real time web analytics
Report - - Heavy Plant Scrapyard, Folkingham, Lincs, May 2017 | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Heavy Plant Scrapyard, Folkingham, Lincs, May 2017

Hide this ad by donating or subscribing !

HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
1. The History
RAF Folkingham is a former Royal Air Force station located to the south-west of Folkingham Lincolnshire. It opened in 1940 and was used by both the RAF and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used mainly as a troop carrier airfield for airborne units. Post- war it was placed on “care and maintenance” in 1947. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the RAF Bomber Command used Folkingham as a Thor Ballistic Missile base. On the closure of the Thor site, British Racing Motors (BRM) used the site to tested it cars there, but only remained for a few years. In the late 1960s the runways and some nissen huts were used by Lincolnshire Police as a driver training and skid pan area. In the mid-1960s the testing track closed and the airfield was sold off to local farmers.

Most of the runways and the peri-track were broken up for hardcore aggregate after the sale of the airfield by BRM. Today nothing remains of the technical site located to the north-east of the airfield. Part of the southern-half of the airfield remains including the full length (and width) of north-south main runway. This is now used as a vehicle compound for Nelson M Green & Sons Ltd. The company specialises in the storage of decommissioned and scrapped agricultural vehicles, lorries and other heavy plant. The vehicles, many often rare and long out of production, are stored for the resale of their spare parts. The majority are stored down either side of the main runway but abandoned plant also lines the sides of the remaining perimeter track and several of the old dispersal loops.

2. The Explore
Been on my list to do for a while. So eventually one sunny morning I headed off, parked up and made the short walk through the woods to the site. It’s a really weird place. You can smell the diesel that has leaked from all these old machines as you walk the former runway. They are lined-up down both sides and go on for hundred of metres. However, the older more interesting wrecks (including the DUKW) can be found around the old dispersal loops closer by to the wood. At first the place is a bit overwhelming but after a while you start to pick out the small and interesting features on the vehicles.

3. The Pictures

It’s a snake..nooo, it’s a caterpillar!

34666747790_3905354a76_b.jpg
img0634

Dozer:

34667017330_d1355d894e_b.jpg
img0655

Serious crane action:

34954760191_c3413391e7_b.jpg
img0691

34923138261_f6d2f784a1_b.jpg
img0637

34275094253_88f2a3e393_b.jpg
img0692

34244060043_a098547ddc_b.jpg
img0639

This heavy-duty crane looks pretty serviceable still:

35054569035_84cec20ddc_b.jpg
img0644

34923029211_ab08d7024a_b.jpg
img0650

34692053690_8cda3974bc_b.jpg
img0656

An old speedo:

34691973190_fe60dc5227_b.jpg
img0658

34948570231_56234e6d95_b.jpg
img0662

35046153466_d13b0072f5_b.jpg
img0664

35085825035_3eb0114b4d_b.jpg
img0670

34921680042_d6879f557f_b.jpg
img0672

34242284684_7ab769ffbd_b.jpg
img0674

34242258954_7b16d29775_b.jpg
img0675

34242100834_898fdc2810_b.jpg
img0681

34698533130_905183578f_b.jpg
img0685

34698477920_6cabb9003e_b.jpg
img0687

34921230222_a264352c9d_b.jpg
img0695

On to the older stuff on the dispersal loops:

35046652446_6fe7eb1617_b.jpg
img0718

34955918421_c86b017fa0_b.jpg
img0700

34699455120_84b6555251_b.jpg
img0704

34699406080_59778fcd2a_b.jpg
img0706

35046484346_7c2439a193_b.jpg
img0708

34955711731_cf5e0523e4_b.jpg
img0710

34275876253_87f9b23f33_b.jpg
img0713

34242571844_9a2efd91a7_b.jpg
img0716

34275626733_d3a1bdc8ce_b.jpg
img0717

And finally, on to the DUKW Amphibious vehicle, used during the D-Day landings, produced between 1942 and 1945, and used by the British Army up into the 1970s.

34955611741_cebcaae42d_b.jpg
img0712
 

Pinkman

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
This is pretty cool man, nice set. The decay on some of these old beasts is quite lovely :D
 
Top