|
     
"On the Road again"
This is meant to depict a late (but not quite finial) King Tiger being transported to the next stop-gap hot spot.
Here is the breakdown:
KT; DML 6232 late production. I used a set of DML transport tracks on the tank and battle tracks from a DML Jagdtiger kit. The kit comes with the final version tracks, which will go on something else. The kit comes with the choice of drive sprockets, so that was not an issue. I used the kit engine screens, and some bits from the LionRoar PE set for the Tamiya KT. I added weld beads on the back plate, front, and around the machine gun ball using R&J Zim rite (great stuff). The muzzle cover is scratched out of lead foil. Gun cleaning rods are scratched as well. Painted with Model Master enamils. Weathered with oil washes and pastels, and pencil. Sharp eyes will note that I included the jack block, but not the jack. From what I understand, the finial did not have either, but the jack was dropped before the jack block. Perhaps I am wrong, but I went with that. There is a fair amount of interior in the turret, but I figured everything would be buttoned up for transport.
SSYMS railcar: Ironside kit. This leaves MUCH to be desired. The only thing I liked about the kit were the dry transfers which are the best I have used. From there it goes down hill fast. The molding quality is without doubt the poorest I have seen on any kit. A lot of clean up here…. To top it off, they put the ejector pin holes (prominent) on the outside of parts instead of the inside?! Its painted black and weathered with a misting of Tamiya Buff. The kit says to paint it “Panzer Gray”, but all the pictures I could fine look pretty black. Sort of hard to tell in black and white photos though. The deck I hand painted with a 50/50 combination of Raw Umber and Soft Mixing White oil. Then I used a Raw Umber wash (not mixed with the white). Then I used some of my wife’s mineral makeup (comes with it’s own applicator!) to make it look used. This is the first time I used this stuff. It has the advantage of having some sort of grease (or?) that keeps it stuck to the model. I really like how it sticks, but unlike regular pastels chalks, once it’s on it can be hard to remove if you don’t like it. The mounting beams and blocks are real wood, weathered with stuff called “Weather-it” I got at the local hobby train store. It’s the wood version of Blacken-it. I was not totally satisfied with it, but I guess its ok.
Rail Track: The Trumpeter kit. Pretty straight forward, however I changed the way it was supposed to be assembled. Their way, the top of the ties barely came to the top of the ballast. In fact, some of the ballast high points were above the top of the ties. Therefore I modified the tie assembly so it would stick up more. In doing so I wondered if WWII German track bed might be different than modern USA track bed, but I did what I did. I sprayed the outside edge black first, then mask that and sprayed the ballast Model Master Gray Primer. Then applied a couple of Raw Umber washes. Then I hand painted the ties with the 50/50 oil mixture mentioned above. Then I added a two heavy Ivory Black oil washes to simulate the creosote that is so prominent on railroad ties (again using USA modern ties as my example, perhaps not correct).
Finally mounting the KT: I had assumed the tank was tied down somehow (again working from USA examples), but in researching it seems this is not the case. Apparently they would drive the tank up and position it. Then the battle tracks were winched up into place (usually by a FAMO) then large beams were placed just to the inside of the tracks and bolted down to the flatcar deck. These kept the tank from sliding to the sides. Then the large blocks were placed in front of and behind the tracks. There is actually nothing holding the tank down except gravity.
[View discussion] [Discuss my model]
|
