Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 23, 2021 16:22:56 GMT 12
An interesting postwar usage, and by Jack Asplin of the Rukuhia garage and scrapyard fame.
TANK CHANGED TO TRACTOR
Use For Clearing Peat Lands
“The Press" Special Service HAMILTON, October 6.
An Army Valentine tank is being converted into a special tractor for clearing scrub from swampy land by Mr J. Asplin, who farms about 500 acres of peat land at Rukuhia. He bought the tank from the Army and the project, which has taken hundreds of hours, is nearing completion. Mr Asplin plans to use the machine to uproot and crush patches of gorse and manuka and to deepen existing drains. To prevent the tank sinking in the peat. Mr Asplin is reducing the weight and increasing the surface area of the tank tracks.
By removing the gun and turret and cutting away large pieces of iron and armour plating with an oxy-acetylene burner, Mr Asplin and a mechanic have reduced the weight from 18 to nine tons.
To increase the surface area of the 18-foot-long tracks, Mr Asplin is bolting strips of armour plating on them at two-foot intervals and increasing the track width to 32 inches.
“The Army,” said Mr Asplin, "was selling this year the complete tanks at £175 each, plus freight, and the only effective swamp machine I have heard of costs several thousand pounds.”
PRESS, 7 OCTOBER 1959
TANK CHANGED TO TRACTOR
Use For Clearing Peat Lands
“The Press" Special Service HAMILTON, October 6.
An Army Valentine tank is being converted into a special tractor for clearing scrub from swampy land by Mr J. Asplin, who farms about 500 acres of peat land at Rukuhia. He bought the tank from the Army and the project, which has taken hundreds of hours, is nearing completion. Mr Asplin plans to use the machine to uproot and crush patches of gorse and manuka and to deepen existing drains. To prevent the tank sinking in the peat. Mr Asplin is reducing the weight and increasing the surface area of the tank tracks.
By removing the gun and turret and cutting away large pieces of iron and armour plating with an oxy-acetylene burner, Mr Asplin and a mechanic have reduced the weight from 18 to nine tons.
To increase the surface area of the 18-foot-long tracks, Mr Asplin is bolting strips of armour plating on them at two-foot intervals and increasing the track width to 32 inches.
“The Army,” said Mr Asplin, "was selling this year the complete tanks at £175 each, plus freight, and the only effective swamp machine I have heard of costs several thousand pounds.”
PRESS, 7 OCTOBER 1959
