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is there a US Army Boneyard ?
Klaus-Adler
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MODELGEEK
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 05:58 AM UTC
We all know about Davis Monthan AFB a.k.a. The boneyard where hundreds of aircraft are in storage but is there version of this for the US Army vehicles?
HeavyArty
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 06:30 AM UTC
Nope, generally, Army vehicles are totally worn out and obsolete by the time they are retired. Most become range targets or are sold as scrap. They are not preserved in a yard somewhere to be canibalized or possibly brought back to life someday like aircraft are.
Kenaicop
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 06:42 AM UTC
Sort of, Sierra Army Depot. Do a google earth look, armor as far as the eye can see.

https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-home-base-providing-a-second-life-for-army-equipment/
Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 06:51 AM UTC
Off the subject but fun nonetheless, take a peek at the Yermo Marine Corps Depot on google earth, there are ship, and what appear to be submarine propellers out in the open, armor too. And look at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, follow the roads through the woods to all the out of the way test areas, there are literally hundreds of M1 tanks, and other vehicles, in various states of blown up ness, turrets, hulls, you name it, scattered all over the area. Kind of cool.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 07:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Sort of, Sierra Army Depot. Do a google earth look, armor as far as the eye can see.

https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-home-base-providing-a-second-life-for-army-equipment/


I stand corrected. I guess we don't blow every old vehicle up...unfortunately.
18Bravo
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 07:25 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nope, generally, Army vehicles are totally worn out and obsolete by the time they are retired. Most become range targets or are sold as scrap. They are not preserved in a yard somewhere to be canibalized or possibly brought back to life someday like aircraft are.


Actually, they are. There's a huge yard at Camp Shelby where trucks are cannibalized all the time. Several are sold for less than the cost of the tires, provided you can provide shipment. I know this because the Zombie Apocalypse vehicle will probably come from there.
I'll post photos later of the yard, including the area where the motors are refurbished. Can't do it now from the iPad.
Kevlar06
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 07:36 AM UTC
Also Toole Army Depot in Utah. Most active ( and a few reserve, like Camp Shelby) have PDO yards (Property Disposal Office) where surplus stuff is collected, evaluated, demilitarized and sold at public auction, and what isn’t disposed of is sent to the range (as stated above) or to a larger collection point. Ft. Lewis Range control had about 10 M728s in thier holding yard up until a few years ago.
VR, Russ
Kenaicop
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 07:36 AM UTC
Dang, lots or armor out there, Camp Shelby. Found the scrap yard too, just north of Hagler Field.
jwest21
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 07:38 AM UTC
A couple years ago I drove by Letterkenny in PA and they had a TON of MRAPS all sitting out in a field. There had to be a couple hundred of all types.
18Bravo
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 07:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Dang, lots or armor out there too, Camp Shelby. Found the scrap yard too, just north of Hagler Field.


Well, since you found that one, you might also see one where all of the old M2A0+ Bradleys are kept as well. Parts are taken them for use at the refit facility about 1/4 mile away. More importantly these are the hulls tagged for the vehicles BAE Systems wants to build for the Army. Again, photos later.
pbennett
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 08:06 AM UTC
This is an interesting thread. Coincidentally, though I am an avid small-scale armour modeller, I am in the process of building a diorama incorporating a CH-46D Sea Knight helicopter (under wraps) at Davis Monthan AFB. The idea came from photographs in one of the books on my bookshelf, Philip Chinnery's 'Desert boneyard'.
18Bravo
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 08:10 AM UTC
Interesting. I just posted some photos several weeks ago that might help you with your project. Send me your email address.
PzDave
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 10:20 AM UTC
Dave Myers---I live in Tucson next to the DMAFB "Boneyard". Not hundreds of aircraft...about 4,000 ! next time you are in Tucson take the Boneyard Tour out of the Pima Air Museum. new rules on that you have to RSVP the tour due o security rules from the Feds. Well worth the time.
Belt_Fed
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 10:52 AM UTC
Yeah, it's called the Marine Corps

Sorry, I couldn't help myself!
Klaus-Adler
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 11:41 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Dave Myers---I live in Tucson next to the DMAFB "Boneyard". Not hundreds of aircraft...about 4,000 ! next time you are in Tucson take the Boneyard Tour out of the Pima Air Museum. new rules on that you have to RSVP the tour due o security rules from the Feds. Well worth the time.


