NEW MUSEUM TAKES SHAPE
Tuesday, 27 March 2012 00:00

The first vehicles are now in the new Romney building at the North East Aircraft Museum, Sunderland. The building will house the vehicles belonging to the Military Vehicle Museum, which is re-locating from its former home at Newcastle.

The building, which will house the larger vehicle and weapon collection and enable volunteers to restore some of the vehicles, was donated by Sunderland Docks and it was dismantled, moved and erected by volunteers from the museum; a grant from Sunderland Council provided the concrete base and the Sir James Knott Trust gave a grant to help purchase a new roller shutter door and other fittings. On 25 January 2012, 124 Coy REME (V) moved two of the non-running armoured vehicles, an Alvis Saladin and a Ferret, from the Military Vehicle Museum to the new building. A Foden heavy recovery vehicle was used to remove them from the Pavilion in Newcastle, and they were then loaded onto a MAN 8x8 and recovery trailer.



As the MAN was too big to get into the new site, the Saladin and Ferret were unloaded on the road then taken into the new Romney by the Foden, the tight turns  involved providing good experience for the Army craftsmen! A second run to bring an Alvis Saracen APC took place the following day.


It is planned to have the rest of the vehicles in the new building ready for display at Easter, and the conjoined collections will form the basis of a new North-East Land Sea and Air Museum, with other forms of transport arriving when more buildings are obtained.

 

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