Model Train Journal

Roy wrote:So, this is a hand-cranked Gatling cannon?

Yup, but much larger caliber than Gatling's piece. The magazine fits into a rectangular slot on the upper left side, crank would be on the right side.

Interestingly, it is of the same caliber (37mm) as the M3 anti-tank gun they have out front:



The Hotchkiss is mounted on a stone plinthe. When I was a boy it swiveled and swung up and down, but they've got it locked in place now...probably drilled pins into the trunnion to prevent movement. Disincentive for dumb@ss kids climbing on it, no doubt, lol. This is the only one (Hotchkiss revolving cannon) I've ever seen, but presumably there's a complete version in some ordnance museum somewhere.

OK. A bit oblique to such a challenge as what's normally shown on such a thread, but maybe you'll bear with me and glean some enjoyment from this challenge:

Can anybody identify this ?

It looks like a mouth, turned on its side.

Roy wrote:It looks like a mouth, turned on its side.

Nice first reply. In a way, it is a mouth, but not necessarily in the way one might expect, however.

Looks like something that's been under water and maybe part of ship.

Is it in New Jersey?

Whatever it is, it looks like it's made of concrete.

Probably a clam-snout...

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Looks like something that's been under water and maybe part of ship.

Interesting. But no relationship, directly, to water.

robert. wrote:Is it in New Jersey?

This will give part of it away: Pennsylvania.

healey36 wrote:Whatever it is, it looks like it's made of concrete.

Probably a clam-snout...

Made of concrete - that has not been my experience, not in its entirety, at least, that's for sure, but perhaps partly.
Clam-snout? That's out of my experience level. What is a clam-snout"?

...a slightly broader view...

MurphOnMillerAve wrote:...a slightly broader view...

Looks like a tunnel or entrance to a cave.....

It looks like the entrance to Wind Cave, South Dakota.

All right, since we have several of the big guns getting involved, here, with this one, here's another slightly broader glimpse...
(Given your analyses so far, you're going to be really surprised when you see the final reveal)

I see it now, it is a railroad slag car. I always thought their mouth was round, not shaped like Murph's mouth when he learns something new.