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bsmart · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:06 am Post subject: Roebling NJ M60

I took these pictures while on a trip to my sister-in-laws house for a Holiday party back in early January. The serial numbers are recorded in Neils guide already but I thought they both had features that y'all would enjoy seeing

The first is outside a VFW. A member there worked on Ft Dix so was able to acquire some 'accesories' I've never seen on a monument M60 before. Maybe JoeD, Sabot, or someone else can explain what they are

The second one is sitting just outside the Toll booth for the Burlington bridge across the Delaware River. The folks up the road at the Roebling VFW said it used to sit at a park downtown but a local political faction didn't want any 'warmongering tanks' in their city park. A 'Memorial Park' was created in a grassy area near the bridge. While trying to find it I was stopped near a Fire Department 'Incident CP' at a nursing home that needed several ambulances. They weren't busy so I figured the Fire Department should know where to find something and asked them for directions to the Memorial Park. neither assistant chief knew where it was and they yelled around to see if anyone else knew. No one did so one older guy asked what I was looking for I told him I was looking for an M60 tank that our group had identified as being in Burlington. "Oh you wmean the tank guarding the bridge" Then everyone kinew where I wanted to go. Sure enough the Tank is sitting there the bridge is actually at the 8 o'clock position to the tank (you can see the corner of the toll both in the right background) and the turret has thegun pointing over the right fender, pretty much up the approach road to the bridge. All it needs is some sandbags and an ACAV nearby!

I noticed something curious in this picture. I'll see if anyone lse notices before saying anything

jcneel · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:15 am Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Looks like it might have an extra lifting eye on the lower hull/chassis?

Chris Neel

Sabot · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:41 am Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

I remember when the VFW in Wrightstown got that M60A3TTS. It was painted up nice and pretty after it was set up. It would have been placed sometime between late 1999 and early 2001 (pre-9/11). I test drove a PT Cruiser from the Chysler dealer across the street once.

What I see on that tank not normally seen on a display tank is the crosswind sensor, antenna, water can, grenade stowage box, and tow cable. Basically stuff that can be put back into the supply system and issued to other vehicles (except the sensor).

bsmart · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:58 am Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

- Sabot

I remember when the VFW in Wrightstown got that M60A3TTS. It was painted up nice and pretty after it was set up. It would have been placed sometime between late 1999 and early 2001 (pre-9/11). I test drove a PT Cruiser from the Chysler dealer across the street once.

I don't think we are talking about the same M-60. This one is in Roebling, NJ, between US 130 and the Delaware River. Neil only shows an M56 Scorpion in Wrightstown. There are several other M60s in this part of NJ, I found one in a nearby town that Neil didn't have so there may be others. And ther isn't a car dealer nearby.

What I see on that tank not normally seen on a display tank is the crosswind sensor, antenna, water can, grenade stowage box, and tow cable. Basically stuff that can be put back into the supply system and issued to other vehicles (except the sensor).

Yea the crosswind sensor was the one they mentioned. The other stuff I figured could be found through surplus channels but that seemed a unique addition.

Sabot · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:36 am Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

You are right, the M60A3 I am thinking of is not in Wrightstown, but in Pemberton on the other side of Dix (Wrightstown is on the Maquire side). And it's not a VFW, but an American Legion. Hard to believe it is almost 6 years since I PCSd from there.

Joe_D · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Hi Bob, Rob everyone,
Hey Bob, you said the serial numbers were on Neils list but I only have a copy of Version 2.2. I having problems downloading any later version. Mostly because the only computer I can use is set up in Arabic (Don't Ask). Could you tell me what they are and where the Second tank (City) is located. I can't seem to match it to any I'm tracking. The picture of the Roebling tank is much better than the one I have too. Thanks for posting them.

Thanks,

Joe D

bsmart · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

The Roebling M60 is s/n 431 Reg num JJ0198
Is it an A1 or an A3?

The second tank is in Burlington NJ. It has an entry in V2.2 as an A3. The paint was too heavy to get any number off the bow and I didn't see numbers on the side of the engine deck. Jcneel caught what I thinkis unusual about it. 4 lifting eyes on the side of the hull?? is that strange?

I'll probably be posting another one from the same trip tonight (The Internet was slow at home last night)

stay safe.

