Joseph
Thank You for your thoughts. Lets see 50 broken small parts times that idea and I'll be back to the start. Where I should have been to start with. My s&h for this was $60.00. Now I'm guessing that I will be spending several hours taking photos and sending them to the seller. Then I might have to glue, sand and spot touch 50 plus small parts, great...
Still looks big. I'll start taking the bags apart tomorrow and taking pics of the broken parts and emailing them. I'll keep the parts in the bags they came from as suggested.

Thanks to all for input.

Later 42rocker

Sorry to hear it arrived in such a shape. If the inner cardboard boxes were open BEFORE you got it, I would fear parts may be missing. Send the seller the pictures, and if you can find another undamaged one, I would go for that.

Well there are a lot of boxes for a Dora 1/35 model. That's for sure. I copied the parts (spruce trees) manual diagrams and then started to open and go through the bags and compare to the diagrams.
Do you have any idea what it feels like to cut open a bag and pour out about 50 or more parts that should be still attached to the spruce trees? And all of the extra small broken off bits and pieces. So far as I can tell about 8 broken brake shoe parts. And a few other things so far. Anyone have an left over spare parts? Like the wheel handles? About 4 hours so far counting in and photographing the broken parts and non broken parts. I hope to finish checking in the parts and noting the broken parts and then start emailing the pics to the seller in hopes of working something out. Hope.

Later 42rocker

From my experience, many parts will fall off the trees. There are many extra brake shoes and hanger parts. Perhaps matching parts to the instructions, to see if you have enough undamaged ones will be a help. Railings which are broken, can be fixed, just give the glue time to dry.

Carl
Does the kit have extra of those small round handles? That's really clear LOL. I'm talking about part #B-9, kit starts with 20 - B1-23 trees with 10 #9 wheels on each one, page 7. However I'm still missing a couple.. If the kit came with a few spares then I'm good to go with the hand wheels. Thanks for the info on the spare brake pad parts. That makes me feel better. I only have about one more box of parts to check out. There will need to be a lot of small parts rebuilding to before this kit is done.

Later 42rocker

Well as requested by the seller I started opening the box's and bags and looking for the broken parts and taking pics of everything.

Well remembering what Carl and other have said about keeping the parts together in the bags that they came in. I would like to offer the following advice on starting a Dora build.

1st Copy all of the parts diagram pages (also saving them as jpegs (or) also).
2nd As you check in your parts on the copies note what carton or box and bag (if wanted) that they came from. Saves time in a parts searches later. Lots of time, which of 6 boxes is that part in? Of course it's always at the bottom.
3rd Now make copies of the build pages so you can make notes on them. Also save as jpegs (or) this page you can enlarge the directions and print them out in a larger print (for those of us that need it)
4th After you have gotten over how BIG it is now try to clear / find an area for it. Then find a smaller work area. Normal one if you are one of those luck enough to have a normal hobby work area.

GOOD LUCK.

Later 42rocker

Well just had to.
Opened that track box up and set the track out and all I could think was
WOW sure is going to be BIG...

Hope to start some pics next week. Have a nice weekend.

Later 42rocker

There may be about 12 or so extra round handwheels (#9) on the B sprues, which will go along the sides of the large "girder" shaped pieces.
Make a serious effort to post many pictures. I can see where yu may hit a few snags.

Carl
Well there are 10-#9 hand-wheels on a spruce, 29 spruces equals 290 hand-wheels... In reviewing the instructions I don't see a call for that many. I found most of them in the pile of stuff that came out of the bag when I opened it. All but one, that is. So I'm hoping that, like the brake parts they gave us a few spares.
Looks like I will be working on the 1/35 Dora at work. Because in the long run that's where I will be displaying it anyway.
So started popping the parts off the spruces trees for part one, page 13 on Friday. Lots of small boxes and bags.
Did anyone cut the trucks first, then build and add the brake parts or build the cars with the brake parts then cut the cars in half?
So which should I think about doing
1. Cut / Build?
2. Build / Cut? Which seems to be what everyone posting seems to be doing. Thoughts???

