Strange Flat Cars

[Bob Collins]

Saw something today that I've not noticed before. I had stopped for a train (folks don't like it when I do that before the gate comes down ) and the first 10-12 cars were three axle flat cars. Interesting too that each was carrying two very old and rusty M-48 tanks Have no clue if the tanks were headed for the scrap heap or to be used for target practice. They were so old we wouldn't even be able to sell them to our allies

Bob

 

[Dave Flinn]

VERY Strange Flat Cars

Bob, do you really mean THREE axle cars, or three axles per truck. I believe lots of heavy duty flats, especially the depressed center ones, use three axle trucks, but they still have one truck on each end. I can't imagine what any car with three axles would look like!

 

[Bob Collins]

Dave;

You are, of course, correct. I meant three axle TRUCKS. These were not depressed center cars either. Looked as old and beat up as the M-48 tanks they were transporting.

My mind isn't really clear on it, but I don't recall that back in my Army days we ever tried to load two tanks on a single flat. Each of those M-48's weighs about 52 tons, so you are talking 104 tons (208,000 pounds) on each of the flats I saw!!!

Bob

 

[MasonJar]

Originally posted by Bob Collins
Have no clue if the tanks were headed for the scrap heap or to be used for target practice. They were so old we wouldn't even be able to sell them to our allies

Don't be so sure... Maybe they were headed to Canada!

Some of our stuff is so old, they are working out sharing agreements between the active forces and the War Museum...

Andrew

 

[Bob Collins]

Andrew;

That may not be as funny as it sounds. When I was in San Diego shortly after the first gulf war I had the opportunity to go on board a Canadian destroyer that was tied up there along with several other destroyers and their fleet oiler.

When I was chatting with one of the ratings he told me that before these ships deployed to the gulf there was a frantic search made of several museums there in Canada looking for enough Bofors to "rearm" the ships

That was also the flotilla I want to serve with. They rotated their ports of call between San Diego, Vancouver and Pearl Harbor. That must have been the tough life they talk about in the military


Bob

 

[60103]

Bob, we Canadians know what shape our navy's in. It was considered a major accomplishment when 3 ships made it to the Persian Gulf war without sinking or turning back.
One fellow told me that after his basic training (in the prairies), when he got on board ship he had to be retrained because the shipboard stuff was so many decades older that the training "ship".

 

[Bob Collins]

David;

Please understand I wasn't being critical about your Navy, just relaying the story that was told to me!!

Bob