Joe_D · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Hi Bob,
That Burlington tank you posted is not the same one I'm tracking, Yours has the later model turret with the chin armor, the one I'm tracking has the earlier turret without. The picture below that I found from the old "Tanks for the memories" Geo Cache site is the one I'm tracking.

[img]

[/img]

BTW they are both A3's and are rebuilds, The extra lifting eyes along the hull are not that unusual, I call those hulls Generation 3's. They started makeing them with serial number 5026 for the A1's and 4426 for the A2's according to Army records. Sometime in 74/75 they dropped them and they just came with 2 heavy eyes. The latest A1 GEN 3 I found was 6378 and earliest GEN 4 was 7109.

Below is a guide I use to explain the differences

Hope this helps.

BTW, the serial number you report doesn't seem right, registration does though.

Joe D

bsmart · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:33 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

I agree the serial number doesn't seem right. I need to check notes and pictures again.

Where was your picture taken and when.

Joe_D · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Hi Bob,
Took a little while to find it but here was the info on that picture

" Tank is located at Burlington Township, Burlington County NJ, picture was taken 4 September 2004 at the Burlington Township Veterans Memorial Park next to the Municipal Center. There is also a Jet (F86H) and Helicopter (UH-1) there also."

LAT-LONG N 40 degrees 04.038, W 074 degrees 49.646.

Could there be two M60A3's there now???

Joe D

bsmart · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

If it is the same tank that sounds like it may have been the location before the 'we don't want to any war equipment in our park' squable (note -I was getting that information from a couple folks at the Roebling NJ.

The fact that two folks running the 'Incident CP' for the Fire Department didn't know of a 'Veterans Memorial Park' and only knew of one tank in the area ( note -I had already found an M75 APC at a local NG Armory that they didn't mention) leads me to believe that there is only one M60 in Burlington

I don't know how to get Mapquest or Google Maps to show me a location based on LAT/LONG. I found the location where I took the picture on Google Maps but their satellite imagery seems a little different from what I remember (The area did look like it had recently had some parking lot reconfiguration when I was there) The one rood running perpendicular to the Bridge road (Reed St, NJ 413) is named Veterans Drive and there were several government building on the other side of the parking lot so maybe that was the 'Municipal Center' I don't remember any flag poles, there was no roped off area and tehre definitly were no mature trees behind it.

The paint on the M60 was very thick and did not look exceptionally well done so the camo pattern on your may have been painted over.

Question - I seem to be missing the point about the later model turret with chin armor. to me it appears that structurally the turret in your picture and mine are the same.

Looks like we have some more research to do.

Joe_D · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Hi Bob,
Here's a picture showing the difference of the two turrets, it applies to both A1's and A3's since most A3's were A1's at one time.

See how on an earlier turret there is lip along the side compared to the chin model.

Hope it helps,

Joe D

bsmart · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Thanks, I 'm pretty sure I can tell the difference now. So they aaren't the same tank.
Here is a different angle of the Burlington 'Bridge' tank

Piney or someone else from 'Joisey' Is Burlington Township different from the City of Burlington?

Looking at this cleseup of the Roebling M60 this is also a late chin armor M60A3 right?

Now for another nearby M60

This one is at Florence, NJ, a town between Roebling and Burlington. Now this is alsoa late chin armore A3 right?

And a picture of the modified Serial number

The registration (stmpd below the left headlight) is 9B7312

bsmart · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:28 am Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

I finally dug my notes out from the trip to check serial numbers

The Roebling M60 had the following stamped numbers

Left front above headlight 431

Left Front Below headlight JJ0198

Left front tow hook and Reardeck side s/n 4074A

I'm including a couple other pictures I think are interesting. First a rear shot showing the wind sensor better as well as a 'battle board'?

Then (for you modelers who like details) The stenciling on the Air cleaner

So Neil it looks like we need to correct the serial number of that tank in the registry (sorry) Sad

But does anyone have any idea what the '431' stamp means?

SFC_Jeff_Button · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:53 am Post subject: Re: Roebling NJ M60

Here is my "stab" at the 431 number on the front slope. This tank is an Anniston rebuild, due to the "A" at the end of its serial number on the back deck/hull area. The original seems to be "X'd" out but should still be visible on the front tow lug. I believe the 431 means it was the 431st tank to be rebuilt at Anniston to the current standard. Again, thats just my take on this number.

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