Well after buying a Chieftain last Spring in the UK, having it demilled to US standards and repainted (for some reason a 7 month process), having her ship from Liverpool to arrive in Baltimore (missing the ship 2x), then the REAL fun began...
She landed Jan. 2, and was cleared by Customs Jan. 4. The transport company hired to move her had their heavy trailer stuck in Wisconsin... so she sat on the dock till Jan. 14.
Finally picked up Jan. 14, they decided they could not start the trip till Jan. 17, as they had to get the permits lined up as well as escorts.
Unfortunately at 62 tons and almost 12 ft. wide, she needed escorts all the way.
Started out the 17th, made it to the Maryland / PA border... pulled over and found the "permits were not in order" so she was pulled off the road where she sat for two weeks "awaiting another permit".
Finally back under way Feb. 3... She got in the middle of one of the worst snow and ice storms since 1978. In Ohio the Jeep (helper axles) air lines froze locking the axles up. They hit the side of the road, and drug the Jeep to the weigh station. Asking the weigh station staff if they could remove the jeep to unfreeze the lines (answer was yes) they did so, only to have a State Patrolman pull in and immediately cite them, and pull their permit. Back to the drawing board.
On Feb. 5 they finally got new permits, and were told they had to go back across the scales... starting to back up they were immediately warned / threatened to not do so, they had to drive down and go down, make a hard left, and go across. As they did so on ice, the tank pushed the trailer forward, and with the truck having no traction, immediately jackknifed the rig. SO, Highway Dept called to put salt on road, at -5 degrees.
Two days waiting for ice to melt... finally moving in the 10th... back across the scales only to find Ohio doesn't like their axle weights... permit pulled.
They call for another trailer out of Baltimore to drive out and MOVE my tank from one trailer to another. Company escort driver has to return to Baltimore for his medicine. Everything sits... finally weather moves in on East coast all of that is cancelled.
On the 11th company calls it quits... and calls a company out of Cleveland to come get it and bring it the rest of the way. They get there the 11th, trans-load the tank on the 12th, and she finally shows on the 13th, exactly 20 minutes before I was scheduled to speak at a Board of Works meeting.
So the tank arrives, and the entire rig is 115 feet long. It will NOT turn into the road to my house. SO my friends (while I'm at the meeting) have to unload her while it sits on a State Highway... and even reload the Jeep... always a tense time!
Tank is off loaded and she's covered in snow and ice. Guess what? They had left the hatches open and the inside full of snow... "hatches were corroded open we couldn't help it"... one of my best friends in the world who helps me with the armor hops up, pulls the hatch back and releases the catch, hatches close.
Well at least she's here... in all her beauty! Just remember this when you buy your tanks!
Pics Attached... best of all I get to change my Steel Soldiers signature to Chieftain received!
Tank On!
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