My '44 Flying Control Dodge

[Gordon_M]

... small groups of children and their handlers ...

Never let them near a Dodge if there are no handlers about

[armyairforce]

The following morning, I took "Jessie" over to the railway, towing the trailer and got them parked up. It took a bit of shuffling the Jeep back and forwards through the gap in the rope to get it turned parallel to the fence. Lynne came over in the normal car soon after and took me home.



I returned a few minutes later with the Ford, which also contained all the accessories for the truck and photo display.



In 2017, the railway still had a steam loco operational. That event however, was its last use, as the boiler certificate expired that weekend. With an overhaul bill of around £80,000 and their other steam loco with a burst steam pipe, needing a boiler off overhaul, the railway has been left with only their vintage diesels operational for the 2019 weekend. The trackwork is also being slowly overhauled and upgraded, so no passenger trains could be operated during the weekend.

[armyairforce]

There were battles amongst the wagons in the rail yard, plus a firing demonstration, with Russian and German forces fighting it out.





Around a dozen military vehicles were in attendance, mostly Jeeps, but a couple of Kubelwagons were nice to see together, plus a German bike and sidecar and a classic MG.

[armyairforce]

I used my video capture technique to catch the muzzle flashes during the firing demonstration. Amongst the various goods yard buildings were a multitude of dioramas of different themes, with a large selection of weapons, equipment and artifacts from various armed forces.

[armyairforce]

The French resistance display had a huge selection of equipment spread over a number of tables.

[armyairforce]

It was great to see my three vehicles all together again, the first time this year. Since everything was marked up as RAF last year, all three vehicles wore their normal USAAF markings for the 2019 show.





My photo-recon and target analysis display included my Fairchild F-71 Stereoscope, Folmer Graflex Corp K-20 aerial camera and 100th Bomb Group photo album. The stereoscope was very popular, with few people passing the table without having a look.

[armyairforce]

It was another enjoyable event with at least a couple of thousand people passing through the museum on Saturday alone. The three hour tidy up, which included returning the Jeeps home, plus the Dodge into storage, was exhausting.

[dashtp40]

Steve,
You certainly attend some great events. The vintage cars are a treat to look at as well as your great display, you sure have alot of items to move when you go to these events. That is very innovative with the wiper blades. Keep up the good work.
Steve

[armyairforce]

Thanks. I don't always take all the vehicles and all my display items. It often depends on the type of event and how far away it is. This weekend we're just taking the follow me Jeep, without any other display items, to the Aln Valley Railway. We haven't been before, so I want to check out what the event it like and it gives me the freedom to wander around without having equipment to watch over. Also, with the whole family camping this weekend, we'll have a lot of camping gear to take.

[armyairforce]

Another year and once again it is Happy birthday to "Faith" the Flying Control Dodge. This time, it's a big one!!

75 years old today!!!

First time out, shortly after purchase in September 2010.....


.....and again this year at Bowes Railway.


Attached is a copy of the original build card, showing completion of each stage through assembly.

[Gordon_M]

Happy Birthday Faith. My own TD20 one ton will be 80 in about six weeks.

[armyairforce]

I brought the Dodge home again this afternoon as I'm taking it to the Tanfield Railway 1940's event tomorrow. It's been a busy season but this will probably be the last event for the year. Tomorrow, we're taking the Dodge and M201 Jeep, which has had another magnetic plastic facelift into an airbase medic's Jeep. We'll take the Dodge back to storage on Saturday evening and take both Jeeps on Sunday. That way, all three vehicles will have had a trip out for the last public show of 2019.

Jessie the Jeep, is normally an airfield "Follow Me" Jeep, but is seen on the drive in the new magnetic plastic markings.


The change was made to give the Jeep another look, particularly when Lynne is driving in her medic gear. I also had plastic left over from the RAF markings, so it didn't cost anything.


Pictures from Tanfield in a few days.

[armyairforce]

It's been a busy season yet again, but things are winding down now. I've attended sixteen shows and had six further trips out to museums, historic sites such as airfields and photo shoots. The "Follow Me" Jeep has been to 17 events, the GPW 6 and the Dodge 5. The Tanfield Railway 1940's weekend may be my last public event for 2019, but I also have a school visit to do soon.

Tanfield Railway 1940's Weekend - September 21/22nd

September 21st - Day 1

It was a lovely sunny day at Tanfield Railway, for what is possibly our last show of the 2019 season. I'd decided to get all the vehicles to the show across the two days and so took "Jessie the Jeep" and "Faith the Flying Control Dodge" for day one. Lynne drove "Jessie" for the first time out in the new Red Cross markings. Without thinking, we parked with the other vehicles which meant I was photographing them into the Sun for much of the day.







There was a Jeep that I hadn't seen before and the huge Scammel truck was a surprise visitor. I haven't seen that at any events locally before.

[armyairforce]

Bob's early Command Car


Dodges were reasoably well represented during the weekend.


Around 1pm, NCB No 49 collected another carriage from Marley Hill yard, to add to the train for the evacuees. They walked up the hill from the Home Front display in Marley Hill carriage shed and back down the bank to Andrews House station. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was there to see them onto the train, which departed Andrews House station at 1:30pm.

[armyairforce]

At Andrews House, the Seatones were singing and there was a big band in the main carriage shed in Marley Hill yard. Mid afternoon, we had a mini convoy down to East Tanfield Station for coffee where Colin was performing as George Formby. The car park was virtually full, as was the main car park near Andrews House Station, so there must have been a good number of public there.









At the end of the day, we took the Dodge straight back to the storage yard, as it was on the way home, and came home in "Jessie". For day two, we'd take "Jessie" and "Hope" on display. With the vehicles away, we had a quick bite to eat before returning to the evening dance held in the carriage shed.