Type WE210 Double I
Workable Track Link Set for Grant/Sherman/RAM
Bronco Models 1:35 Scale Kit No. AB3543
Review by Terry Ashley

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This next set of Sherman tracks from Bronco gives us the distinctive WE210 Double I track that was developed for use on the initial Grants/Shermans used by the Commonwealth forces in North Africa and was only used on lend lease vehicles as well as on the Canadian built RAM Tank (and derivatives)  

The set consists of 960 parts in light beige plastic with sprue A (x8) being common to all the track sets and sprue B (x8) having the outer track pad for the different types of track in the sets.

Sprue images

Detail images

The parts are cleanly moulded with the only cleanup other than the sprue attachment burs is a bit of fine flash on the tip of some guide teeth. The track rods (part A1) have sizable mould seams but these don’t hinder assembly or the track articulation so save some cleanup by ignoring this.

Due to the number of parts there is quite a bit of sprue bur cleanup but the most time consuming cleanup is with the small end connectors that have two proportionally large sprue attachments and care is needed when trimming these, the end connectors are also not easy to grab hold of due to their shape.

Detail on the link parts is nicely done with the rubber block matching available data well and the end connectors are also the correct size and have nicely defined pin ends and guide tooth with the inner rounded profile but the self locking nut isn’t that well defined and some may wish to replace this?

Each link is made up of four parts, the inner pad half, two full width track rods (2xPart A1 for 4 rods) and the outer pad half; there are also the two end connectors that overlap each link.

The instructions on the back of the box show to lay two of the track rod parts over a inner track pad half and then attach the outer pad half trapping two of the rods and leaving the other two rods exposed to repeat the process for each link. Obviously care is needed when attaching the outer pad not to glue the rods as well.

You must also take care to fit the track rods the right way around as the flat section at each end is designed to fit to the end connectors and this flat section must face the inner pad half, it’s easy to get this wrong if not careful.

After assembling a section of track pads the end connectors are designed to attach to each end of the exposed track rod, this is not easy without getting glue on the track pads in the process as the attachment point is quite small and the end connector rests against the end of the pads.

I decided on a different method of assembly to bypassed that process for the end connectors as I could only see pain if you wanted the links fully workable, it really wouldn’t matter for the ground track run and gluing these solid might be an advantage.

The first step was to glue the end connectors to the ends of the track rod parts and letting the glue dry completely before proceeding. You then continue as before by slipping the inner pad half over the rods and trapping with the outer half to complete each track link, repeating the process for the full track run.

The individual track rods and end connectors after cleanup (left)
and the assembled rods/end connectors ready for fitting to the track blocks

Assembled track runs using the modified method of attaching the end connectors
to the track rods before fitting the block halves as described above

I also didn’t glue the track pad halves together as indicated in the instructions but instead ran a small dab of liquid glue along the outer pad join; this will seal the join should you want to smooth this out for the links around the drive sprocket and idlers.

The assembled track run is very robust and articulates freely and I test fitted the tracks to applicable kit drive sprockets from Academy, DML, and Tasca to see how the fit went for the different sprockets.

The Bronco track fitted the drive sprockets on the DML (Sherman Mk.III kit #6313) and Tasca (M4A1 Sherman kit #35-010) kits perfectly as they came unaltered.

Modifications to the Academy Grant drive sprockets to allow the Bronco track to fit.

With the Academy (M3 Grant kit #1394) the space between the sprocket discs was slightly too narrow as well the discs being too thick to allow the track guide teeth to fit and the easiest way to fix this is to add a small .5mm plastic card spacer to the inner sprockets hub before fitting together. You may also have to thin the sprocket teeth a fraction but test fitting will determine this. As you fit the track around the modified Academy sprockets the end connectors will flex inwards to bit between the sprockets to aid in the fit also.

Bronco track on the Academy M3 Grant kit

Bronco track on the DML Sherman III kit

Bronco track on the Tasca Sherman III kit

This set of WE210 Double I track has nicely detailed end connectors and block detail and as with other individual working tracks the most time consuming part is the part cleanup.

The end connectors with the two proportionally large attachments need the most care but once the cleanup is done assembly is fairly straightforward but not without some built in traps with gluing the end connectors as described above.

The assembled track is robust with well defined detail and will add a nice degree of definition to the tracks when fitted to the applicable Grant/Sherman based kits.

Rating 8.5/10

SHERMAN A History of the American Medium Tank R.P.Hunnicutt. Presidio Books ISBN 0-89141-080-5

Modeler's Guide to the Sherman MMIR Special. Ampersand Publishing Company, Inc

Thanks to my credit card and for the review set.