M113, MOWAG and BTR-60/70 Logistics.

Every army needs support!

Recovery, ambulances, engineering, bridge layers, ammunition supply, communications, and missile systems support radars.

Trucks are fine on roads of nearly all types because of four, six, and eight drive chassis, but when we come to mud and wet ground things change a bit?

The U.S. and its allies used the common components of the tracked M113 in all guises and this was the same for both Soviet/Russia with the mass build of the BTR-60/70 and a host of conversion variants. 

Being amphibious was a great breakthtough for the military cutting out the need for bridges and this has proved sufficient for some situations and not all, that is why armies have engineering corps?

But in recent years the MOWAG has become the new vehicle on the block and is now used by a whole host of nations perhaps more so than Russia and America put together?

Class 66 Lives on!

The American/Canadian Class 66 lives on?

At this time there remains no real replacement to the British class 66 locomotive, there are some newer classes but no substantial orders have been made for them in relation to freight haulage!

In fact many European engines are being returned to the U.K. to replace the early first introduction 6600-20 and there looks like no other engine is to replace it in the near future?

Like the Class 43 (Intercity 125) in passenger travel, it has seen a rebuild and over forty years of service. Many countries do not let go of their locomotion so quickly and hold on in reserve what might come in handy at a later date!

The price of fuels is one key factor the other be reliability and also ease of use to the existing drivers! None of these 66's were ever as far as ones knows ever employed in passenger services, apart from recovery of preservation trains?

Longevity of the Diesel?

With us for sometime Yet!

With the many modern designs and inventions with trains, the Diesel has not yet seen its end? Most of the world uses these types of engines which are still viable as recovery and for shunting, despite battery and electric power!

The Diesel is one of the most active forms of engines and they remain reliable is many more duties than meets the eye. Some countries are still building them as a back-up to their railway infrastructure despite the reports that the emissions are dangerous?

The problem with electric and battery is we do not know yet how they will effect future generations? Another issue that has come to the fore is that battery engines burn the same amount of fuel as say Diesel or petrol, but they do have the advantage today of no emissions?

The MULTIHOG?

Revolutionary Vehicle!

Swansea council here in South-Wales have bought into this unique vehicle, known as the MULTIHOG. One is not sure which exact type this is, but with forty applications available it is a good machine for multi-purpose work.

Designed by the Dundalk Science institute in County-Louth Republic of Ireland back in 2007, it was for the recovery of missing and strayed golf balls. But from 2010 it was marketed in the U.K. and now some one-hundred and fifty machines are in service doing a variety of roles.

The initial impression of the vehicle, is that it has a traction and movement to a former Finnish military vehicle which was on a much larger scale developed back in the 1970;s will little success beyond experimental stages because of it unusual shape?

Army Transportation. Part-Two.

Modern Commercial Transportation.

Over the last twenty years or so many nations are now opting for civilian commercial transporters over that of their own military equivalents. This is because of two key factors cost and civil disguise in the upsurge of International terrorism.

Many other areas such as training demand the continuation of the usage as these dedicated vehicles, while many age quickly and are sold off from various arms dumps around the world. Some vehicles go overseas to continue in this role, while others are painted in commercial colours and schemes and continue in that disguise.

Heavy lifting of the Main Battle Tank was the initial role for the military transport, while also other vehicles have been designed for recovery or heavy vehicles themselves. The United States, Canada, Russia, China, India and Brazil, Australia still maintain a dedicated military fleets, because of the expanse of their less populated land mass.

There are many other types of Amphibious landing tracked vehicles such as the U.S. LVTP's, large Armoured Personnel  carriers and Surface to Air missile platforms that need to be moved over shorter distances that either their own power or that of the use of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, C-130J Hercules, Airbus A400M, Russian Antonov An-22, 124 Ruslan and Ilyushin Il-76TDM. Embraer KC-90 transport aircraft.

Satallites Military and Commercial. Part-One.

Reagans Laser Satellites Plus.

About two years ago amateur astronomers noticed a unidentified flying object making regular orbits of the Earth, at first they thought it was a satellite in an inner orbit?

But that would mean it might collide at some point with the International Space Station, NASA then had to reveal it was a new type of mini Space Shuttle known as the X37.

Science fiction and the dupe of former U.S President Mr. Ronald Reagan had become a reality. In one of the James Bond films a recovery vehicle was deployed to capture satellites from both the Soviets and the Americans.

