Have you ever wondered about the paradoxes of our perception of beauty? the, What at first glance looks quite ugly, can suddenly become beautiful. And vice versa, beautiful initially become ugly.
Remember wolverine? small animal. It is not graceful. A sort of walking bag with meat and fat. And that only the letter «walking» It causes a smile to those, who saw it. Ambling Wolverine looks really ridiculous. Although experts are well aware, that this way of walking offers tremendous benefits. And hundreds of kilometers of Wolverine is not the distance.
And suddenly this animal bear encounters… And what we see?
And in 9 cases of 10 we will see the transformation into a beautiful, bold and perfectly knows how to stand up for themselves an animal! And not just stand, taiga and oust the ruler from its territory! And then again comical amble on business… Only perceived the absurdity of us already with respect and understanding of the beauty of the beast. That beauty!
Our hero is seen in many ways about the same. they, who first sees the car in the photo, especially if it is a photo «official», in profile, involuntarily smile. Freak with a big head and small body. And this imbalance simply hurts the eyes. The cab and the body of the same size? Yes, and 6x4… But this is only at first glance.
Sure, What do you want, who I have never seen this car and was not interested in its history, not soon see a big head, and force, courage and grace.
so, 12-ton tractor with triaxial wheel formula 6 × 4 Diamond T 980. readership, familiar with the English language, just pay attention to not quite match with the beginning of the name of the car material. So freak or diamond?
To name has become clear, us, by tradition, you must make an excursion into the history of the company, creator of the automobile miracle.
AT 1905 Tilt, Charles created a firm Diamond T. Company located in Chicago, and was created for the production of expensive cars. Hence the name - diamond. But as there was quite a lot all at that time in the US «diamonds» and other gems in the name of the company, the owner said in the name of the first letter of his last name - T.
miserably, of course, enough to destroy the common version of the "T" as a designation of the tractor, but the truth is dearer. Charles Tilt was a good businessman, and in the middle of 10-ies of the last century saw, instead of expensive cars are more profitable to produce cheap trucks.
Version of the "T" as the designation of "trucks" leave without comments. Truck truly "truck" in English. Still, the "T" in the title appeared before the reorientation of the company on the trucks.
by the way, in some memoirs of contemporaries, He made this decision after a careful study of the experience of Henry Ford. It is up to the owner of the Ford Diamond T come to understand, that brings large profits not production piece of expensive cars, but on the contrary, mass production of cheap cars.
Soon on the roads of America began to work a lot of different-sized "diamond" and "diamonds". Tilt trucks produced a variety of classes. You could meet and tonnage, and heavy Diamond T.
This approach has allowed the company quite well through the crisis 30s. A commercial scent Charles Tilt determined its further development - orientation in the military orders. In the political environment, that was in 30-40s, Tilt perfectly oriented and has identified the paying customers.
Naturally, to 1941 , the company offers a range of Army military truck. And, He is counting on orders from the US Army, Tilt has developed a family of three-axle all-wheel drive medium-duty chassis. These cars are known today as the truck 968 (capacity 4 tons), evacuator 969, truck with a long wheelbase 970, tipper 972, Pontoner 975.
But there was another model, which was developed for the US Army, but it is more known as the English Order. This heavy machinery lifting capacity 12 tons 6x4. Diamond T 980 and flatbed truck Diamond T 981. Why is it we describe below one model.
by the way, Many sources say, that the Soviet Union used only 980 rd and 981 th. I beg to differ with this conclusion. How else to explain the presence of a tow truck Diamond T 969 the museum in Ivanovo (Chernogolovka science town)? true, According to museum workers themselves, it is the only surviving copy of the car on the European part of Russia.
Back in the US beginning 40s. Alas, but the absence of the front driving wheels on heavy tractors Diamond T 980 played a cruel joke with these cars. They have been credited by the US military in "limited" standards - Substitute Standard and Limited Standard (replacement standards and limited).
Therefore, participation in the war as part of the US Army was really limited. Diamond T 980 (designation M20) together with a 24-wheeled trailer triaxial M9 «Rogers» included in the transporter tank M19.
helped the British. They paid attention to these vehicles. more precisely, announced a competition and won his Diamond T. It says the, that the machines were "iron" for the start of production for a new order it was necessary to make only minor changes, according to customer requirements.
For the USSR, these machines were all new to. We do not let anything like this at all. Even the very notion of car tank truck we have not yet appeared at the beginning of the war. Therefore, the Soviet Union also expressed its readiness to purchase or receive the lend-lease such tractors.
The first new trucks received, naturally, British. We operate these vehicles on the North African theater. Reviews are the best. Machinery not only repairing the wrecked tanks, but they were evacuated under fire.
Often asked seems to be quite clear thing for professionals. Why is this called a ballast tractor?
The answer is in the structure itself. If consider, that the engine is in front of the vehicle, Front axle with single wheels and the all metal cab, and instead of a long body short and easy, it becomes clear, body towing must necessarily be loaded. Otherwise, the necessary traction with the ground simply do not reach the.
As our hero was arranged? Diamond T truck 980/981 - classical triaxial bonnet ballast tractor. As we have already mentioned, in front of the engine frame is located, under it - the front axle with single wheels. For the engine compartment - all-metal cabin.
