That's interesting - a 90mm gun on a Scorpion. However, I think it's a case of overegging the pudding somewhat. Scorpions and Scimitars are designed for reconnaissance, not a stand-up fight. The gun mountings on the Scorpion were prone to cracking after a certain number of rounds had been fired, so goodness knows what the problems were with a larger gun.
It is British Army policy never to use tracked vehicles in an internal security role. After the pictures which came out of Prague in 1968, use of "tanks" against civilians is considered to be a public relations disaster.
Is that always the case? When I lived in the North-East, we used to get ammunition in single wagon loads delivered by rail to Morpeth for Otterburn Ranges (a short-wheelbase VEA van, bracketed by a pair of very long VJX ex-ferry vans, serving as barriers) and mining explosives for ICI at Black Callerton. This latter terminal was reached by BR freight trains leaving the ECML at Benton Quarry Junction and then travelling along the Metro line to Four Lane Ends. This was normally conveyed in a pair of standard air-braked vans, with a couple of empty coal hoppers on either side as barriers. Strangely, there was never as much security evident for these traffics, which arrived as part of Speedlink trains at Tyneside Central Freight Depot, as for the periodic arrival of the bullion train for the Bank of England.... Going back to the 1960s and early 1970s, munitions from the RN depots at Trecwn and Milford Haven would usually be found marshalled as part of one of the daily vacuum-braked general freights from Pembrokeshire to Llanndeilo Junction. One 'security measure' that was applied was to load 'sensitive' loads in the old-fashioned wooden 4 ton containers, then load these containers into a 'high' open wagon. Thus the container couldn't be opened until it had been craned out. Brian
Well I can't speak to procedures before the 80s, but certainly in all my time working with explosives, mixed loads have been banned. Different types of explosives have different "Compatibility Groups" and some of these cannot be mixed with various other groups. For instance, any sort of pyrotechnic which uses black powder in its filling (group G) cannot be stored or transported with anything else. You may place Group G items in their own van, but that van would then have to be marshalled at the other end of the train to the remainder of the load.
It is admissible to place non-explosive items in a munitions train, but only if the items are directly associated with the explosives. For instance air-dropped bombs are made up from numerous components, the largest of which is the tail unit. Tail units are stored seperately from the warhead and are only mated to the weapon shortly before use. It is permissble to transport tail units with the associated warheads. However, it is *not* admissible to simply tack a couple of munitions wagons on to the end of a general freight train.
The penalties for breaking the ESTC (Explosives Storage and Transport Committee) regulations at first glance seem draconian. If the paperwork is incorrect the Authorised Representative who released the load can be summarily fined £5000, as can his transport manager. This is a *personal* fine which cannot be paid by the employers of the AR. The company itself will also be liable for fines or, in the case of an accident leading to a fatality, charges of corporate manslaughter. However, it should be noted that the draconian punishments ensure that ARs usually do their job properly. The stringent regulations ensure that explosives incidents are very rare indeed.
Note that these procedures only relate to 1980s and subsequently. Having studied explosives incidents and accidents, I know that the regulations were an awful lot more lax in earlier times. I also shudder to think of the risks that were taken on a regular basis...
The north-eastern memories were of the 1980s (we left in 1991). I have subsequently seen vans carrying the Hazchem panels for explosives, notably around Didcot- I believe Marchwood, Kineton and Glen Douglas still deal in munitions traffic. You're correct about things being more lax before that- my father had a contract clearing an old ROF site back in the 1960s where all manner of things had just been left around since 1945. Brian
Would you mind if I copy this into my website on railway freight?
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Its non commercial but you would get a credit associated with the text on the page and also one in the page of 'contributors' along with any links to other websites you wish
I would be very happy for you to do so. You may also find something useful on the following websites. Although the regulations have changed somewhat over the years, the signs in use have remained essentially the same.
I see what you mean. I was under the impression that the move to Walsgrave Triangle happened after the rename but a quick check reveals they moved in 1989 which was before the 1992 rename.
No but I don't remember saying they did! The bit I've never fully understood is how they ended up as part of British Leyland. Were they taken over by one of the companies that made up BL?
I don't think Hillman was ever part of BL - I rather think you can still buy them today, branded as Peugeot.
BL was a merger of BMC and Leyland. BMC sold as Austin and Morris, with premium badging as Wolsey, Riley, and Princess, and sporty badging as MG. Leyland was a profit-making bus and lorry company until it bought out Triumph-Rover and Daimler-Jaguar.
I don't think any home-grown British volume car-maker has made a profit since WW2 when we were forced to give up the Empire markets to the USA.
BL was a political device to defer the inevitable which came to pass in
Sort of. They were merged with Rover in 1965 and the firm became part of British Leyland. By 'Rover' I mean the luxury saloon/Land Rover business not the renamed Austin Group.
Production of the Hillman Imp was moved from Coventry to Linwood in Scotland after which quality control fell off a cliff. Following the acquisition of the former Hillman factory first by Chrysler then by Peugot, the Coventry plant was used to build the top-selling Peugot 206 model.
The Jaguar plant at Brown's Lane in Coventry was the most profitable car factory in Britain and the second most profitable (after BMW) in Europe. The recent losses at Jaguar were run up by the newly set up production lines in Castle Bromwich in Birmingham and Halewood in Merseyside.
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