff Kit thanks for sharing ! Love the Stalwart pics love that machine and still miss my toy cars I had of her as a kid !

[PR19_Kit]

Mrs_PR19 and I went back to the Dean Forest Railway today for the second part of their Military weekends. I'd hoped there might have been some other armour there but it was the same vehicles as last week.

However, I did get to talk to the young man who owned the Stalwart, and discovered that he has two more as well! We had a very long chat about the vehicle and he was very interested in my tales of when I was working on the prototypes. Then he asked me if I'd like to get aboard it!!!! 

Needless to say I accepted, but they seem to have made the side steps further apart since I worked on them. Either that or my 74 year old knees don't work as well as they did 50 years ago.  It was a little more cramped in the cab too, but maybe the early ones were slightly longer, I didn't have as much leg room as I did in '64, and I'm the same height as I was then. The owner asked me if I'd like to sit in the central drivers seat and I started it up too, GREAT fun. 





Thanks to Mrs_PR19 for the camera work. 

Oh yes, I asked him about the bomb they had as a load and he said he'd gone into a military surplus place for a seat adjuster for his Land Rover and came out  with a 750 lb fragmentation bomb! 

Sounds just like our trips to model shops...... 

[Steel Penguin]

Kit.  nice one     and I do think the smile on your face says just how much you were enjoying the day 
and yup, the ole well I only want that  and then your staggering to the till under a pile of boxes nearly as tall as you are,   why does that keep happening? its almost like we lose all connection with willpower and sense......   err oh yeah   umm      

[Captain Canada]

That's wonderful to see Kit glad you guys went back ! Your smile tells it all cheers !

[Rick Lowe]

I do like the Stalwart... I must furbish my old Airfix one at some point... probably just before Dragon brings their one out...

[NARSES2]

You obviously enjoyed yourself Kit 

We used to have a great Army Surplus shop in Croydon (long gone) with loads of fascinating stuff, inc. a wooden leg if I remember correctly ! Never saw any fragmentation bombs though 

[Nick]

I do like the Stalwart... I must furbish my old Airfix one at some point... probably just before Dragon brings their one out...

S&M Models have released a very nice resin kit, and they offer different variants...

http://sandmmodels.co.uk/product/alvis-stalwaart-mark-1/
http://sandmmodels.co.uk/product/alvis-stalwart-mk2-general-service-vehicle/
http://sandmmodels.co.uk/product/alvis-slalwart-mk2-royal-artillery-gun-limber/

My old Scout group had a ride over a lake in one several years ago. By all accounts it was a great night I missed.

[Rheged]

Down to Winchester on Wednesday for  number one son's wedding on Saturday. Just got home an hour ago.   Madame Rheged's smile during the event as wide as Kit's when he was enjoying playing with a Stalwart.  During those few days away, saw more Chinooks than you can shake a stick at; and all kinds of everything flying into Southampton airport .