Armour
Track Models
Soviet Model 1946 580mm Track
for Russian Tank T-54/55/62/ZSU-57-2
Chinese Tank T-59/69/79/80/85
Israel Tank Ti-67
1/35 #TK-05
Review by Terry Ashley
With the imminent
release of the Tamiya T-55 I thought we’d have a look at this set
of individual link working track for the T-55 which has been around for a while.
The track set is designed
primarily for the Esci, Trumpeter, Lee or Skif kits
and the Tamiya T-62 and for that reason you also get a resin drive sprocket
and idler to replace the kit wheels ensuring the track fits the drive sprocket.
(Of course you wouldn’t use the resin drive sprocket on the T-62).
The resin parts are good
quality although there is some flash and the obligatory casting blocks to be
removed. The inner and outer wheel is included in the one casting, so you only
need clean them up and fit to the model. As the wheel attachment on each kit
would be different, you will need to make the appropriate adjustments to fit.
The track links are injection
moulded two to a sprue with separate pins to fit the links together in much the
same method as ModelKasten.
Each link has the sprue attachment points requiring cleanup as well as two prominent
pin ejector marks on each link, thankfully these are all raised to make it easy
to remove, the links also have a nice surface cast effect included.
You also get a plastic jig
to lay out lengths of track links to help fit together, unfortunately this job
is nothing but frustrating.
The small pins used to attach each link have rounded ends (unlike the ModelKasten
pins which have pointed ends) and unless you line up the holes between the links
precisely they simple will not slip into place.
A fair bit of fiddling is required to get the pin to fit; it is not advisable
to force the pin in as you can easily damage them beyond repair. I found using
the jig provided made it impossible to get a good line up between the holes in
each link, by using my preferred method of holding the links between the fingers
made it easier to move them to get the holes to line up. After a while you get
the hang of the appropriate position and they get easier as you proceed.
Once assembled a small dab of liquid cement on the outside of each pin will
hold them in place and you trim off the pin sprue after this is dry. The links
articulate easily and fit around the drive sprocket well and should give a nice
sag effect.
To the question of weather these tracks will fit the Tamiya kit is easy,
they won't fit the Tamiya sprockets, but there is the resin sprocket in
this kit if you wish to use them?
Page Created 10 November 2002
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