The crime at Lake Mead National Recreation Area is so bad that they have bought a "Peacemaker," which is an armored car commonly used to guard nucleur facilities. I saw a picture of it in the newest issue of "Backpacker" magazine and it is all white with the words "Park Ranger" written on the side. Unfortunatley, I coudln't find a picture online to share with you all. If any one has a pic, please post it. This would make a very cool model!

http://www.nps.gov/mimi/pphtml/newsdetail6424.html

Well, having served in and around these "pigs" - I don't have too fond memories of them during Security Police duties. We welcomed the HMMWV replacements like they were Cadillacs!

The 'Peacekeeper' Dodge Truck would make a neat 1:35th scale model though. One day...

Gunnie

God, what a world we live in....Yogi and Booboo with RPGs?.....JIm #:-)

hehehe, theres got to be some serious goings on to justify that sort of vehicle!

what next, bradleys for school buses?

cheers

joe

Nah, just window dressing for a Minuteman missle silo in South Dakota converted into a museum. I think it's a pretty cool idea -- lest we forget the madness of the Cold War.

The Army recently finished cleaning up and de-milling the last Nike-Herc site from the Air Defense Artillery ring that once surrounded Kansas City. All the old missile sites are now public parks or nature research areas for schools.

BTW, I saw one of these vehcles in a Veterans Day parade in November. They use it at the federal penitentiary as a riot-control vehicle.

The Massachusetts State Police have one parked at my airfield. Looks like an old M880 on steroids.

IIRC more National Park Rangers were killed in the line of duty last year than FBI agents. Some of the national parks, esp. in the Southwest, are turning into places that would make Tombstone proud. Too much drug traffic and the raising of same. Sad, but I think they may need the armored car...

Shaun

Outside magazine did an article a while back on the dangers of National Parks. Drug deals, illegal alien smugglung, biker bashes, raves (yeah, I know.. raves aren't violent..) drug cultivation.. made the Nat park system sound like one big drive-by waiting to happen.

Speaking of Military hardware used in a civilian context, did anyone read Allen Steel's Jericho Iteration? Short story version, New Madrid fault cuts loose and shreds St Louis. STL PD and FEMA folks arrive with assorted ex-90's military hardware to keep 'order'
Great dio possibilities.

Mike

The Peacekeeper vehicle was developed by Cadillac-Gage, using Dodge M880-series chassis. The police department I work for acquired one from the Federal Gov't which was surplused out from the NRC. We have made very few modifications, including a more "public-friendly" paint scheme. "Rescue Vehicle" on the front fenders. Funny how much surplus (Peacekeepers, M16A1 rifles, etc) became available in the Los Angeles area following the North Hollywood bank robbery/shootout!

Actually, Bob, I happen to work in one up in Lawson. It is quite interesting. It started life as a missile base, and now it makes industrial carpet cleaners. Before my boss bought it from the city of Lawson it had been rented to a plastics manufacturer. The old missile elevators were so large that the plastics company would just park a semi (lorry) on one of the missile platforms and lower the whole thing down into the processing facility 30 feet underground. Now it's just full of water as we are not large enough a company to neccessitate the cost of refurbishing the lower levels. But it is a very interesting place.

Rob