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Virginia Tank Farm

9K views 39 replies 11 participants last post by  btwiest 
#1 ·
Americans in Wartime Museum host a fund raiser for " memberships " to attend the yearly open house event at the " Tank Farm" . Here is the link to their website so you can explore and find out more about this 501c non-profit group and their charter. http://www.nmaw.org
Bringing Vets together of different wars, history and reenactors, in theater displays and set ups, and of course a wide variety of tanks and armored vehicles; this is a huge well run event with a great cause.
I thought a few of you might be interested so to suck you in I'll post a few of the many pics I took. If there is more interest I'll post more.
 

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#4 · (Edited)
More pics. This is one of the rarest tanks, its a WWI US version copying the French Renault tank. Known as the 6 Ton. They have been working on it for along time and finally got it running and drove it out of the garage. I think its powered by a ford and found out its also liquid cooled from a slow leak it has. If you notice the driver sits in the front and the commander has to stand behind, unassited operate the turrent the gun and loader.
 

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#6 ·
More, more, more!

The Chairman of this org is a well known machine gun collector, as well as on the vehicle side. Allan Cors is also the current President of the NRA, and part of the effort to get more MG folk on the NRA board.

So, was the WWI 1917 6 ton Tank on display? :D Scratch that! You posted the 1917 pics while I got interrupted in my typing, and slipped in exactly what I was asking for, lol.
 
#7 ·
CaptMax he had at least two Ferrets, those are going to take me some time to post I haven't up loaded them yet. Yes I've been following your restoration. I'll go looking for it now.

Rory I stuck the camera up inside hoping to get a shot of inside the cupola and gun. I'm still looking for that pic. Its a great shot but so crammed can't see the gun and not exactly sure what assemblies run what. Maybe we can figure it out. Oh ya there is some brass in there.
 
#8 ·
This was the best I could do to reach the cam inside the cupola, interesting now I see a seat back there. From my best guess when the commander has to stand which is most of the time, his head must be inside the top of the dome. Well the engine is right behind him through the grating and it gets hot as hell inside ! When the tank moves you hear the treads loud clatter must have been deafening.
 

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#28 ·
I think you mixed up a photo that is not the inside of the M1917 light tank... it's a machine gun version and the mount looks nothing like that... also the bar coming down to support a floor looks more Stewart..... here's a look though the rear door of the one at the Virginia War Museum ... also a machine gun version..... note the strap to the right of the hatch that would be hung as a seat for the gunner/commander he would sit in this sling with his feet on the floor and use the weight of his body to pivot the turret..... Give Lucky13 credit for the tank mg ... it is one of his museum quality display guns.

Vehicle
 
#10 ·
A "recommended must!"

The Garand Collectors' Association (GCA) had it's annual meeting at the NRA Headquarter/Museum a few years ago. A day long trip to The Tank Farm about 15 miles away was the featured activity and I won a lottery drawing to drive a tank there. It was a British tank, but beyond the fact it had an automatic transmission I don't remember much about it, except it was a blast hitting berms, crossing ditches and stuff! That's the only time I've driven a tank.

There's a nearby Church that usually has a chicken grill dinner (1/2 chicken, tater salad, slaw, baked beans/$8.00) going the same weekend (local Farm Tours, also) and when we got there it wasn't chicken, but "barbecued" (grilled) pork with sauce, when we could go elsewhere and get the real deal -- so we ended up missing The Tank Farm this year, and headed back home to eat.

With Alan 'at the helm' of the NRA maybe we'll see an eventual move away from an Association that's not just for "Golfers with Shotguns" like it is now. :dunno:


Carry On!
Gary
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#21 ·
Love that halftrack. Met these two guys in the lot and hitched a ride back on their jeep. Interesting young fellow college teacher, loves history and had to have a military jeep and reenacting. Later I see the two of them pop out one of the tanks that was driven out of the tank garage. He said he would be interested in going to one of our machine-gun shoots.
 

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#24 ·
Here is a look inside a Stewart Tank.

Front of an Orlikon naval AA 20mm. Heard him talking about reloading for it, he'll put about 200 rounds down range at a shoot. He was letting anyone who wanted to get behind it do so and take the cradle lock off, free swing it looking down the Anti Aircraft sites and all . I took him up on the offer and wouldn't you know it here comes a helicopter flying over the field. :rofl: Funny how fast it left the area. Seriously though it has an amazing balance.
 

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#31 ·
My grandfather who first served in the Army Air Corp South Pacific Theater has a scrape book for which I've spent some time going through. One of the pictures had this vehicle parked in base, it was a distant shot of the back. It took me a while to find out what kind of vehicle it was and it turn out to be the Command Car. For unknown reasons I'm partial to the looks of it and they interest me. Here I was finally able to get up close in person, took a shot of the front compartment.
 

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