T55 TANK

[martyn williams]

Karl's tank has arrived in the UK after a long wait.Its in very good condition as the pictures taken today show.

[John Gaunt]

What's the equipment on the tank for Martyn ? - looks like specialist engineering kit rather than a gun !

[martyn williams]

Hello John,its an engineers tank(ARV) for recovery and maintenance in the field,note hydraulic crane.Its in fantastic condition with the winch ropes in unused condition. Its a lot cheaper to run than the Centurian he had.It only needs a good service and a paint job to make it "as new" condition.
It will be ideal for lifting heavy items when Karl works on his D8 & D9 collection.
Martyn

[martyn williams]

This picture shows the crew area of the ARV. The engine can be started with air ( note cylinders),also the engine is equiped with a preheat system that warms up the oil and coolant.

[John Gaunt]

When I worked in Russia a few years ago, I saw the fuel heating system they had on several of their trucks in the winter. It consisted of a fire made from sticks situated beneath the fuel tank !
This was in stark contrast to Finland, where the Sisu trucks had electrical trace heating on all fuel lines and tank. Another innovation which I didn't actually see in operation, were snow chains which could be deployed from the driver's seat. Not sure how this worked, maybe some of our Scandinavian members would know.
Interesting that the tank has an oil pre-heater. I firmly believe that a significant part of the longevity of the CAT engines from the 30's and 40's is that they don't work on compression until the oil pressure is up to the mark and warmed somewhat (if you start them correctly).
Guess it could be interesting trying to understand all the operator instructions for the Tank !

[martyn williams]

Hello John
Will post more pictures as the restoration progresses.
Martyn