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REVIEW
Tank Workshop SSyms 80 ton flatcar
bill_c
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Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 05:12 AM UTC
Bill Cross reluctantly reviews Tank Workshop's 80-ton SSyms schwere Plattformwagen.



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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
c5flies
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Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 11:48 AM UTC
Excellent review Bill, thank you! Looks like you ended up with a very nice looking flatcar, although it sounds like you'll need to fix the drywall where you undoubtedly banged your head many times

Any other dogs you have in your stash please fill us in on them.
C_JACQUEMONT
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Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 10:52 PM UTC
Thanks!

It's refreshing to have this kind of review sometimes, restores faith in the whole reviewing process.

I bought one of those from eBay years ago and it's still in my stash, I didn't pay full retail so it lessens the pain somewhat, but not much!

Cheers,

Christophe
bill_c
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Posted: Friday, July 27, 2012 - 01:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Excellent review Bill, thank you! Looks like you ended up with a very nice looking flatcar, although it sounds like you'll need to fix the drywall where you undoubtedly banged your head many times

Thanks, James, it got worse when Libor Zachoval kindly pointed out I put the springs on upside down! Spent part of last night GENTLY removing and re-positioning them. That's when the poor adhesion issue actually worked to my advantage, LOL.

Quoted Text

It's refreshing to have this kind of review sometimes, restores faith in the whole reviewing process.

Thanks, but I assure you, we never pull punches here, even with donated kits from regular advertisers. The manufacturers don't always like it, but editorial integrity is paramount to both myself and the rest of the staff.

While I don't doubt that TWS is right about not receiving complaints about the kit, I suspect it's because a lot of them are sitting unbuilt in stashes. With some of my friends hoarding 100s of kits, that's not surprising.
C_JACQUEMONT
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Posted: Friday, July 27, 2012 - 03:02 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Thanks, but I assure you, we never pull punches here, even with donated kits from regular advertisers. The manufacturers don't always like it, but editorial integrity is paramount to both myself and the rest of the staff.


True, but with many great products coming out nowadays, it's easy to think everything is rosy, this kind of review serves as a "reality check". Also, if you have a rating that potentially goes from 0% to 100% you need to have some products rating in the lower numbers, if only as reference for the other, better products.

I'm very fond of this famous quote from Beaumarchais "Sans la liberté de blâmer, il n'y a pas d'éloge flatteur" which roughly translates into "Without the freedom to criticize, there is no true praise.”

As for Tank Workshop the current owner bought the company complete with its earlier offerings, so his responsability in the quality of all the items is not in question. If you look at older items from great companies like Accurate Armour or even a mainstream manufacturer like Tamiya, you can always find stuff that is not very good.

Cheers,

Christophe
bill_c
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Posted: Friday, July 27, 2012 - 04:18 AM UTC
Thanks, Christophe, we have the same thing here in the States: there is no freedom of speech unless you have the freedom to say what I disagree with, no matter how odious. There are, of course, exceptions (the famous example of crying "fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire, though that one has now taken on a sinister undertone thanks to the madman in Aurora, CO).

We did have a company who was an advertiser react quite negatively to a bad review, but overall the manufacturers realize that our reviewers are only doing their job. And even bad reviews can result in sales if the buyer decides to take the risks. An informed consumer appreciates that.

With so many good models coming out these days, it's often unfair to "dump" on an older release like this one. The only justification for "calling it like it is" is because folks like yourself have these older kits in their stashes, buy them from estate sales, or purchase them from eBay and the like.

But I promise to seek out some **** and review it to lower my overall ratings score!
TacFireGuru
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Posted: Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 03:19 AM UTC
Bill,

Good review. This is not one that I have in my stash, but I do have a few others. Hmmmm.....

I always did want to know; what is that tent-like thing behind the Tiger? A tent?

Mike
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Posted: Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 04:23 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Bill,

Good review. This is not one that I have in my stash, but I do have a few others. Hmmmm.....

I always did want to know; what is that tent-like thing behind the Tiger? A tent?

Mike


Yes its a tent, in reality it was made from fastening several Zeltbahn's together (the splinter smock you often see German troops wearing or rolled up and fastened to their webbing)
bill_c
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Posted: Saturday, July 28, 2012 - 08:13 AM UTC
Rob is correct, it's a tent, though I don't know how one would pitch a tent on a flatcar.
Braille
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Posted: Sunday, July 29, 2012 - 07:22 AM UTC
@bill_c – Bill,

Bill you’ve done it again, one heck of a magnificent review. I don’t have this kit in the stash and are waiting for Libor’s rendition to appear, hopefully in the very near future. However, I happen to be one of those happy go lucky scratch building freaks that enjoys the challenge so after reading through your review and noting all of the issues that need to be addressed with building this kit it would be for me a fun and enjoyable build, but I’m sure not for others. Thanks for your honest and sincere review for without this type of feedback our hobby would not be where it is today.

I think that your completed 80-ton flatcar looks the part and will certainly give me the needed inspiration of starting and completing the 50-ton flatcar that’s now in the stash for the Panther F that I have on the workbench. BTW, you could have centered the wooden deck over the frame and added pieces of styrene strip to each end and painted them the same color as the frame giving them the illusion of being part of the frame?

~ Eddy
bill_c
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Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - 02:52 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Bill you’ve done it again, one heck of a magnificent review.

Thanks, Eddy, I'm blushing.

Quoted Text

I happen to be one of those happy go lucky scratch building freaks that enjoys the challenge so after reading through your review and noting all of the issues that need to be addressed with building this kit it would be for me a fun and enjoyable build.

It builds up very nicely if you put the right amount of "love" into it.

Quoted Text

BTW, you could have centered the wooden deck over the frame and added pieces of styrene strip to each end and painted them the same color as the frame giving them the illusion of being part of the frame?

I did that, but TWS sent me some replacement wood decking to do the job. Its grain ran the "wrong" way, so I had to abuse the surface and stain it to make it match better. My styrene planking actually looked better, but lining up the bolt holes proved a challenge.

Be careful with the springs: I put mine on upside down, and damaged one removing them for proper placement.
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