Armor on the road and meeting the police
 

Hanno's comment about some one meeting the police while driving a tank reminded me of a similar happening locally.

Each year at our summer rally we take a trail ride with many of the vehicles attending the show including the armor. To be sure we have no problems we always check in with the police and the Army Corps of Engineers to get approvals ahead of time. Pictures of Rally http://www.canadianmilitarypattern.c...lly%202010.htm

One year there was a new officer on the force who did get the memo about the show and came rolling into the rally site to ask what was going one. He pulled on to the field with a very surprised look on his face when he saw 75-100 military vehicles and 6 or so pieces of armor including two tanks with the with their main guns trained down the road he had just driven in. (Guns elevated to be over the roofs of vehicles.)

Any way we explained what the show was all about gave him copies of all the permits, including a copy of the memo from his own department. He went from looking concerned to a smile as he finally got out of his cruiser. He explained he had been flagged down by a citizen about tanks on the road, then with a grin said he was a little conflicted as to checking it out or heading in the other direction.

If your curious about why permits from the Corps Engineers most of our off roading is on a flood control project that they are in charge of.

We have had some big armor drive over the road to the show, most is hauled in but the Army Reserve drove a tank retriever 23 miles over the road one year to the show.

Cheers Phil

jeez didnt know i would have to read hahahha :)

Well 04/11/11...... a date that will live in infamy ! i took my test and passed with zero faults (minors).

before i begin i really must stress my gratitude to Shaun Hindle of the Battlefront Museum for his time and tuition...and vehicle for my test.

I arrived on the Thursday evening and we went out to meet some wonderful people, one was his father, and the other was an inspirational character called Richard.... Richard unfortunately has a matter of months left to live, being in the final stages of lung cancer... however to see him, his zest for life and fun you would never know he was on limited time.....and what an engineer he is too !

0930 on the friday Shaun and I met up at the museum and after a number of cups of tea and talks about our grandparents (who served together in the same platoon during WW2.. Shauns grandad was the REME mech for the section and my grandad was one of the carrier drivers)..... Shaun introduced me to the vehicle i would sit my test in.

Upon walking up to the Scorpion it just hits home how perfect a vehicle it is...it looks good, it sounds good..its British ! Shaun lifted the engine deck and there sat a brand new power pack which he had put in earlier in the week for me.... he showed me how to check fluids, adjust tracks, and do pre fire checks before turning the key...so to speak.

after an hour or so steady tuition on how to drive use the gears and practice pivot points, and being commanded by non on-board personnel Shaun let me have a play.

The examiner turned up and was a cracking bloke, and after another cup of tea we cracked on with the test.... so for those in the Norwich test area you can expect the following from a test)

1) read a number plate from a minimum of 20 meters.
2) show knowlege of how to perform safety checks ie components loose fittings tracks, lights, indicators, fluids and service

3) pull away safely demonstrating awareness of surroundings
4) complete a circuit in one direction using indicators mirrors etc
5) complete a circuit in the opposite direction using indicators mirrors etc
(our circuit included a T junction and Shaun placed items in the road which had to be negotiated including a bottle neck (to represent two parked cars opposite each other)
6) turn in the road using the vehicles tracks (Neutral turn)
7) emergency stop
8) complex sequence... pull forward turn left....reverse into gap...pull forward turn left....reverse into parking spot. (simple hard standing)

after this you get a number of signs to identify and a number of theory questions including speed limits for tracked vehicle (20mph with resiliant material on the tracks and wheels and with suspension...5mph without).... what to do if a queue of traffic forms behind you....use of amber beacons.

and that was pretty much the test. it does NOT have to take place on a road however if you dont do it on the road and make up a basic mickey mouse circuit they will make it hard for you.... this is why Shaun made our circuit technical as we could (to a degree)

my test lasted around 20 - 30 mins

i would add pics but my laptop is playing up.

Well done you ( and Shaun ...)
 

Business opportunity there Shaun, methinks.

