I wonder if this is the same train?

Skip to 1:40.

That was so cool Skins. It is indeed as I have 2 other photos and same exact lumber cars behind the M1s... Reading this guys comments, he too was up here in Walton and had taken photos of this train same time as me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: David Lee,

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I would pay $1000 for a chance to witness live tank practice. (Or big artillery, for that matter.)

flashguy

I had the privilege to to act as a loader in an all officer crew doing a full round load M60 demonstration in Graffenvohr Germany. At the end the empty brass was at waste level and very warm. I will never forget.

Had just cleared the grade crossing near Oldham County (KY) High School about 5:30 PM March 23. When I looked in the rear view mirror, rail cars of Desert Tan M1 Abrams were passing the crossing. Unfortunately, traffic would not allow me to stop or take a picture. Beautiful sight for this old Cavalryman’s eyes. Hope David Lee got a look.
Regards to all
Blackhorse4

Not totally sure, but the train appears to be in LaGrange, Kentucky downtown. Probably the same one I saw.
Blackhorse4

Pure wet sex.

I love the Abrams.

Talked to my buddy at Hood.

Paint jobs:

All APS tanks are camo

All 1st Cav are tan.

Everything else is NATO green.

Fun fact: when tanks are painted camo the colors will align every 90 degrees.

Tank turret front, rear, left, and right, the colors will align with the colors on the hull.

This is your tank PSA for the evening

Definately the same train, Skins.
Blackhorse4

I went back and again viewed Skins video. 199 cars, including 4 engines x approximately 85 feet long each makes that train 3.2 miles long. Even the guy who made that video thought it was just 2 miles. Near the rear of the train are a few cars loaded with huge aluminum ingots. Usually 6 per car in stacks of 2. Near 20 feet in length, 8 feet width and one billit is 2 feet thick. I dont know where these billits originate coming from the north but I used to haul loads of aluminum into Berea, KY where they also made these. Sometimes those billits are 30 feet long. These are some awsome pieces of metal.

They activated the 3rd ID.

They are falling on APS tanks. Brand spanking new M1A2 SEP V3's. Good gravy I'd give my left nut for one of those.

Tank interlude.

Pulling a turret at Camp Lejeune.

Ever wonder about the recoil spring in your pistol?

This is the recoil spring in a tank.

I need a pair of those springs under the back of my Toyota. Bink, what is the buldged section mid way on the tank barrels? Never heard what that is for.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
... what is the buldged section mid way on the tank barrels? Never heard what that is for.

If I think I know what you are talking about it is the bore evacuator.

It pulls the fumes out of the barrel. Ever see a tank shoot? That puff of smoke that comes out the end?

The bore evac is what does it.

It is a sealed chamber. When the tank fires it creates a vacuum (projectile rushing down the tube) This creates a negative pressure in the bore. That is stored in the bore evac. As pressure equalizes (round downrange) the negative pressure in the bore evac pushes the toxic fumes out the end of the barrel.

So in a functioning system you have no toxic fumes in the crew compartment.

So jealous of those that had a chance to work on, build, operate, maintain, or even see in action these guys. They are amazing machines. As we've see in recent Russia-Ukraine conflict tanks are more susceptible to easily carried, deployed, and fired weapons that are cost effective and mobile.

Does this mean an end to US tank advantages or are ours more resilient to the counterattacks Russia has faced recently?

Thank you mbinky. Always wondered what that was.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Thank you mbinky. Always wondered what that was.

Toxic fumes is a big thing. In the Abrams the coax lets out more toxic fumes than the main gun. Thats why when the gunner selects coax the main NBC turns on automatically. The overpressure pushes the fumes out.

Thank you, David Lee and mbinky.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Does this mean an end to US tank advantages or are ours more resilient to the counterattacks Russia has faced recently?

I will say our tank advantages are crew survivability.

When the Abrams was designed they looked at 3 things:

Lethality: 120mm Rhinemetal cannon

Maneuverability: 40 MPH secondary roads

Survivability: Crew is separated from ammo

We have all been watching Russian tanks light up like roman candles. That's their two piece ammo and auto loader system. The crew literally is sitting on a powder keg. I have buddies that wrote check marks in sharpie from their TC station on how many T72's they smoked.

Gunner select HEAT.

Done.

I had a tank in AFG that hit an IED. You can see the blow off panels from the ammo compartment go skyward.

Crew got out.

Way different than a Russian tank.

Ever wonder what happens to an M9 in a tank fire?

It melts. The M4's melted too. We pulled BCG's and barrels out. Steel was the only thing that made it. We had to beat the 50 and the coax out of their mounts. They were burned but it was steel. Gave it to the armorer. Trash.

I lost 2 tanks under my watch. All crew made it though. Had to send one TC to San Antonio. Burns. He's still active. Master Guns now.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Ever wonder about the recoil spring in your pistol?

This is the recoil spring in a tank.

And this is one of the famous Colorado Springs: DSC_2206.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr



flashguy