Western Slopers: Half Track off of I-70?

[ZappBranigan]

Sorry, should have posted this earlier...

When I was heading West on Easter Sunday, I noticed while driving between Parachute and De Beque, around mile 70, there is what appears to be an old half-track just North of the interstate, laying in the field. Furthermore, it doesn't look like a US half track (which were sometimes used in mining camps/oil camps/uranium mills when they were surplused out after the war) but looks very much like a German WWII Half Track called the SdKfz-250, or a Czech OT-810, which is basically a copy of the SdKfz-250.

I didn't have the presence of mind to pull over and snap a pic, and as anyone who drives that part of the interstate knows, the exits are very far apart in that area and I didn't feel like doing a 30 mile round trip just to get a picture.

Here are some photos/drawings of the vehicle I think I saw:

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z256/ZappBranigan/Misc%20pictures/sdkfz-250.jpg

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z256/ZappBranigan/Misc%20pictures/ot810_vf.jpg


....Thought that maybe one of you Western Slopers/Grand Junction dwellers might know the story behind this. Gotta be at least a little bit interesting.

Collector? Survivalist? Unabomber? Fugitive Nazi? :D

[JeepTherapy]

I have heard that it belongs to a survivalist and that he moves it around from time to time. That is all I know.

[Friscokidd]

THE GERMANS ARE INVADING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!








ok, maybe not, but i am bord :)

[YJgirl]

I have heard that it belongs to a survivalist and that he moves it around from time to time. That is all I know.
Ditto that. Its been there for many, many years, occasionally it moves, but not often.

[theirishavenger]

Wow, somebody else has finally seen it! I thought I'd hallucinated that all this time! Didn't help that my wife wouldn't let me stop n take pics. :(

[Clint]

Wow, somebody else has finally seen it! I thought I'd hallucinated that all this time! Didn't help that my wife wouldn't let me stop n take pics. :(

LOL! I used to work upvalley and thought many many times how much I would like to take that thing home with me. Park it out in my front yard and build a compound :D

[Bauer]

. Park it out in my front yard and build a compound :D

To keep the in-laws in or out? :D

[Scooter]

Ha, A REAL gate keeper.:cool:

[theirishavenger]

To me it looked more like an M3 than a Sdkfz, but I'm going off memory from a year or two ago, too.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3_Half-track


Irish

[Steve]

Huh, just drove from 'Junction to Denver again today; I've never seen it. :shrug:

[bluexj]

I seen it every day for the last 2 years I have never seen it move. I have been wondering how it got there as well.

[Clint]

To keep the in-laws in or out? :D

I could aim it at their camper and say "Go ahead, piss me off....." hehehe

[yota79crawler]

the huge house with the blue roof across the interstate owns it, and they use it with their paintball wars, thats why it moves around the field every once in a while, thats about all i know about it

[RJsfun]

I've seen it there since 1994 when I went to Mesa State.
It's been there a LONG TIME, but does move from time to time.

[ZappBranigan]

Huh, just drove from 'Junction to Denver again today; I've never seen it. :shrug:

The interstate is pretty wide there, and I think if you were heading East you wouldn't be able to see it. It's North of the highway so you have to be heading west for it to be on your right.

It's camouflaged or green so if you are careful you could easily miss it. I just happen to be a military vehicle geek so that's why I immediately noticed it.

There are military vehicles all over CO, BTW.

[DaJudge]

There are military vehicles all over CO, BTW.
http://www.mvcconline.org/MembersRigs.htm

http://www.dragonmans.com/museum/index.htm

http://www.coldwarremarketing.com/

[Jeepster-Matt]

If your into old military vehicles you will find this really interesting, restoration of a sherman tank

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=417090

[Budman]

I immediately noticed it.

There are military vehicles all over CO, BTW.

http://www.mvcconline.org/MembersRigs.htm

http://www.dragonmans.com/museum/index.htm

http://www.coldwarremarketing.com/

If you havn't been to Dragonmans, it is worth the $5. Just call ahead and set up an appointment, and you need 5 people. If you are short you can always call me I will go along with you.

[Pilot]

Its moving today!!! Here it is in action. Red Dawn all over again except its the Germans not the Cubans. To arms to arms!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Y25U5MwT8&feature=related

[ZappBranigan]

If you havn't been to Dragonmans, it is worth the $5. Just call ahead and set up an appointment, and you need 5 people. If you are short you can always call me I will go along with you.

When do you come back from the Land of the Morning Calm? I heard about Dragonman years ago but I've never been out there.

Doesn't he have a shooting range up there, too? IIRC he's a big class III dealer as well as a MV collector.

I actually owned a historic MV, a 1952 Dodge M43 ambulance (the ambulance version of the M37 3/4 ton truck, based on the post-WWII Dodge Power Wagon.) I finally sold it in 1995 because I was planning on leaving active duty to go back to college and knew I wouldn't have the time/money to restore it.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z256/ZappBranigan/Misc%20pictures/M-43.jpg

[DaJudge]

When do you come back from the Land of the Morning Calm? I heard about Dragonman years ago but I've never been out there.
I've never been either, so the body count for a 'Welcome Home, Budman" M&G is now up to 3. :D

[Oscar]

4 don't what it is but if y'all want to go it's got be evil :D

[DaJudge]

what it is:
http://www.dragonmans.com/museum/index.htm


A hand-full of miles east of Colorado Springs, taking up 30,000 square feet of floor space is what has to be the most complete military museum in the world. It has been said by those who have seen it that the Smithsonian is lacking when comparing the two.

Mel "Dragon Man" Bernstein, has, in his spare time acquired, fully restored, and now displays an amazing array of military vehicles, guns, guns, guns, equipment, uniforms, memorabilia, and artifacts dating from World War I to the present ? American, British, German, Japanese and Vietnamese.

I know Mel, and his wife Terry and how busy they stay with their motorcycle restoration, gun sales, and paint-ball businesses, so I can hardly believe Mel has put together such an amazing museum. His name should be changed to Mel "Super Man" Bernstein. Besides rows and rows of vehicles (over 70 of ?em, including a 1917 Dodge truck, half tracks, and a tank) there are dozens of showcases displaying such items as a one of only 100 serial-numbered SS belt buckle gun worn by Hitler's personal SS Guards.

Other pieces of equipment are set up and hanging everywhere. Mel has even built a sandbag bunker and filled it with mannequins dressed in authentic uniforms sitting behind armaments of the day; sleeping in authentic tents and sleeping bags, eating and cooking authentic packaged foods on authentic stoves, having their wounds dressed from authentic medical kits, with authentic pictures on the walls, right on down to authentic cigarettes, match books and incidentals in their pockets. The key word here is "authentic".