Later 42rocker

I did not cut mine, I think there is an article either here, or on another site, where a builder cut his. I would suggest cutting, and making the new "ends" before doing brake work.
There will be spare brake shoes, and many of the hangers and such.

Well just received an update. My 1/72 Dora is starting it's trip, should take a while before it gets here. Hope that the hands that handle it are more careful than the ones that "handled" my poor beat up 1/35 Dora.

Later 42rocker

Well started popping the parts off the trees for page one. Got all off for the first page today and planning to start reviewing how to get them together for the next step as I think that you could glue them in the wrong place and have a problem or two. Dug out the truck bodies towards the end of the day and will review with a dry fit or two. Build the brake parts straight on to the car as someone else has suggested or build them as the directions show and then glue on ot the truck body.

Later 42rocker

Assemble c 10 / 14/15 P11 and C20 / 18trap c20 / 18, and p11, without glue, until you add the B1's. Place the B1's into the holes on the frame, then level the C20 / 18 and glue them The P11 will fit in a hole on the frame A2 ish and you can glue where it is trapped on the C10- C14 assembly.When all the barke shoes are on , you can make up a few wheel and axles, to get their contac poit right, before gluing the P11, and B1's to the frame, rather than just having them pushed into the location holes.

Well Carl that sure sounds like a plan, I'll check it out when I get to work and get a break.

Later 42rocker

Well this starting to turn into a blog, I guess.
Any rate spent most of the day working, during a few spare minutes I removed more of the parts from the spruce trees and looked at other Dora builds. Noted the following...
Carl when I look at your 1/72 Dora I see a large gap between 1st and 2nd truck/car. When I look at Michael's build I know that he has cut the front track into 2 trucks BUT when I look at his build pics, his build page 3 17/1/2012 11:20 pic, I don't really see that much of a gap between his now cut apart trucks. ??? Is the 1/72 Dora gap correct?? If so then I should also see it in the 1/35 scale also.

Thoughts???

Later 42rocker

Well just ordered a couple of things to go with the future 1/35 Dora display.
1st Dragon 1/35 Cyber Hobby German Railway Flatbed Typ Ommr (2 Axle) & bonus Machine Gun Team Artillery Crew & Rail Track. #9114
Hope the extra crew pieces will look good on or near the Dora. Having a machine gun crew near should also look good. And a flat bed railroad car should also work.
2nd Dragon 1/35 Cyber Hobby German Railway Gondola Typ Ommr With bonus Gun Crew and MG gun, Feldgendarmerie w/Dogs figure set & track. # 9115
Hope that will also work in well. More 1/35 rail stock if nothing else.
Found them both in a clearance section.

Any other thoughts of other stuff that would work well?

Later 42rocker

Yeah, that is a major difference between the 72nd and 35th Doras. I guess if you can look at a photo of the real gun from the side, you can discern which gap is correct. I like the general configuration, of the 35th Dora, as the pivot points on the bogies, and on the spanning bolster above them, have the circular bearing surfaces, they would pivot on, while in transit / use.

Well for the fun of it. I just looked at Peter Shaw's 1/6 Dora build. Well the picture of the plans shows 8 trucks, that said the 1/6 Dora shows only 4 trucks. However there is small extra spacing between wheel sets 5 and 6. His plans show 8 trucks. Yet he only builds 4. Interesting.

My question on cutting the trucks apart is what is planning for the support that Carl is talking about. Can't just cut and leave it hanged there on the same spot.

So far I have not seen a rebuild plan to support the
"pivot points on the bogies, and on the spanning bolster above them, have the circular bearing surfaces", that they would pivot on. Or did I just miss one someplace?

Anyone on that?

Later 42rocker

Tim,
Glad to see your diving in on a Dora build - "good luck"! Overall I think the fit is nice but there are a LOT of little things they missed in making the kit. I would suggest you listed to Carl, Michael, Luis and anyone else who has the "book" or has built it and will give advice. It's easier to do it once than redo it a second time. As far as the cars, I also cut them in half. I shortened them up a bit by removing the material up to the spring itself and made new spring hangers and an end plate. You gain some turning radius which probably will be necessary for a turning diorama and as Carl told me, you cant really see any of the detail where you cut the cars. It's hidden by the wagon that piviots on front and back car. It was an easy fix. Well have fun with it, keep posting, I'll be reading.