The X37 was being used to maintain damaged military reconnaissance equipment in lower orbit, if not replace or update. Speculation arose that Israel and NATO were probably also having a share in the U.S. Project?

Land Rover. Part-Two.

Not all a success Story.

No manufacturer can claim a perfect record and not all the products, even some present ones have been a success? The Land Rover truck for the British armed forces was one such flop, it was well meant and looked really good, but when in service it just did not perform as was expected.

In recent years some of the newer Range Rover designs sold to various Police forces have the aesthetics on the looks, but lacked on performance as was claimed. Much was spent on advertisement, which has helped sell record numbers in recent years and now again exported world wide.

But the dropping of the long established Defender has come as a disappointment to many, because the vehicle still has much civil and military potential. The history of the company from the series Mark1 to the Defender and various other adaptions has seen massive sales and promotion, with nearly every country in the world using the type.

Mercedes-Benz was the main competition in the European and Arabian market for some years, comfort, capability and performance out ranked Land Rover, but they caught themselves on and were quick to introduce more versatile designs and retake the market.

The RNLI, HM Coast Guard, Mountain Search and Rescue, Electricity Maintenance, Military Patrol vehicles, Police, other Emergency, Security, Farming.    

Military Trucks. Part-One.

Multi-Role Amphibians.

Military requirements for their need to mover troops and other equipment means that they have to be far different from civil or commercial vehicles. Most military trucks are higher from the ground and today the amphibious capability, even on limited scale is a standard requirement.

The British army at one point relied on a limited number of home built British designs from Bedford TM 6-6 to heavy lifters and recovery such as the Scammel and Foden Alpha A36R. But today with the international market being so open and the various alliances which have had to be formed over the years to fight various wars and International terrorism the choice is limitless. 

The German Man HX77 8x8 and Japanese/U.S. Izuzu-Okhosh has been one of the biggest providers to the U.K., with Japan providing other specialist trucks. These trucks are required to move Main battle tanks and missiles, from Nuclear to Surface to surface. 

Many trucks are used for munitions re-supply, recovery, and hauling field artillery. ambulances, chemical, radioactive and biological units, radio, radar, and other command and communications. 

But many Bedford and Foden's are still in use, by the British and have been exported to the commonwealth and other buyers.

Tugboats. Part-One.

Sea Haulage.

There is quite a lot more to the humble tugboat than meets the eye! Haulage is big business on land, in the air and so it is also at sea. Tugboats have a great expanding history to them from their first introduction, as a ship type in 1830 to the present day.

With the introduction of this seaborne assistant no major changes were made for the first seventy years of service in the British Isles. But over the last 110 years much has changed to the various new classes and their roles, which now include search and rescue, floating fire engines and a few newer type oil rig towing and recovery roles.

Vehicles and Bodies.

Using variety.

It never fails to amaze me how many different types of bodies can be fitted to certain vans such as the Ford Transit and to various, if not all truck models. The plethora and ideas of the human mind to conceive almost every practical use of a vehicle has now been achieved.

When the mass production of the Thorny Croft truck for World-War I (1914-18) was demanded, it only came to fruition in the surplus of the after war years. 

The 1920's saw these trucks appearing as buses, charrabangs, coaches, recovery vehicles and many other weird and wonderful concepts.

Today the pick-up has deliberately been designed to be adapted and is another platform added to what is already established.

 I hope to get up a few more little films of various types of vehicles and their uses of the next few months.

Many Thanks  for watching.

Telescopic Cranes.

Construction to Recovery.

The building industry and the recovery business needs these monster cranes to fit into awkward places to work. In all the big cities around the world you will find these telescopic cranes at work, from loading or unloading construction materials to lifting segments of other cranes, wall section, glass and so it goes on.

Meanwhile in recovery they can deal with de-railed trains, tankers and other stock and there are various other uses for them too. The crane is one thing and it is quite simple in its development and use, but it has to be the trucks used to carry the equipment that are an awesome sight.

It was the design of military heavy transporters that has lead to the 8X8 and even bigger vehicles being used. For now we will just touch upon an few models, but in the future i hope to have a more lengthy or detailed look.

The Czech Tatra T816-6, American HEMTT, German Faun Fs 42.75/42, Mercedes-Benz 4850A, Russian MAZ-537.