Com-Central.net

Neil,
I'm sure you know of this tank. I just figured you'd like to see what shape she's in lately.







Hope you enjoy them.

Joe D

Thanks, thats the one at Fort McCoy WI right?

Unfortunately, the number & disposition of the T95 family is very confusing... The best summary was "An Idea Too Early for Its Time: The US Army T95 Medium/Heavy Tank Series" by David R. Haugh and Michael Duplessis in the November 1999 issue of the Journal of Military Ordnance. However they referred to "chassis numbers," not serial numbers, and they dont seem to line up...

For example, SN 12 that you have pictured is probably "chassis number 3," or registration number 9B1049. A similar model is located in Wierton, WV.

Dont suppose the museum there has any records on it you could ask about...

The T95 family was previously discussed in this thread:
www.com-central.net/in...sc&start=0

Neil

Joe

Looks like they finished the painting that was ongoing last year.

You must have climbed up on someting,...unless your THAT tall...

I didn't notice that the TC hatch was removed.

Good shots
Don

Neil

There is no museum there. Just a bunch of displays.

Although an inquirey thru CMH with the CMH registration #....

Don

BTW, that museum is going to get a big influx if/when the Fort Snelling collection gets sent there as a result of BRAC. Fort Snelling doesnt have much of a display area (like McCoy does), but has a great volunteer org, which will unfortunately be lost of course... Same ole story...

Neil

Neil,
Dontos is right, not much of a staff. Just a park with static displays. If you have any idea where a number might be located I can look.

Dontos,
I'm tall but not that tall. I always try to get pictures of the top and undersides. A lot of places frown on you climbing on their stuff. Some are for insurance reasons, wouldn't want the local VFW losing their funds because some stupid kid fell off a tank they displayed. Another is like the collection at McCoy or Hood. It wears off the paint to soon. It ain't cheap to paint them things. Never have a problem with VFW's and local displays even when their roped off and marked because I'll go in uniform. They think I'm accounting for the tank or something else official. I usually take 20-30 pictures if it's an M60 series or something unique. Even put on my coveralls and climb underneath. Museums like McCoy, Knox, Hood etc are different. Can't climb so I modified a painters sectional pole. Fabricated a base to attach to my camera and made a bracket that depresses the button for the shutter when I pull a lanyard. Works real good. I even have an aiming stake so I can tell which angle the camera is looking. The camera is small enough that I get a lot of interior shots through missing perscope openings. I'm working on a skid so I can protect my camera better when getting undersides. I guess all the years working on MG's and Capri's came in handy. Gotta make them parts once in a while.

Joe D

- Joe_D

Can't climb so I modified a painters sectional pole. Fabricated a base to attach to my camera and made a bracket that depresses the button for the shutter when I pull a lanyard. Works real good. I even have an aiming stake so I can tell which angle the camera is looking. The camera is small enough that I get a lot of interior shots through missing perscope openings. I'm working on a skid so I can protect my camera better when getting undersides.

Show us an image of it Joe! I have been working on something similar so I can take top views of vehicles. I use a camera monopod for the pole but am looking for something extendable. I also use a laser pointer and small mirror for aiming which leaves a mark in the image but it is easily removed using a paint program.

What I am really after is a laser pointer with a timer so that it stops just as the timer on the camera fires...

Jim,
Don't laugh, but this is it. Made it last week here at McCoy after being frustrated not being able to get top shots of turret casting numbers and other details. It's a sectional aluminum painters pole for a paint roller. Bracket came from a hardware store. Used to buttress lumber together. bracket that actuates the shutter is an old plastic coated coat hanger. Lanyard was part of some canvas repair kit. Just drilled some holes to mount the camera with a 1/4" coarse thread standard bolt. Just line up the camera, pull the cord and viola.






When I get back home I plan on making a better mount that pivots and also use better materials for the shutter button bracket. The Laser pointer sounds like a great idea. Never thought of it. I plan on putting a trigger on the pole that will actuate the shutter. Now I'm thinking of incorporating the laser you mentoned. Figure I'd set the laser to come on with half a tigger pull. Then full trigger pull would turn it off and actuate the shutter. I have at home the equipment to build this thing right. Meanwhile I'll stick with the jerry rigged one I go now[img]

Joe D

At least you have a nice metal bracket - mines a miracle of duct-tape positioning and I would need to fabricate a metal bracket to fit between the camera and the monpod that would hold the mirror and the laser pointer. Any adjustment for aiming is carried out purely by waving the pole around!