Dave

By the way, I've got the premium edition and the tracks, even though they are metal they are a bit over scale (I'll use them anyway). Also mine came with about a quarter of the little pieces broken from the sprues, follow Carls tip closley and keep stuff in original bags!! And many of the parts, not lots concidering how many there are, were broken but a bit of "Pro Weld" fites them right up.

Dave
It would be interesting to compare notes on regular vs the premium edition.
As mine regular, came with metal (aluminum) tracks.
What other items are different?

Thanks to all for input.

Later 42rocker

When I got mine in 2006, it had the metal rails, and the PE decks for the spanning bolsters.
The main girders plug into a circular ring on the spanning bolster. That is the "bearing surface" I am describing.
On either end of the long bogies, you will have parts to make 2 more bearing surfaces. This is why the Dora had that spanning unit.The lower trucks were in 2 sections. The curves the trainn would have to go through, on the way to the firing / assembly site, would be whatever were on the railroad.
Google images of Schnabbel railroad cars for examples.

Carl
Went to a couple of sites and saw what you were talking about and noted that I will have to scratch build something to hold things up when I cut the cars apart.
Had to deal with a couple of 1/1 water pipes here at the store so did not work on the kit to much.

Update on working on kit. Got the cutters out again and went after spruce C1-29 times 29 of course. I believe that I have everything cut out for the first two pages. For the first time I feel better about the amount of broken pieces that I received in this kit. I was the second buyer of this kit and it had been shipped twice. The first buyer refused it as damaged. Mark on the package, I noted it after ups had left. The number of items minus broken parts is still more than I need at this time.
Tomorrow I will try to fit up a few of the pieces as Carl talked about a few posts up.

More Later 42rocker.

Need to add that Dave Erickson in his build noted about replacement wire for the railings and grill replacement mesh. He stated """Tim, the wire is from K & S Engineering. I got it from the local hobby shop, it's 0.047" & 0.036" - $0.95 ea. The mesh is from Amaco, it's called contour mesh, is 1/16" hole size aluminum. I got it from Blick Art (on line)- $18.00 for 3 sheets - 16" x 20"."""
1st wire is KNS-502
2nd mesh is dickblick_com number 33408-2250 for 3 sheets

Plans anyone have a copy for sale or that they are willing to share?

Later 42rocker

Needed a place to put this info from other builds and such.

Luis Alvirez build

One is the Gerhard Taube book.
There are tons of little details wrong but all very fixable
All the railings should be replaced
The stairs at the top are WAY wrong
The Elevators need to be datailed
Pulleys are super simplified and wrong.
The Barrel is REALLY wrong and HAS to be changed.

http://www.track-link.net/gallery/6442
http://www.track-link.net/gallery/6502


Dave Erickson build

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/184453&ord=&page=1

Michael build

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/157227#1567922

his website

http://www.world-in-scale.de/

planned modifications:

- changing the 4 wagons to originally 8
- shorten of the gun barrel
- using mesh for all catwalks
- using metal buffers instead of the plastic parts
- adding chains to the handrails
- using balsa wood instead of all plastic "wood" parts
- adding pipes, wiring, ...
- modifiying of the cranes
- using metal parts for correct ammunition
- opening the doors of the generating station and adding interion (if I will find good pictures)
- building a diorama

Grouping this together will help me and hopefully some other folks. If I left anyone or thing out please let me know. I'm looking for Carl's build info and did not find it. Found his 1/72 info. But not his 1/35 info. Carl help? Ok just found some of Carl's 1/35 build info

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/100681#831184

Carl's 1/72 info.

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/169756#1424992

Would also like to see some of Kym Knight Rab's Diorama work but all of the pics are down.

Another good info link

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol124lw.html

Later 42rocker

Well got a timed out so can't edit and add this.

ANGRY GREEK build

http://ipmsorlando.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=38cc6c51af878d37b41ec8c5d54b5ecd&topic=932.0

Any more out there???

Later 42rocker