This is the tank I'm trying to model. I've robbed smoke canisters from a Zvezda T-34 kit, and I think I can fake up the mounts for them. However, the Tamiya T-55 from which I'm modifying this vehicle has a much different stowage box in the position circled. This particular tank is the only one I can find a photo of with this exact type of box back on the left rear corner.

Does anyone have any other photos that show what this box (circled here in red) looked like, or know what it was for??

Tks!



J

Could it be a suitcase? (Things do tend to fall into soldiers hands, and Soviet armor isn't know for roominess on the inside).

Hello

Its the oil tank... Its location does vary on different vehicles, you get the part in the Tamiya kit.

Cheers
Andy

I was looking more after my initial post today. That looks to all intents & purposes exactly like the smaller of the four fuel tanks on the right side of the fenders. Tamiya part D36 looks exactly the right size and shape.

Could that be an additional fuel tank vs an oil tank? Where is the oil tank located on other T-54/55s?? I've never seen any other photos of any tanks of this type with a fuel or oil tank in this location.

Tks for the inputs!

J

This probably isnt the best image i have...will have to look through lots of reference pics. But it does show the oil tank in this location..The Tanks in Pic are Type 69 command..

Andy

Thanks Andy! That's exactly what I'm seeing in my pic from Prague. Now I just need to find another one of those small tanks to use. I guess I can see if I can find a cheap Trumpeter T-54/55 kit to rob it from.

If anybody's got a junker 1/35 T-54 or 55 and could part with that small tank, I'd be game!

Thanks!

J

i would think the T-54 in you r pic would have only the 1 oil tank fitted...At the other side of the T-54 it would have fitted the small toolbox...If you have the Tamiya kit you get 1 of the oil cells in the kit..

Andy

I'll be danged if you're not right! I went through all the pics of T-54Bs I had from Prague and found this one. It appears, like the one I'm doing, to have the oil tank and the tool box reversed. I'd never noticed that before. Not many of them appear to be that way, but here's another one. Knocked out in the streets of Prague, and covered with graffiti.

Thanks for the help!

J

It's not a tool box. It's the storage box for the fuel transfer pump. They use that to pump fuel out of the drums on the back into the the fender fuel tanks. The storage box you see on the left rear fender on later T54s, T55s, and T62s hold parts for the deep fording equipment. Yes, it would only have 1 oil tank mounted on the left rear fender and the fuel transfer pump box where the oil tank was on the kit.




No, it's the oil tank. That's where it was mounted on early T54s and on Type59s and Type69s. The oil tank is located right where Tamiya has for later T54s and T55s. On T62s it's mounted over the exhaust outlet.




Sure, that's it. Part of a matched set of Soviet Tourister luggage.

Thanks for the info Tony, never quite sure what that particular box was for....so why would the type 69 carry this box?...they never had rear mounted fuel drums?...Note; some early boxes had different clasps etc to the one found in Tamiya kit..





Andy

It's for the fuel transfer pump. Just because they don't have drums mounted on the back, doesn't mean they wouldn't have a need to pump fuel out of drums.

FUEL TRANSFER PUMP...

got it

Do'h...

Thanks for all your kind help Andy & Tony! I think I've pretty well got it sorted out now.

Cheers,

J