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USAF Thiokol 601

RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
Due to stuck valves and bent pushrods, the 601 was a 'trailer queen' for the Weare 2012 rally. She should be in tip-top shape next week after a valve job. There are pictures of the 601 at the rally in the Weare 2012 thread, but I'll post a few here as well. Later I'll post a picture of the push rods. :shock:

If you got a chance to poke around the 601, post here. I just can't remember everyone that stopped by. Also, let's see any pictures you took.
 

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RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
Due to stuck valves and bent pushrods, the 601 was a 'trailer queen' for the Weare 2012 rally. She should be in tip-top shape next week after a valve job. There are pictures of the 601 at the rally in the Weare 2012 thread, but I'll post a few here as well. Later I'll post a picture of the push rods. :shock:

If you got a chance to poke around the 601, post here. I just can't remember everyone that stopped by. Also, let's see any pictures you took.

:-(
 

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RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
On the flats, and with nice new tracks that you are very very confident of, it should do up to 55MPH. I feel much better at 25-35MPH.
 

painter paul

Member
181
1
18
Location
Fairbury, Ne
For you Air Force men, did you ever see a T114/M114 armored command and recon vehicle. We have one in camo tan and brown that we got from the Nebraska State Patrol swat team. I have been unable to find any specifics on this as its only got 2 hatches, no weapons and had a big Onan generator and radio gear. It has RF warning decals on the outside. Help??? Thanks, Paul
 

RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
For you Air Force men, did you ever see a T114/M114 armored command and recon vehicle. We have one in camo tan and brown that we got from the Nebraska State Patrol swat team. I have been unable to find any specifics on this as its only got 2 hatches, no weapons and had a big Onan generator and radio gear. It has RF warning decals on the outside. Help??? Thanks, Paul
Did not know the M114 APC was used by the USAF. Wikipedia says it was used by the Army in Nam, but didn't work out to well and was retired into the hands of civilian police departments. More here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M114_armored_fighting_vehicle
 
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RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
I actually had it parked south of Socorro, NM (in my secret desert location ;-) ) for a couple of years. Now it's in NH to stay. I still have several antique Kristi-brand (non-MV) snowcats stored in NM that will also start makng their way east. They are much slower and probably top out at 20MPH. A video of the day I unloaded the 601 in NM and a few of videos of the Kristis...

(yeah, yeah, I ground them looking for first...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNTLbdvwme8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVAIXS22KYA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df1kWsUeXfM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w373YfJsC_o
 
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sigo

Lieutenant Colonel
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,682
351
83
Location
Leavenworth, KS
For you Air Force men, did you ever see a T114/M114 armored command and recon vehicle. We have one in camo tan and brown that we got from the Nebraska State Patrol swat team. I have been unable to find any specifics on this as its only got 2 hatches, no weapons and had a big Onan generator and radio gear. It has RF warning decals on the outside. Help??? Thanks, Paul
Got photos? Are you sure it's not a M577/M1068 variant of an M113? I've never seen a M114 variant with a large generator.
 

RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
Alas, no. I've been too busy this year jumping between Chile, Alaska, Canadian Yukon and Northwest Territories to get her prep'd. Now it looks like I won't make Weare at all. I've assigned my brother the task of trying to get her ready in my absence, but it's not looking good. He's ex-Army, so not too good at thinking on his own. :whistle: I have a mechanic in Hillsboro/Hillsborough ready to put her back together, but currently no way to get her the 9miles from where she is to the shop.
 
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RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
is there a civi version or similar that gets the same speed?
No, and if there were one, I wouldn't advise trying to go that fast. All of that bolted together heavy rubber slinging around at speed is a recipe for disaster. I've had more than one track bust on me, and all you can do is wait for impact or roll. There are some civi snowcats that are not primarily designed to be groomers and will do about 35MPH.
 
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RangerBob

Member
699
11
18
Location
NM/NH/AK
Meanwhile, my old girl was on the move over the weekend. But first she had to be dug out, only to find that the tracks were frozen to the ground.

1 Snow Removal (800x452).jpg


Ok, so now I need to remove the tracks. Without a 'track jack', I used a pair of cargo straps to compress the grousers/cleats so that the rubber belts could be unbolted. Normally these tracks are held together with a bolt through a belt hinge, but many snowcats end up being bolted together straight through the grousers. Thirty-two ny-locked bolts to wrench. Fortunately the nuts and bolts are in pretty decent shape, so the belts came apart fairly easily.

3 Track Straps (800x489).jpg4 Rubber Overlap (800x761).jpg5 Bolts Out (706x800).jpg2 Track Nuts (800x643).jpg


Now to get her on the trailer. Without tracks, she is pretty much just a big blue roller skate. To keep here from rolling over the front of the trailer, I jacked the trailer high in the front and winched her all the way to it.

6 Up The Ramp (800x597).jpg7 Level (800x515).jpg8 We Are Off (800x725).jpg


Will have to come back after a thaw to pull out the tracks.


9 Frozen Cleats (565x800).jpg


Meanwhile, the 601 is getting some TLC so she'll be the belle of the ball at Weare this year.
 
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