I haven't posted for a bit. But that doesn't mean the K-5E Rail-gun is not progressing. Actually over the 4th I fired my real cannons. Scale napoleon 12 pdr and a Coehorn mortar. We live in the country so no safety issues.

Ok, as you can see by the pictures I have scratch built a few items. A wooden box for on the front truck, I also made air hoses connecting the gun carriage to the front trucks. I saw this in a K-5E book , I will be painting them black rubber. I used some extra Eduard parts for the connecting fixtures. I have several sets of ammo. I made a wooden pallet for some ,I made a steel pallet painted for projectiles, ten I loaded the pushcart with ammo,rounds,powder and canister also you can see a mock up of a gunner pushing the cart.s,then another pallet for the powder containers. I also glued rounds etc on the on gun cart. Then complete rounds(shell, powder and canister) on the lift for the crane. With all the ready ammo I could have a big secondary explosion!!!

Talking about secondaries, in Vietnam(105 How) you didn't use all the powder bags. Firing thousands of rounds in a day the powder bags stacked up. One of my duties was to burn it.There's the Army way and the way we did it.Lay it in a circle and spiral it and when you touch it off(it burns not explode). Well one time it made a huge tornado of fire that scared the French Plantation owners plus it burned a lot of cover and concealment for charlie.

Ok back to Leopold or is it Robert (both were at Anzio).The attached photos show what I have done.Hope you like!

The extras you're adding on look good, Lou. The only thing you might want to watch out for is the weight on the carts, especially if they are going to be hand pushed. For example, the one cart you show loaded with 6 shells plus powder and cases. Add the weight of the cart to that load and you're looking at a total of around 2 tons. Just something you want to keep in mind when you set up the display.

Thank you for the input. You are correct in that each round weighs about 250 kg. On youtube I watched a clip of the K-5E on a Vogle (sp) turn table, the Germans had a cart with 6 rounds,admittedly no powder but they did have carts. Also I made the cart to run on rails,so that once you get it rolling a few men could push it.
My final caveat(lol) is that this is for display in my Army room ,so I want to show a lot. Most people will not know,only you and I!! I was just pleased to get the tiny decals,on each round) to stick and not silver. I used Micro set and micro sol,then Av matte finish to kill the shininess.

I have done more on the K-5E Leopold. I put the railing on,chains and the gunners station. i also put the ammo and the base I plan on using. The model goes on a shelf(to be delivers soon) that is 48 x1 0x 1 1/8 inches. I plan on posing the gun crew and adding some grass and bushes.The photos were taken on a kitchen counter top.

One important thing I have discovered that with the barrel)metal one) installed the whole thing is not jut unsteady but will tip over as in crash!!!! So I plan on gluing the rail trucks to the track and the carriage to the trucks. I think I need to install some sort of bracing between the trucks and the gun carriage,I want it to look like it was built that way. Suggestions appreciated. I have some square logs(like rail ties that if I paint will not be noticeable I plan on using crazy glue . Or perhaps epoxy???

Here are the photos.I am pleased with the chains thy look real. Note the chain holding up the gunners lid. I saw in a movie that they used chain there,


















.

I'm using this thread for MY build... when I catch up on all the 'other stuff'.

Lot's of things I have learned by just watching, most of the detail work here will be hard to beat.

One thing is that I really like the camo, that sets it apart!



~ Jeff

I am still working on my K-5E ,I have the kit decals and I bought the Archer Leoplold dry transfers. I got the Leopold and another transfer on and they look great!! Then I tried to put more on and they didn't work at all. I ordered another sheet from Archer again. I mentioned my problems. I paid and thought that was it,that I was doing something wrong and screwed it up. This am got an e mail that Archer (Woody the owner) had tested some of the Leopold on his shelf and they were defective and that they refunded my money and are sending me new Leopold sheets.To me this is above and beyond. Permit me to compliment Archer and recommend them highly as honest ,professional and just great to deal with!!Plus their product looks fabulous! I cannot recommend them enough.I bought eye balls for my German gun crew.Pretty difficult to fire the thing without eyeballs,lolol.

Now to the thing that has been the most difficult, the &^&%*&#^#$&*^%$@$$@ ladders I think I may have done it but until I finish no pictures.
I got the shelf and have installed it on the wall for my sculpture,The K-5E. I am sooooooo LUCKY to have a military wife,who DOES understand me. And no you cannot have her ,she mine.

