Mike: Wow! and Wow (again)....beautiful workmanship. Where did you find the vehicle manual--- the Armor School library?
DJ

Thank you JD for your encouragement.

As to all the Tech Manual photos check out "Easy 1 Productions" online. They carry an ever expanding list of Tech Manuals copied to CD (Highly Recommended)

As far as the TM for the M23 that was not available electronically - I had to buy a copy of that one from England.

Link to the separate thread covering the build of the Mack NO6 arty tractor:

http://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/196219&page=1

From a post war training film:

Found photo:

Right side view of trailer with landing gear lowered for parking the trailer.

The body mounts for the leaf springs: (Note the radius arm attached to the front mounting.)



Sorry to say but the TM nowhere contains a photo of the entire spring/mount/radius arm assembly with the wheels and tires removed.

Loading boom detail. (Photo from the TM)


The assembled loading crane boom minus the chain hoist and boom tensioning crank:

Very complex ammo retainer plate. These fittings allow for the carrying of 155mm, 8 inch and 240mm ammo rounds by the M23. (F.Y.I. - Not at the same time, due to the height adjustable upper ammo retainer plates only one size ammo can be carried at any given time.)

Upper ammo retainer plates:


Powder container tubes just lay on top of these retainer plates and are held in by the strapes you see here plus the tarp cover over that.

Easy 1 Productions can be found on the web at:

http://easy1productions.com/1201.html

Top ammo retainer plates in the open position. The base of the loading/unloading boom is on the left:

MAKING THE TRAILER FLOOR PLATE:
(This is still a work in progress.)





I used a piece of ruled Evergreen plastic (1/16th inch on center) to layout a pattern of 96 holes as a drilling guide. I them temporarily laminated three oversized sheets of Evergreen plastic together with the drilling guide. (I glued just the over long ends of the plastic together so I could easily cut them apart later.) I again drilled the guide holes thru the laminated layers of plastic.



Glue only the ends of the over long sheet plastic together so they can be easily trimed and separated later.

Now pick a dril bit the matches the SMALLEST size hole you need in your base plate and enlarge all the guide holes.

Now its time to separate the three sheets:



Please Note: I only really needed two sheets of plastic but I thought it best to make a total of three in case one became damaged.

Now enlarge the holes in one of the sheets just slightly. I do not recommend using a drill bit at this point as you run the risk of tearing up the delicate plastic. A tapered grind stone in a motor tool is best for this operation.

It is now time to clean up and permenently glue the two stepped hole sheets together.

I am now experimenting with ways to accruately cut short lengths of thin wall plastic tubing to make the ammo retaining rings that stand up above the baseplate.

Someone asked to see the 155mm gun I built to go along with the Mack NO. Here it is being towed by the mack and attached to the rear is the M1/M2 Limber.

A close up of the back-dated AFV Club 155mm gun and the M1/M2 Limber from Scale-Link.
(The back dated wheels and tires are also from Scale-Link.)

An old hobby competition adage says; "He who has the best references wins!"

I can highly recommend the many Tech Manuals available from Easy 1 Productions. Great reference material at usually a much lower price than the paper Tech Manuals and in a much smaller package!


(Mike Koenig Photo)
p.s. This is an unsolicited endorsement. I have no business involvement in Easy 1 Productions.

Plan drawing from the TM: Darker gray represents leaf springs and lighter gray marks the walking beam arms that carry the wheels.

M1/M2 Limber kit from Masters Productions/Scale-Link. (Again the M1/M2 was NOT compatible with the M23 Ammo Trailer and I show it here for comparison only.)





Masters Productions has done an excellent job on this kit.

Some beautiful shots, found on the web of an M4 HST with M59 and M5 Limber. - Fantastic!


OK, post war tires on the gun anf the limber.

(Sorry to say but the Photographer and Owner were not Credited.)