Trackrover - FINISHED!

[Weaver]

Although nowadays thought of as a quintessentially British product, the Trackrover actually owes it's existence to a Belgian company, Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi (ACEC), who had designed the propulsion system for the French Crotale surface-to-air missile system vehicles. These vehicles had a peculiar requirement in that they needed far more electrical power when stationary (to operate their radars) than when moving, which led the designers to adopt electric transmission. Rather than having a separate propulsion engine and generator, the system designed by ACEC had a single engine driving a generator whose output could be applied either to the radars or to electric motors which drove each wheel.




The Crotale vehicles' electric transmission proved to be a great success, so ACEC looked around for other applications. Tracked vehicles, with their large and complicated mechanical transmissions seemed a logical application, and this ultimately lead to the company's greatest success, the Cobra APC, widely adopted both in NATO and internationally. However, long before the Cobra, ACEC's attention had been drawn to a private-venture tracked Landrover project, which was struggling with transmission problems. This seemed a good, low-risk project with which to gain relevant experience, so ACEC bought the prototype and converted it to electric drive.



The tracked-Landrover testbed proved extremely manoeuvrable and surprisingly reliable, and ACEC demonstrated it widely in order to promote their technology. It thus naturally came to the attention of the Land Rover company, and after protracted negotiations, the vehicle entered limited production at Solihull using transmission components supplied by ACEC. The vehicle immediately proved popular, with military orders coming thick and fast, and production had to be ramped up accordingly. All manner of special purpose versions were developed, as well as forward control versions with larger load beds. The revenue generated helped to save both Land Rover and ACEC in otherwise troubled times, and the two companies eventually merged.



Possibly the most famous/infamous appearance of the Trackrover in  popular culture was in a series of sketches in the anarchic comedy show Percy Boa's Frying Circuits. Known as the "We're British" sketches, each featured a pair of explorers who got into trouble in some remote part of the world. As one of them started to panic, the other would make a remark along the lines of "chin up old man, we're British", and would then procede to call up some aspect of  British suburban life or pop culture to deal with the problem. For instance, when under attack by cannibals in the jungles of Borneo, he pulled out a police whistle and blew it, whereupon Dixon of Dock Green (played by the real Jack Warner) improbably appeared and gave the cannibals a stern talking to, whereupon they slunk off looking ashamed of themselves.



The Trackrover appeared in an episode where the two explorers (Michael Chapman and Graham Palin) are making for the South Pole, only to shed a track a few miles short of it. As soon as they've reminded themselves that they're British, they notice a red GPO telephone box (at the South Pole....) make a quick call, and an RAC Recovery Service Landrover with Eric Cleese at the wheel promptly appears to fix their problem.



The Trackrover used in the sketch was borrowed from the British Antarctic Survey UK support base in Cambridge, and the filming was actually done in nearby fields during the savage winter of 1972. Nevertheless, the scene still had to be heavily dressed up by the film crew, and there were endless problems with birds and aircraft getting into the shot or being audible in the background.



To make the point that the scene really was at the South Pole and not just a snowy field, the writers had the Trackrover go past a traditional British "fingerpost" sign saying "South Pole 3>" The opposite arm of the sign said "Hadfield and the North". This refers to the fact that, for reasons best known to the Highways Agency, the signposts on the major routes North from London all say this, as if there are only two places in "the North", Hadfield (a small town) and everywhere else. The phrase is so well known in Britain that there was even a band called Hadfield and the North for a while. The inference of the sign in the sketch is that, if Britain's writ really did run globally, there'd be "Hadfield and the North" signs all the way to the South Pole.



Although the sketches were supposed to lampoon arrogant and presumptive British attitudes, they actually passed into popular culture as an encouraging rallying cry, and it wasn't long before instances were recorded for real of British citizens in dire straits remarking "chin up, we're British", the usage being much the same as "beam me up, Scotty". Probably the best known instance is the words "CHIN UP" which appeared painted on a roof in Port Stanley in 1982 during the Argentine invasion, the implied "we're British" going over the invader's heads, both literally and metaphorically.



