Hi Allen,
Thank you. I mounted the smoke grenade launchers in the same position and orientation as shown in a prototype reference video I found. Maybe they were mounted in different ways over time/unit/location?

Hey Gino...thanks again for the parts.

Hey Dan,

The harder I think about it, the more confused I get...lol

I wouldn't change anything, yet. Some of the other guys may chime in with more accurate information.

Respectfully,
Allen

Allen,
Here's the prototype and model pics. I think I have them on the correct sides, buy I mounted them with the top of the array parallel to the turret handrails. The proto pic shows them at an angle to the handrails. Bummer I missed that. Good eye you have - it's not quite right on the model.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663LTJ5T2cySnpFN0E/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663Mk1kSTdjZlNiMjg/view?usp=sharing

Dan,
You've done an excellent job--great work-- I especially like the rotating turret. I do have a couple of minor comments-- The Aux antenna is way too short. The track pads on the bustle rack are also lacking the rubber pads. They are threaded and bolted through holes in the track, and bolt through the wire enclosure when on the bustle rack-- it wouldn't make a lot of sense to mount the track on the bustle without the pads. Then again I've never seen steel track mounted on the rack like that-- but it might have been done in other units. These are minor points though, and your work is really great--can you tell us how you rigged the turret and light systems?
VR, Russ

Russ, thanks for the feedback...much appreciated.
I'll re-do the antenna. The track pads are a bummer. I noticed too that the Italeri parts didn't have the rubber pads. What reason for that???? Also, the prototype weight on the bustle rack rails made no sense to me, but that's what the kit instructions showed for mounting method. I'm going to see if I can pull them and fill in rubber pads and re-mount some on the turret sides as seen in the Fort Riley ref pics.
Attached are diagrams showing the LED info. Really small 1.8mm LED's are all that will fit, and even those had to be trimmed.
I'll post turret rotation info, pics and drawings later tonight.
Great forum...you guys really know your tanks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663NGtaM3FXTFpnV2c/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663NHZTWE1HdklDa3c/view?usp=sharing

Here's the turret rotation detail....
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663YVdXYXBMbVUxZDg/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663ME4wUGozRkdmeVE/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663UE9aV0ZoZTFVVms/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663dnZvb0NNOVpteTg/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663Q1VHYzdXMkFBS28/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663X1ZaM0t0LWF6SWc/view?usp=sharing

Going to work on antennas and spare track comments next.

Dan,
Thanks for the great tutorials-- super work on them by the way- I thought you might have used gearing for the turret, but your method is simple an maintenance free. You must be a graphics artist!
VR, Russ

Russ, Thank you.

I fixed the antenna and removed the track links from the bustle rack.
Last questions, I think....where do the track pads go? Ref pics show them under the rail on the forward side of the turret. But that's where the smokes are. So where do the links go? Also, are the links hung with pads out or inward?
Did the links have rubber strips on the wheel side (like the ones painted in the picture)?
I'm trying to figure out how to add pads to the padless Italeri links.
Any other comments? Thanks

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663SXl4blNQM1V2S1E/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663Ulg1UldDSWhRRWs/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663WndfZHlCUGgwQVU/view?usp=sharing

The spare track links are usually hung off the rail on the side of the turret. They are attached using a center guide tooth, slipped on the rail where another track would attach. There is a bolt here that tightens the two parts of the tooth around a rod in the track link. As you can see below, the face of the track (where the hex pads are) is against the turret.


Also, yes, there is rubber on the inner surface as you have painted them.

Gino,
Great pics...thank you for the quick reply.
Need to hang 'em and I'm done....I think.

Dan-- firstly, to avoid confusion, the "track pad" on the M60 series is the rubber hexagonal shaped part on the outside of the track-- it's a separate part, and can be removed and replaced as needed in the steel "track link". In my time in M60A1s, we never had more than four extra links on the tank. Track came in sets-- and we usually replaced it as a set, although on occasion, a bushing between a set of links would wear out and we'd need to replace two links to fix it. Generally speaking we kept the extra links in a sponson box or "in" (as opposed to mounted on) the bustle rack when in the field, although we'd also mount them occasionally on the handrails along the side of the turret. Anywhere is fine along the handrail. My tank back in 1977 didn't have the smoke dischargers, so we had the entire handrail-- but think of this-- mounting them on the handrail requires some work with a ratchet-- and taking them of also requires work and time. The extra hexagonal track pads were a different mater-- we might have up to ten or so of those, as they tended to wear rapidly. The pads came complete with a threaded rod and nut on the back-- we just took the nut off, stuck the rod through he wire enclosure of the bustle rack, and threaded the nut back on to hold it in place. You might see tanks with 2-10 pads attached in this manner, or more depending on the preference of the TC and availability of pads. The inside of the track has a rubber insert the road wheels ride on-- it's not quite as pronounced in the kit tracks, but it's there. What you are looking at in the photo of the bottom of the kit track link is the center guide, the rubber pad on the link interior, and the bolt head that holds on the exterior track pad (the bolt and nut we'd run through the metal mesh of the bustle rack. Hope this helps.

Dan-- Gino's photos tell the story pretty well. Just a couple of other comment about T-142 track-- you'll note that track links when mounted in sections of 4 or more tend to have a slight outward curl to them-- that's because they are "live action tracks" and the bushings connecting the track links will cause them to flex outward, the center guide is what's used to attach them to the handrail, when mounted there-- teeth outward. One note about center guides- they are reversible. Everyone thinks tanks must have great traction on ice-- the opposite is true-- think of those rubber pads and tracks as two giant skis-- they can slip just as badly as unchained tires. Therefore the center guides are reversible, Standard procedure in the filed is to reverse a few guides (I want to say every 5th or 6th guide, but my memory isn't what it used to be from 40 years ago) for traction on snow and ice. That would do quite a bit of damage to road surfaces, and the ride didn't improve much either, but it did the job-- I only had to do it once at Grafenwhor in 1977 thank goodness.
VR, Russ

Russ, Gino...all who helped out on this build..thank you very much!
I think I'm pretty much done. Mounted the track links, put some "stuff" in the rack, added a few details from Riley pics. Some final pics attached. I think the only real big issues are the camo pattern (best I could do with an airbrush)and angle of the smoke dischargers (tough to change now).
Again, thanks for all the feedback.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663NUhmaXNxdEIycEk/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663TFE3cmUtdnRVS2s/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663V1ZSZ3AtOHd1MWM/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663Zy1NRnBaMThvWFk/view?usp=sharing

Hell Dan,

That is a right fine looking A1! I think anyone would be happy to have this one in their collection.

I like the addition of the ropes you placed on the glacis and in the bustle rack.

Respectfully,
Allen

Allen,
Thank you.
The rope and placard details came from this pic...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0f98VFxz663dzc0MGtyU1NSUHM/view?usp=sharing