I assume the Soviet military kept using T-54's and gradually replaced them with T-55's as they became available. For my 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis scenario, I assume the Soviets still used plenty of T-54B's on the frontlines. There is the Takom T-54B kit but no early T-55.

Hi Tom;

I think that if you look at the Tamiya T-55, they give A early T-55 option.

CHEERS; MIKE.

The Soviet military operated under the principle of "never throw anything away."

There were four categories of unit with category one getting the brand new top of the line T-62 and category four still using World War II T-34/85 and even a few T-34/76. T-62 in the early 1960s were earmarked for tank divisions and the T-55 for Motor Rifle divisions. As new T-55 came in the T-54 were moved down a category. With refitting and modernization programs the T-54 were brought up to T-55 specs. Even the T-34 were updated with the road wheels and night vision of the T-54/55.

So a category one tank division had T-62, a motor rifle division had T-55. Category two had modernized T-54, category 3 had older T-54 and T-34 and category 4 had all T-34. The handful of T-44 were in the mix to supplement the T-34. But if it existed it was used at the least for spares to keep enough running for training.

That's why you can find pictures of T-44s in training in the 1970s and modernized T-54/55 in service at the end of the Cold War.

Are you sure that T-34-85s (not /85) were upgraded with actual T-55 roadwheels? It is my understanding that the latter are substantially wider than T-34 wheels (T-55 is a heavier vehicle), so while they look similar in design, they are not actually interchangeable.

Same style of casting, different wheel because as you said the T-54/55 series is heavier. But quite recently a handful of T-34/85 were updated with the sprockets and track from the T-72 . Seems they're cheaper to operate than newer vehicles for training?

But that's not the point. The vehicles were retained and updated to keep them serviceable for lower category units.