From: ddoyle9570@aol.com
Date: Thu Sep 12 2002 - 16:52:11 PDT
I think that you are thinking of Joe Young, who had a training kit for sale a while back.
However, as I recall, Joe's kits were for the US M4T6 floating bridge, which is a treadway type bridge.
The Bailey Bridge, a British design, is portable truss bridge.
The US military has not used the Bailey type bridge for many years.
The M4T6 is only used by a few National Guard units. Although in the not to distant past the Guard float bridge units were deployed into areas where the M4T6 would work, and the ribbon bridge wouldn't. The similar class 60 floating bridge is only stocked at depot level, and isn't issued to anyone anymore.
The regular army is using the ribbon bridge, or improved ribbon bridge. These are copies of a Russian design, which in turn was based on a German design.
Sorry, I have forgotten the difference in ponton, and pontoon. I think pontons are rubber, and pontoons are rigid...but my memory fails.
Although if there are any vets on the list that served in a floating bridge outfit I am sure that they remember.
Hope this helps,
David Doyle
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