Land Rover's attitude to the sketch varied over time. Initially they were pleased with it on the grounds that any publicity is good publicity, but they then went through a phase of  disapproving of it because it showed a Trackrover failing. However, when the RAC used a parody of the parody in their "We've got you covered" adverts, Land Rover realised that the fact that the recovery vehicle was a Landrover (and a wheeled one at that) could be exploited, and promptly did so as part of their their long-running "What does it take to recover a Landrover? Another Landrover..." campaign.



Ironically, the people who are least happy with the sketches' success are the original writers of it from the Percy Boa team. "We were trying to show how ridiculous and inappropriate old-fashioned British attitudes were," said Eric Cleese in a 1988 interview, "and they've turned those two pillocks into bloody heroes! I can't stand to watch it now: it's a dead parrot as far as I'm concerned..." TV buffs are still arguing about what he meant by that......

[Weaver]

All 1/76th scale.



Trackrover
Body: Airfix/JB Landrover Hardtop (roof rack made from trailer)
Track units: Airfix Scorpion
Winch: Revell M16 half-track
Ladder: Plastruct (heavily cut down)
Scratchbuilt: trackguards, stowage boxes, toolbox, air intake, exhaust, chassis
Paint: Humbrol enamels, Windsor and Newton inks
Decals: homemade
Flag: from BECC



RAC vehicle: Oxford Diecast, pre-painted.




Telephone box: Plastic kit from Model Scene (Pritchards) (5006)

Figures: from Revell 1/77th Ford Trimotor (what the hell am I going to do with the dog sled now? )



Fingerpost: Scratchbuilt (finial from tank idler)



Base: Section of old floorboard with DAS Pronto terrain and bicarbonate of soda snow.



Best bits: Snow, figures, flag, the "sit" and style of the Trackrover.



Worst bits: Fastening the tracks (I do have the other unbroken track if I want to recycle the model), decals (printer problems)



Hope you like it: all comments and PARTICULARY constructive criticism gratefully received, since this is my first ever diorama....

[JayBee]

Weaver, you asked for criticism's and I was going to post one, totally tongue in cheek may I add, but I can not.
This is just too brilliant for words, and inspirational as well.


JimB

[Hobbes]

Excellent! The Trackrover itself is an amazing piece of work, and the diorama is, well, inspired. 


(and the police box appearing in one picture had me  )

[thedarkmaster]

Simply outstanding, top class mate.      

[Ed S]

Excellent.  I assume the blue truck with "Royal Automotive Club" is the British equivalent of "AAA" in the US.  If so, then I see the joke.

Ed

[philp]

The end product is brilliant (although I was disappointed there was no mention of the Doctor since the TARDIS is sitting there).  

Loved the backstory.  Can't wait to see more skits from Percy Boa's Frying Circuits (sounds so familiar to me for some reason, maybe I saw an episode or 2 when I was a lad in England).

[Weaver]

Cheers Folks!

The idea came because I didn't want to go down the "Nazi UFO" route, so I was wandering around the LHS looking for inspiration when the telephone boxes spoke to me. I did try screaming "THERE IS NO PHONE!" Charlton Heston style for a bit, but I had to give it up and give in. Then I needed someone for them to call, and I spotted the RAC Landrover.... The actual backstory came later.

Ed - yes, the RAC and the AA (Automobile Association) are the two biggest car clubs abd recovery services in the UK.

Hobbes/Philip: police box/TARDIS: eh?  It's a red public phone box, not a blue police one.....

[Hobbes]

Cheeky bugger! Removing the evidence 

[nev]

My command of the English language is not sufficient enough to describe the excellence of this.

The central kitbash would alone be whiffie worthy.  The diorama is incredible.  And the backstory is sheer genius.

You want constructive criticism?  The only thing I can think of is that the tracks could do with a dark wash to bring out the detail.  Thats it.

[NARSES2]

Brilliant 

[frank2056]

Fantastic, Weaver!
I want to steal your trackrover idea. The diorama looks great, and the snow looks realistic and to scale. Maybe dirty it up a little with some grays (and a spot or two of yellow...) but even that isn't necessary.

Frank

[PR19_Kit]

To steal the punch line of some beer advert a few years ago '.....I said it's RUDDY MARVELLOUS!'

[pyro-manic]

Good grief. Concept, build, backstory and diorama of the year all in one.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

RUDDY MARVELLOUS!'

Yep that covers it !

Ian