By the end of the war because of the need to produce more cars, cab produced in a simplified form - without a roof and with low side doors. The roof of the cabin was a detachable canvas, and side openings of doors and closing valves canvas with celluloid windows.
Between the cab and the body to the ballast installed winch Gar Wood 5M723B with traction 18 tonnes. It is only meant to be loaded onto a conveyor lined tanks. On the platform were winch control levers and parking brake.
It sets in motion winch short propeller shaft and chain drive from power take-off, range group mounted on. Winch drum - diameter 178 mm, it is wound 91,5 m (the models 980) or 152,5 m (the models 981) cable diameter 22 mm.
Speed rope winding varied depending on the transmitting and enabled PPC could reach 17 meters per minute. The models 981 the ability to use a winch for self. There could skip rope under the cab and bring through a special window in the front bumper.
by the way, the visual presence of the window in the bumper (From the left side) beautiful determinant tractor models.
Engine - Diesel Hercules DFXE, line 6-cylinder, 4-stroke liquid cooling, working volume 14,7 liter capacity 185 HP. at 1600 rev / min (torque 902 N • m for 1200 rev / min).
The cylinder block was cast from gray cast iron, pistons are made of aluminum alloy. The high pressure fuel pump - 6-plunger company Bosch.
Gearbox - Fuller 4B86, three-shaft, a four (plus reverse), with a direct fourth gear. Splitter Fuller 3A86 or Fuller 3A92, three-stage, direct transmission and a second power take-off winch.
Two leading bridge - "serial" (second drives the second propeller shaft from the first). Switched transmission lever via underfloor. Beside him were located the manual parking brake lever and splitter.
Steering - without power steering, a worm gear and a longitudinal steering rod. drum brakes pneumatic drive Timken Bendix-Westinghouse. Wheels Budd B-45530, diameter 20 inches and width 10 inches. Casings inch 12,00 × 20.
Suspension - spring (at the rear axle - beam type). Shock absorbers were not, so over the front spring fastened rubber buffer, mitigates shaking off the road - however, at low speeds it was not so critical. There was no center differential.
There are some oddities in determining the size of these outstanding machines. We could not find the exact data on the number of cars of both models, set in the Soviet Union during World War II. Number of different sources varies from 295 to 471 cars.
Causes, we think, lie in two planes, primarily in the ideological. Even today, some of our citizens is of the opinion, that lend-lease, we were "technical scum".
by the way, be objective, and to pro Diamond T 980/981 You can say it. US-the army used them only as an exception. so, they considered, there are better cars. And that, that we did not have anything like this, we forget…
And the second reason - the payment of Lend-Lease with non-return. I.e, recall, Appliances that give free Lend-Lease, but if it was not destroyed, It is subject to a refund, any payment. After much wrangling, it was decided to return serviceable truck in the US. And it started, what, basically, and was supposed to start.
Our well did not want to return your favorite car. Stream rushed across multiple documents "nedoehavshih" cars. In combat reports were records destroyed in the fighting machines, Reports of sudden enemy air raid, appeared out of nowhere minefields ...
That's when rumors, subsequently repeatedly confirmed by witness, the deliberate destruction of perfectly serviceable car. In fact, before being sent to the United States came under machine press…
But also we showed our class in terms of "otmaza".
The total number of the issued cars of these brands is certain. 6554 Diamond T 980/981. Of those delivered in the UK 1000 units.
After the war, the production of these models has stopped. but, there are instances of garbage trucks, issued in the 50s at the base.
Now what, what distinguishes it from earlier this article. Continuation of the car's life after the Victory. not Living out, namely life.
favorite trucks, who managed to keep, They were widely used in the USSR until the 60s of the last century. Hauled loads these cars on the Siberian and Far Eastern taiga. Although modernized our craftsmen decent Americans.
From crumbling in the frost, "African" rubber and completely insulated canvas cabins, to thin the fuel and devices for constant engine operation. If the machine in the cold glohla, then start it without the repair was not possible.
Even built special warm boxes and accessories for the permanent heating the engines in the parking lot. This went on even, when there were Soviet tractors and MAZ trucks KrAZ. The driver of the vehicle with a torch in the fuel tank area at the time - the usual picture for Siberian depot.
And finally. Namely Diamond T 980/981 It became a model for the creation of the Soviet equivalent of the characteristics of the vehicle and intended YAZ-210.
Specifications Diamond T 980/981:
Dimensions: 7110/2580/2592 mm
Wheelbase: 4556 mm
Track (Front / Back): 1927/1905
Clearance: 283 mm
own mass: 12 t
capacity: 8,3 t
Curb weight of the trailer: 10 t
trailer load capacity: 40,1 t
Engine: Hercules DFXE, diesel, 14 660 cube. cm, row, 6-cylinder
Power: 185 HP.
Maximum torque: 902 H-m
full speed: 37 kmh
Speed with loaded trailer: 26 kmh
Cruising on the highway: 480 km
Could someone please let me know what type of tracked vehicle, as in which tank or self propelled gun, is on the trailer. I cannot find one that matches that configuration. Much appreciated.