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Neil_Baumgardner

The better part of my day yesterday was stopping by where the former Ordnance Museum* offices and collection are stored.

[* There's some sort of name change in the works. Dont get me started...]

The good news is that essentially of the vehicles brought down (during "Phase I" of the move) are now in expandable structures - like I said before, the kind of cover they have needed for 70 years.

Here's one of the structures.

Apparently there are about 80 vehicles and 120 or so artillery pieces in store like this - I didnt check them all out due to my bum sprained ankle.

The only stuff out in the open are the handful of display pieces, and Anzio Annie of course.

Which reminds me, the one "new" item they have acquired is M1895M1A1 (#19) 12-inch 35-caliber gun on M1918 Railway Mount from NSWC Dahlgren. It's now on display at the new Ordnance campus.

They also have some new, smaller additions which make you want to shake your head - more on that separately.

As to the future of the collection... Frankly I was a little depressed after leaving...

The Ordnance "Museum" just lost its 3rd director in 3 years. It now has an acting director, presumably with a new hire at some point - although its already been 7 months without a director.

No private fundraising effort or association. And federal funding for long-term storage is still undetermined. But I'll hold final judgement until I am able to make some more calls and work on that article I've talked about again...

Neil

the_shadock

that's such a shame that they have closed a public display to put all this in storage.. however these vehicles need to be under cover, because the weather burns all the inside.. that would be a hard choice to choose between public display outside and inside storage with "hidden" vehicles..

P-O