I did once toy with the idea of this license, but one of the many endearing features of my Sno-Cat is that it has no footbrake at all, just a simple transmission handbrake, so I don't see that I'd want to drive it on the road even if I had a license. I should probably note that the rolling resistance of the four tracks is such that you stop almost instantly you take your foot off the loud pedal, and even faster than that in deep snow I should think.

My Iron Fireman T-36 has two steering brakes which double as handbrakes and would be marginally more amenable to to road use, but that's 15mph flat out so I think a transporter would still be the preferred option.

Both types have suspension of a sort, but the running surface that contacts the road is steel or aluminium in each case.

Well done Richie

I've spoken with Shaun about taking mine in the future, sounds like the perfect place at the museum.

All the best

Ben

Hi Richie,
Good to spend some time with you and talk tank (well carrier etc) although the Mini bit did go over my head, it was a good test well driven.

Sounds like Ben is next ( Ben get it booked !!!!!!)

Thanks for the parts you made for the MK1, they fit a treat.

Bet you had a fun drive home on a wet Friday night as well.

Sorry about the quality of the photo, my phone camera is getting past it best.

Well done Richard! Lovely feeling isn't it? Like you and after some discussion with the testing authorities, I also took mine on private land.
Health and Safety issues here in UK, require that if you drive a vehicle where the general public is involved (like shows or rallies). You must have a licence for the vehicle you are driving. So taking a carrier to a show on a low loader will work fine until an accident occurs. I'm no Goody two shoes.....just stating the way things have become since H&S has taken over our lives.

Ron

so guys, can I take my test in the T16 on my land? Point being that it does not have indicators, nor is it likely to . I have toyed with the idea of wiring up a set of temporary easily detachable lights, but in essence can I use it for a test without these on?

Andrew the H test seems to be a bit of a grey area. With local areas determining the rules as they see best.
I took my test in a vehicle without indicators. So I had to use hand signals. You might have to jack up the drivers position a bit to do that in a carrier. Far better to mock up some temporary winkers. You'll have your hands busy enough steering it. Ron

as per the latest issue on the DSA exam book the vehicle must be road registered so no tipping up with a mini excavator. i would suggest that you do fit lights and indicators even if they are magnetic ones ala carrier Barry. after all it is merely a simple switch and a relay. a couple of light boards stripped down then linked up to a small switch panel ;)

or as Ron says in the case of a carrier (which was not fitted with said lights at the time of manufacture use hand signals) but i must stress it will make it much harder for you.

my advice would be to do it in a CVRT if you can, excellent vision and great control surfaces. carriers are very hard for reverse or view from behind...so you would need to fit a load of mirrors on her matey.

Shaun your welcome for the bits.... least i could do really ! the drive home was ok, took your advice and went via Thetford.... from there i managed the trip home in 10 hours 35 mins !!!!

:nono: Richard google maps says 4Hr 53Min.
Congratulations on the test :thup2:
When we where touring UK on our honey moon the closest we got to your area was Sawley. :cheers:

Hi Richie,

Congratulations on passing your test matey! Well done.

Here in Holland we have no such license, i.e for tracked vehicles. I can legally drive my carrier with my truck C license.

So, now you have to get your carrier ready for Beltring! Is your garage all ready for her?

Cheers,

garage is all sorted just i have a heap of a range rover on the driveway.. my pal asked me to weld in a pair of sills (so i was told) but as per usual classic range rover there is more rot than solid metal so its turned into a massive job. good news is he is going to pay me so that should go towards the carrier. she will be home before Christmas though i am very very eager to get on with her now.

Licence
 

Yes, Congrats!!! Rich.
I went for mine about 14 years ago.
I had to first answer a paper test correctly. The the machine of choice was a JCB digger with a log grapple on it. The officer asked me to shift some logs. I told him that i'd never done that in my life, so he then told me "just to drive it around a bit, and then park it in the gap between the log piles"
That was easy, just slew the top around and drive in. Slew the top around again. Done! Pay the bill.
That license allows me to drive any thing here on tracks, because over here we have a light and heavy class. The JCB was heavy enough to qualify for heavy self laying tracks, and so I qualified for both.