Got the new Archer transfers and I have added the ones that I know the correct location.A bunch go on the rail trucks. I have used future to prep the areas.When dry tomorrow I will add them. Please not I have transferred some to decal paper,which Archer sent me free, so they will go on as decals as the space is too small for rubbing.
I got a shelf on E Bay 48in x10in x 2in in shiny black,as you can see it is mounted in my ARMY/War Room. I will be adding bushes and some grass to sort of make it look like Italy. I also have to finish the German gun crew. Here are some photos of the carriage w/Leopold, the shelf and the rail tricks. Also the Ammo display.
Hope you approve!






This shot is of the new ladder I am making. Finally it looks good so far!!





This is the carriage on a jig/holder I made so parts do not break off and it is steady to work on!












More photos tomorrow. I may try eyeballs for the gun crew.

Antal. Thanks for the heads up on the insignia or rank. I may or may not change it as most will not know and I am not entering contests.In the future I know. US ranks etc are no problem, but thanks for the attention to detail, I probably put SS cuff bands on regular arty troops,oh well.

Now for the one or 2 of you who are following this,tonight I finished decaling1 the monster!!
After lots of looking and research what you see is my best guess. Here are photos of the various markings. I used Archer dry transfers to clear decal sheets then using micro set and micro sol ,I placed the decals. Please note I used Future to make a smooth base. Once all dries I will use AV matte varnish to dull the gloss.

I will touch up paint and finish the ladders. Then the gun is done. Then I will have to glue the rails to the base,the truck wheels to the rails and then glue/epoxy the gun carriage to the trucks.Finally when all is secure I will glue the metal barrel and then the gun is done. As time goes on I will add the gun crew.
Meanwhile here are photos of the decaled parts.

That's a lot of decals! It looks good, though.

Bob you are right a lot of decals. Most people don't know that the guns had split crews. The gun was German Army the rail cars were Reichsbahn. German RR.
I do not intend the weather the gun much,perhaps just a few spot of repainting.

For those of you who aren't Artillery you may not understand our loyalty to our guns I know every piece I ever commanded was kept in tip top shape. I can only imagine whet the crews felt when they had to abandon the GUNs,

Now to tonight's entry The LADDERS!!!!Here are photos I am so pleased, Straight even with the hangars. Plus the staybacks They are straight and to me look great!!! I hope you all think so too!!
Here are the photos,I even made a small ladder for the Gunners platform.













Hope you approve almost finished and ready to mount

Some of your decals have silvering. Did you apply a gloss coat, first?

The ladders are a vast improvement over your first attempts.

Bob AFV fan thanks fr the positive comment on the ladders,It only took me 6 times to get them looking ok.
I have finished the GUN!!!!!! Final photos soon. I stumbled across a source and noted a wheel at the gunnery station to adjust the quadrant(elevation in artillery speak). Plus you need to calculate forks(the difference in elevation between gun and target added or subtracted from QE (quadrant)
I digressed, the photo here are of a wheel I made. I bought some round copper rings at Hobby lobby.2 bags that looked close to scale.One was too big the other looked good. Then I cut a piece of sprue and placed it center.then I cut rod that looked to scale and made and glued the pieces as spokes. Then I cut them to length and painted the wheel brass ,then coats of black and made it look like a brass wheel. Then I glued it on the gunnery wall. Hope you like,

The blob on the wheel is covered by the German Gunner when finished!!

Gentlemen here for your visual pleasure and awe are photos taken in my war room of a 42 in long German rail gun The K-5E ,Leopold.












































If there are things you want to see just let me know and I will try to accommodate you!
This was long build and I made several mistakes but I think it turned out ok.

Artillery the King of Battle!!

Sorry Lou, your pics aren't showing.

I don't know why the pics aren't here!! I will try again

Good job, Lou. That looks great on display!

Hi Lou

I am in awe of your build, it is incredible.

I am just about to start this journey and you have taken some of the fear out of it for me but it is still very scary.

I will be referring to your blog for inspiration over the coming months, as this is my winter project

Thanks for sharing

Regards

Steve H

Nice going Lou ... its a monster of a kit and even tho i have the trumpeter one i know its one hell of a model to build ..you did nice man ..the crew really fill it out which i didnt bother with mine ,,lazy i guess
Mine died a little while ago when it was in storage but the barrel lived and so did a few other parts so since your an old artillery dude you'll like this ,,i am turning it into a SPG ,going to mount it on a E100 chassis ..this will get fun
Again ... very nicely done mate

Phill