RSO Tractor Track & Sprocket Set
Modelkasten 1:35 Scale Set No. SK-33
Review by Terry Ashley

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This set of workable tracks from Modelkasten is designed for the Italeri RSO ‘Raupenschlepper Ost’ kits to replace the poor kit vinyl tracks. The links are moulded on small sprues in the standard Modelkasten chocolate coloured plastic with each sprue having two links and two track pins. Also included are new drive and idler sprockets in the same plastic to replace the Italeri kit sprockets that have incorrect details with the only cleanup being the sprue attachment burs.

You should note the links are handed with one left and one right link on each sprue so be careful when cutting the links free not to mix these up.

Plastic parts

The actual RSO track links are 340mm wide which in 1:35 scale is 9.7mm with the plastic links being 9.7mm wide, give or take a fraction. The links have well defined detail that includes the contour on the inside of the sprocket tooth hole as these are not perfect rectangle cut-outs, they also have the rectangular cleats as seen on some RSO track while others have diamond shaped cleats.

The sprockets represent the different drive and idler sprockets quite well but the drive sprocket has the distinctive Steyr logo missing from the hub which is quite conspicuous. You will need to use the Modelkasten  sprockets as the track will not fit to the Italeri kit sprockets.

Assembly is very straightforward but you don’t get an assembly jig as you do in a number of other Modelkasten track sets, not that it is really needed anyway. As noted above the links are handed and the end with the mounded on track pin should be on the outside of the tracks on both the left and right hand side of the vehicle.

You simply insert one link onto the link pin inside the track pin side on another link and insert the supplied track pin with the sprue still attached for easier handling. The track pin should be glued to fully secure in place but do not use thin liquid cement as the capillary action will simply glue the lot together. By putting a small dab of thicker cement on the pin just below the bolt head (not on the tip obviously) you then just insert the pin to secure the links.

Track assembly

Repeat this for subsequent links and when you have section of links joined and the cement has dried you simply cut off the sprue level with the bolt head, use a sharp blade for this to avoid any damage to the pin.

The assembled track runs articulate very well and fit to the Modelkasten sprockets well as you would expect. They also fit the new DML RSO kit sprockets precisely and can be used to add fully working tracks to that kit if you wish.

Tracks added to Italeri (top) and DML (bottom) RSO kits



This is a cleanly moulded set of working track with minimal cleanup and very accurate in size, the additional sprockets will add detail as well as allow the track to be fitted to the Italeri RSO kits.

Assembly is very straightforward and the tracks will fit the supplied Modelkasten sprockets or the DML RSO sprockets very but not the Italeri kit sprockets (hence the new sprockets in the set) and allow natural track sag easily.

Rating 8.5/10

7.5cm Pak 40/4 auf gep. Selbstfahrlafftte Raupenachleper OST (RSO) Nuts & Bolts Vol. 09 Revised	Panzerjaeger Panzer Tracts No.7.3 Thomas L Jentz, Hilary Louise Doyle
Allied & Axis No.20 Raupenachleper OST Ampersand Publishing	Ground Power Magazine #119- 4/2004 Published by GALILEO Publishing Co.,Ltd

Thanks to my credit card and the excellent service from for the review kit.