Disapearing cannon models at Fort Monrow

[KABAR2]

No the models are not being stolen......

Rather than Fill up M&T's Krupp thread with these I thought I would start this,
I took these back in 2002-2003 when the museum was overhauling the displays
I seem to remember that years back they had a couple of scale rail road guns
that are no longer on display....

So here are some photo's I took,there are two models one of them has no
breach block. Enjoy.


This is a diorama with a wooden model of the cannon the rest are working models


Model 1







Model 2

[Cannoneer]

You know I can't get enough of these type models; do you know what type metals the barrel and disappearing carriages were made of on the 'working models'?

[smokemjoe]

Where was the orginal gun at and the history. Thanks- Joe

[seacoastartillery]

     Thanks Allen; our photos are crap compared to yours!  Joe, one of the first guns and batteries was Battery Potter at Fort Hancock, New Jersey, which, with similar guns at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York, guarded New York Harbor from enemy vessel bombardment during the Spanish-American War.  This two gun battery was a huge one with both guns mounted on a large steam-operated lift platform with a separate, sliding, recoil-retardation, mechanisms.  Lots of shells and bolts piled near the entrance in 2007 when Mike and I visited.  Don't forget to see the 20" Rodman Gun and a small seacoast gun museum there too, if you ever visit.  

T&M

[Frank46]

The pics that I sent to Mike & Tracey were taken 1966 on Grande Island, Subic Bay. Made in Watervliet arsenal I think about 1910.. I had seen an article in the National Geographic magazine that they were supposed to be moved to washington dc for a display. They ended up on the west coast. When I first sent the pics Double D acted as a forensic specialist comparing the shrapnel scars on the tubes. Conclusion and agreed by all that these were indeed the 10" rifles from Grande Island. Frank

[KABAR2]

T&M,

Thanks for the compliment, I usually take more photos from various angles and pick out the best  I have more photo's of
various models in their collection if you are interested.

As far as metals these guns appear to be working models that you could walk a crew through all the firing steps before ever
stepping up to a full scale gun. one of these days I will get back over there and talk to someone and see if they know more
about them than is on the little signs. I would also like to know what happened to the RR guns? those looked like their
scale 5 to 6 foot barrels could shoot.

[Cannoneer]

KABAR - I went a lookin' to see if I could find any pics of the larger models of railway guns with no luck, but I did find these tourist photos (unfortunately a little out of focus) of Ft. Monroe taken in 2006. The Casemate Museum looks very intriguing; another addition to a growing list of places yet to be seen in person.
The second photo is of the cell where Jefferson Davis was held for two years.






Sketch by Alfred R. Wauld of Jefferson Davis imprisoned in the casement (1865).

[KABAR2]

Sketch by Alfred R. Wauld of Jefferson Davis imprisoned in the casement (1865).

Yes he was under guard 24 hours a day & the guard were under orders not to speak to or respond to the former President's questions,
A large American flag was hung on the wall facing the bed so it was almost always in his field of vision.

[p51]

They have a really nice 1/6 scale model of a 10” disappearing gun inside the museum building at Fort Stevens, Oregon. It operates with a push button, raises up then quickly slams back down again, all electrically powered. No boom, of course. I took some photos for a magazine article I was writing last year, I’ll have to look them up. I did find a link showing photos of it outside the museum building here: http://usforting.com/2008/10/30/update-on-battery-russell-10-gun-model/

[Cannoneer]

P51,
I enjoyed viewing the model; I looked to see if I could find any Ft. Stevens sites that had a video of the model in operation, but didn't have any luck.

[p51]

I enjoyed viewing the model; I looked to see if I could find any Ft. Stevens sites that had a video of the model in operation, but didn't have any luck.

That doesn’t shock me. I can’t recall if it was coin operated or not, I haven’t been there for almost a year now. Ft Stevens isn’t a well-known fort outside of the immediate area as it’s not on the way to much of anywhere. It’s a really neat place to visit if you’re ever on the Oregon coast, as they have several guns of various eras there, including two 5-inch naval turret mounts and a replica full-sized M1897 6-inch rifle on a disappearing mount: http://www.cdsg.org/bpratt1.htm There’s another fort on the Washington side of the river that has a early WW2 6-inch rifle with a M-4 full shield mount.