My next time there will be my first time as I live in Scotland but who knows, maybe one day
webair
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 01:53 PM UTC
The propellers and shafts support the Pacific Fleet requirements. The vast majority of the equipment belongs to the Marine Corps, some to the Army Reserve component.
If you go N to I15 and follow that W for about a mile or so, you will see a large yard on the service road immediately N. That is Iron Planets yard, all that equipment is for sale.

Then from the Yermo yard, go 2 miles S to I40, head W for about 5 miles, on the N side of I40 you will see the other part of the MCLB base, all the vehicles, equipment lined up are again for sale on Iron Planet.

If you want to see M1's, Anniston used to have acres and acres and acres of them. That was/is the main overhaul depot for the Army, the test track can look like the Indy 500 at times, to include M1's after overhaul, minus turret, being driven by folk wearing motorcycle helmets.

Any of the Airforce gunnery ranges usually have old vehicles/equipment scattered around as targets.
18Bravo
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Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 04:01 PM UTC
Here are the Bradleys. Impossible to see from photos how many were actually there as I was concentrating mainly on individual vehicles.





And trucks. And wreckers. Again, the photos don't do the magnitude of the place justice.




://i.imgur.com/XAgDqUI.jpg[/img]



They rebuilt engines as well. I sent walkarounds to one of the resin companies - I forget which one...




Kenaicop
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Posted: Friday, August 17, 2018 - 03:31 AM UTC
Wow, those are some old school Bradley’s for sure! Great pics. It’s amazing what old armored vehicles are stashed away all over the country, and all ready to be put back into service in one way or another.
pbennett
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Posted: Friday, August 17, 2018 - 05:30 AM UTC
Robert,

Many thanks for the Sea Knight photos ... most interesting.

Paul
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Posted: Friday, August 17, 2018 - 07:21 AM UTC
Just so our friends in the Navy aren't forgotten, there have also been collections of aging/obsolete navel vessels held against possible future need. I used to drive past the Suisun Reserve Fleet quite often, the star of which was the mighty USS Iowa. Most of the ships are gone now, the Iowa is in the Los Angeles area as a museum ship, the rest have gone for scrap leaving behind a big environmental cleanup cost due to all the toxic materials the ships were shedding over the years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suisun_Bay_Reserve_Fleet
thathaway3
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Posted: Friday, August 17, 2018 - 09:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text



Well, since you found that one, you might also see one where all of the old M2A0+ Bradleys are kept as well. Parts are taken them for use at the refit facility about 1/4 mile away. More importantly these are the hulls tagged for the vehicles BAE Systems wants to build for the Army.


There was a TON of discussion at PEO Ground Combat Systems when I worked there about what the best course of action was for the project of replacing all of the obsolete M113 variants in the Heavy Brigade units. The obvious answer was to do what was done to create the existing variants in the first place, that is modify the current "infantry" vehicle (at that time the M113)to make the CP vehicle, the field medical vehicle, the ambulance and the mortar carrier and in this case simply make all the variants from the Bradley and use all the excess hulls created by the downsizing of the force. Sorry everybody else, this contract goes to BAE, because it's their vehicle and it's the easiest, best, cheapest, fastest solution. GDLS: You guys make the Abrams, so all the upgrades etc on that go to you. Supply base stability assured. That was in 2009-10. And we all know just how far along the AMPV program is today.
Removed by original poster on 08/19/18 - 03:12:34 (GMT).
18Bravo
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Posted: Saturday, August 18, 2018 - 03:16 PM UTC
Speaking of Navy stuff, ran across this recently. Good dio material perhaps, but scratchbuilt in 1/35.

https://imgur.com/eOxiNjd
Klaus-Adler
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Posted: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 - 09:57 PM UTC
just came across this on youtube... it kinda answers my own question a little:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1N1aPHgXCU
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