13.00 Caliber Restoration

[LTC]

The photo's a bit dark, but this is a project the company I work for is involved in. We are volunteering / donating our time and material to restore the exterior of the barrel and the iron carriage.
The three 13" siege mortars date to 1862. They were active during the Civil War and have resided in the town I work in since about 1905. The tree guns normally surround the town's Civil War Soldier's and Salior's Monument.
These three, of the four that are in the town, are amoung only 27 documented remaining mortars of this size.
The guns have been sand blasted and primed to date and are waiting their final top coat of paint. I will update this thread are the project proceeds.

LTC

 

[LTC]

The photo's a bit dark, but this is a project the company I work for is involved in. We are volunteering / donating our time and material to restore the exterior of the barrel and the iron carriage.
The three 13" siege mortars date to 1862. They were active during the Civil War and have resided in the town I work in since about 1905. The tree guns normally surround the town's Civil War Soldier's and Salior's Monument.
These three, of the four that are in the town, are amoung only 27 documented remaining mortars of this size.
The guns have been sand blasted and primed to date and are waiting their final top coat of paint. I will update this thread are the project proceeds.

LTC

 

[Andy Griffith]

That is the greatest thing I've seen in a long time!

It reminds me of Buster Keaton and the mortar lobbing a cannonball into the cab of the locomotive.

I always wondered how in the world would they have moved these thing into a position other than on a railroad car, but I know they used horses! It's amazing to think about.

Many thanks for the labor of love to your company!!!

Just to ask, will these be placed back out in the elements, or be covered once they are restored?

 

[jag312]

Very sincerely; I wish to thank your company for helping to preserve our country's heritage. May the coming years be very profitable.

 

[Gutpile Charlie]

Nice old "heat" LTC. I love to see old stuff like that preserved.

 

[Forester]

Originally posted by jag312:
Very sincerely; I wish to thank your company for helping to preserve our country's heritage. May the coming years be very profitable.

+1!

LTC, check out this following website:

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1G4E

It documents the cousin of your Mortars, on display in the Town Square of my little Central, NH community.

Of course, our southern members may take a bit of exception to that language at the top of the plaque.

 

[klondike]

Amazing that they have survived the scrap metal drives of the two world wars. Oregon lost her historic battleship to the metal drives.

 

[rburg]

Originally posted by Forester:

Of course, our southern members may take a bit of exception to that language at the top of the plaque.

Might?

Y'all should mind your manners.

The war of Northern Aggression isn't something we were overjoyed with. Still aren't. Had we known where this would lead, we'd have picked our own cotton.

We've been inundated by carpetbaggers ever since. We include Hillary in that group.

 

[Gatofeo]

Sheesh.
Not like the poster had anything to do with the chosen words on that memorial.
I find no fault with his manners. Were you seriously chastizing him for what someone wrote more than 100 years ago?

 

[Forester]

Nah, Gatofeo, I don't think Rburg is really all that mad at me.

His wounds are still a little raw. Like you said, it has only been about 144 years since the end of the war. It takes time to heal.

 

[Eagle Guns]

Bristol N.H. I know that place well I used to vacation at New Found lake back in the late Forty's.Got married in 1954 and spent my Honeymoon at a cabin at the lake.I would like to return there some day and have a ice cream cone at the Mill Stream Ice Cream Shop or whatever they called it then? Thanks for the memories.

 

[tinbender]

Great looking guns! Amazed that they are intact after all these years. What a rewarding project for you and your co-workers.

 

[David LaPell]

I always wanted one of those for my lawn.

 

[ingmansinc]

Originally posted by David LaPell:
I always wanted one of those for my lawn.

Wait till Halloween and get a few of your buddies to help you and that dream can come true.

 

[rburg]

Originally posted by Forester:
it has only been about 144 years since the end of the war. It takes time to heal.

Seems like only yesterday!

And I wasn't even alive then!

Even my grandparents weren't.

 

[LTC]

Andy G.,
The three guns will be replaced in their original positions around the Soldier's and Salior's Monument. New reinforced concrete pads
are being fabricated and poured in the near future. The project is to be completed in time for the annual Memorial Day ceremony. The transportation to and from our plant was also donated by a local rigging and trucking firm and the pads my be donated yet also. I don't know how to link it, but I watched a internet video of a 13" mortar live fired last night. I think it was done by Paulson Brothers. A very interesting video.
LTC

 

[n4zov]

We need a range report with photos!

Until then, here is a somewhat smaller version:

 

[Forester]

Originally posted by Eagle Guns:
Bristol N.H. I know that place well I used to vacation at New Found lake back in the late Forty's.Got married in 1954 and spent my Honeymoon at a cabin at the lake.I would like to return there some day and have a ice cream cone at the Mill Stream Ice Cream Shop or whatever they called it then? Thanks for the memories.

Hi Art. Wow, 40's, eh?

Your welcome back any time. If you want to take a drive some day I will host you for lunch and give you the grand tour. Unfortunately, there won't be any ice cream at the Millstream, as it burned to the ground about 6 or 7 years ago. Just an empty lot now.