Com-Central.net

Guys, have you any advice on how to find and obtain tanks for the ALCO museum? The main types would be M3 and M3A1 mediums, M4 and M4A2 Shermans, M7 Priest, M36B2, M47 and M48A2C Pattons. Specifically:

1. How could you go about buying examples? I know in the UK there are or have been a few M47s for sale. The older vehicles would be very expensive over here - is that also try in the US?

2. Is there any chance of getting any on loan? While I wouldn't normally expect much chance of it, given the BRAC changes might it be possible to 'intercept' tanks going to Fort Lee or Fort Benning and have them go to ALCO instead? Many of them will be in storage, possibly outside, for some time, possibly indefinitely so might the relevant authorities be grateful for someone to look after them instead?

- TrevorLarkum

Guys, have you any advice on how to find and obtain tanks for the ALCO museum? The main types would be M3 and M3A1 mediums, M4 and M4A2 Shermans, M7 Priest, M36B2, M47 and M48A2C Pattons. Specifically:

1. How could you go about buying examples? I know in the UK there are or have been a few M47s for sale. The older vehicles would be very expensive over here - is that also try in the US?

2. Is there any chance of getting any on loan? While I wouldn't normally expect much chance of it, given the BRAC changes might it be possible to 'intercept' tanks going to Fort Lee or Fort Benning and have them go to ALCO instead? Many of them will be in storage, possibly outside, for some time, possibly indefinitely so might the relevant authorities be grateful for someone to look after them instead?

Hi,

The Army/DoD Museum system does loan equipment for display, but there may be rules about non-profit status and other security and display requirements. There may be other costs associated with the loan, like transportation. The ALCO museum's best course would be to contact their nearest military (Army probably best) for contact information.

Chuck

- Hanno_Spoelstra

- Doug_Kibbey

Does anyone have a partial or complete list of facilities in the U.S. that built tanks (hull, turret, or to completion) since 1940? That would be foundries, factories, or any enterprise that was the main source for tanks from 1940 through the cold war (I'm less interested in the M1 Abrams generation).

Doug,

Here's a list of Sherman tank manufacturers I compiled many years (decades?) ago (in alphabetical order):

U.S.A.:
1 ) American Locomotive Company , Schenactady, New York.
2 ) Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
3 ) Detroit Tank Arsenal (Chrysler Corporation), Detroit, Michigan.
4 ) Federal Machine & Welder Company, Chicago, Illinois.
5 ) Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal (Fisher Body Corporation (General Motors) / Fisher Tank Division of General Motors), Grand Blanc, Michigan.
6 ) Ford Motor Company, Detroit, Michigan.
7 ) Lima Locomotive Works, Lima, Ohio.
8 ) Pacific Car & Foundry Company , Renton, Washington.
9 ) Pressed Steel Car Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
10 ) Pullman Standard Car Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Canada:
11 ) Montreal Locomotive Works, Montreal, Canada

HTH,
Hanno

Hi Folks!

What about Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. The only plant the US Goverment owned and the only tank plant that was running at the time of the fall of France. Rock Island started building M2A1s in December 1940 with 94 completed by August 1941. Something Hunnicutt isn't clear on was the switch to the M3 medium tank. He doesn't say if Rock Island switched over the the M3 and later over to M4 medium or just shut down. He does report that the second T6 pilot tank was done by Rock Island with the first one being assembled at Aberdeen. The Aberdeen pilot was completed September 2, 1941.

Per Hunnicutt's Sherman book, the Chrysler plant was built from the ground up to produce the M2A1 medium tank. Chrysler received a contract for 1,000 M2A1s and a new plant had to be completed by September 15, 1941. The contract for the M2A1s was cancelled Augest 28, 1940 and replaced with an order for 1,000 M3 mediums. I didn't see any info on when Chrysler switched over to M4 medium production.

Hanno, thanks for posting this list.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Topic split from ALCO to M114 topics as Trevor's request, which made perfect sense given the sudden "change of direction" the thread had taken with Roy's reappearance. I blame the "threadjacker 3000™ feature for causing the confusion, as well as JG300 Stoopy, who in not here to defend himself.

If I did it wrong, it's Jerry's fault.

Thanks, Doug.

- C_Sherman

The Army/DoD Museum system does loan equipment for display, but there may be rules about non-profit status and other security and display requirements. There may be other costs associated with the loan, like transportation. The ALCO museum's best course would be to contact their nearest military (Army probably best) for contact information.

Chuck

I imagine that the ALCO museum would be fine on the grounds of non-profit status, etc. It seems to me that tanks like APG's M3A1 will be of little significance at Fort Lee, since the type was built in small numbers and was not historically very significant. In other words they wouldn't notice whether they had one or not.

But to the ALCO museum it is of huge significance since it was produced on the ALCO assembly line, and ALCO was the only factory to produce that type.

(Neil, Bob - do you think the APG authorities would give any weight to that argument?)