Airing some full scale stuff at Arsenalen museum
Yesterday was a Bring-out-the-vehicles day at Arsenalen military vehicle museum just outside the town of Strängnäs, Sweden. I try to be around a bit to volunteer for the activities as there are not many actually hired staff to keep the museum and its collection running.
Normally we have a Pbv 302 and Bv 206 running for visitors to take tours in. The Pbv 302 went fine all morning but was swapped for the American M 113 as we had some technical malfunction later on. This specific M113 is a petrol one and was brought to Sweden in the 1960s for some trials.
Aired vehicles this time was the Strv 104, Centurion to the rest of you guys, a former East German MT-LB, in Sweden called Bgbv 4012 and did service as a light tracked mechanics work shop. After the German unification Sweden bought some former East German vehicles as they were up for sale. A quite agricultural tractor from Volvo MB pulled a trailer. Thousands of tractors were used in the armed forces to pull anything from bicycle mounted infantry to artillery pieces. They were easy to drive and maintain, fairly rugged and had power enough to do what they were supposed to do. A privately owned Jeep formerly used by the Air force pulled a missile trailer loaded with some Sidewinder A2A missiles. A BK 90 stand-off submunitions dispenser was also loaded on the trailer. The weirdest vehicle may have been the Artilleritraktor m/28, Artillery tractor, a slow but very strong vehicle making a lot of noice. This is one of two surviving examples and the only restored one. The other is in original condition but not in working order.
Must be a real treat to see those monsters lumbering by in person (not to mention dusty...but who cares, right?). Thanks for sharing these.
Yes, Crag, it is a treat being able to get up close to these machines. Dusty...yes, very much so! You are welcome!
Nice!
Glad you like them!
I allways like these kind of days with demonstrations. Thanks for sharing, and quite some variation, as you mention, in the vehicles.
Think it is important for a military museum to show the variety of vehicles, not only the biggest and heaviest. If you come up to these latitudes for a model show, why not combine it with a trip to Arsenalen.
Always love to see armour,Thanks
My pleasure.
Nice to see Stellan thanks for posting.
The vehicles all look in nice condition - great work on the part of the Staff and the Volunteers
Yes, they are kept in good condition but it takes a lot of work to clean them up after a drive in the mud. Even a minor problem takes a while to fix as there is nothing easy or light when it comes to armour...
Added a photo especially for you.
Thanks Stellan - all part of the fun - unless you are the one who has to clean it!
Making sure I´m nowhere near it when it´s time to do the clean up...
Thanks for sharing! There are some interesting vehicles.
You are welcome. I thought you might find them interesting with your background.
Good stuff. Like the centurion.
Thanks, Anthony. The Centurion was called (Stridsvagn) Strv 81, 101, 102 or 104 in the Swedish army depending on what version. A fifth version was planned, Strv 105, as an alternative to a more modern tank. This version was never realized but Sweden got the German Leopard tank instead, Strv 121 and 122. The Centurion remained in Swedsih service for almost 50 years.
Cheers for that. I never knew that. An impressive record.
Sweden got the first ones in 1953, these were meant for the British army but were released due to an imbalance in trade balance between GB and Sweden.
Great info here but you have to translate text yourself, sorry http://www.ointres.se/strv_81_101_102_104_centurion.htm
Thanks again.
Jeffry can tall you that cleaning up a tank after running it thru the maneuver area isn't a whole lot of fun. Easier cleaning your rifle than getting the mud off the Abrams. Motor stables, tales from the wash rack.
Sometimes I almost miss it. Almost...
I reckon it must be like a second armour with all mud being reinforced by grass, sticks and twigs. Some time ago the staff at Arsenalen dumped a cubic metre of water in the show drive area to make mud... Then drove the APC through it a few times to make it look properly weathered before positioning it in one of the displays indoors. No piments or so 🙂