G'day all.

As I am so over the moon to finally have this model having waited years and years for it I thought I'd put up some build shots for you all to see and comment on.

I'm really pleased that Thunder models came up first with this subject as I really do enjoy building their kits, I believe it is the same company as Mirror Models, or at least Libor of LZ models is responsible for both companies.

This kit has over 700 parts and is moulded in the common to Mirror models grey plastic. It is very nice to work with, being soft enough to not be brittle, (which is a good thing as this kit is loaded with tiny finely moulded parts), but not too soft so that it tears when sanded like the early Meng green plastic.

So, enough chatter.. on to the build..

I will start with the engine. This is a little model in itself and is made up of 34 plastic parts and 9 PE parts. (The PE in this kit looks like copper rather than Brass)?







Obviously nothing is filled or refined yet, this is all directly out of the box.

There is an error in the instructions here, the long pipe which goes from the back of the diesel pump up and over to the air inlet is shown in the assembly drawing but is not called out for during assembly. This is part C26. I have also fitted the air intake now rather than wait as suggested until step 17. The instructions would also have you fit the radiator to the engine now, but I'm going to leave it off until the engine goes into the chassis as it will surely get broken.

On the subject of the radiator.. here it is built up. Note some filler will be required around the "filler" neck, (Pun fully intended), but just look at the moulding quality!



The front axle is a beautiful piece, mad up of no less than 10 parts. Notice I have pinned the track rod ends to make the wheels pose-able.



Finally I will air my opinion on the wheels and tyres..

Here they are assembled. The front tyres are assembled from 5 pieces each, giving a great depiction of the tread pattern. Parts E28 and E30 must be swapped around to achieve the correct tread pattern. Unfortunately, the fit is not good and the assembly gives a very ballooned effect, which I have sanded out here.



The rear tyres have a tread pattern like I have never seen on any vehicle before. The kit gives two options for assembling the tyres, with the outer tread blocks aligned with the inners or they can be staggered. I have gone for aligned, but it's not an issue as i will be replacing the wheels and tyres anyway. I am also of the opinion that the wheels are not accurate, just flat discs with nuts on them? I believe there should be a raised area around the centre mounting nut?

LZ models have wheels and tyres available for the kit, but no "road" pattern tyres for the front as yet.

Thanks for looking. This kit was purchased using my own hard earned cash.

Looking real nice Nige. Thanks for posting these pics. I will be following you on this one.

I have this kit on the desk at my elbow now, came in the post this week. I have to give it to my Mother-in-law so she can give it back to me for Xmas, but soooo tempted to break the seal and peek inside.

Carefully remove the seal.
Remove box contents.
Refill Box with an older kit.
Reseal Box.
Return Box to Mother in law.
Build Scammell Tank Transporter.

Chair pulled up and watching with interest as I have one of these in the stash....

Gary

Waiting for mine to come, will be following this build.

The tread pattern looks similar to the following image.



Cheers,

Chris

Thanks for all the interest guys, much appreciated.

I have now made a start on the chassis. I have arrowed the two front suspension A frame pick up points for you all to see. I have done this because it is critical that you build up your front A frame before you build the chassis so you can ensure the a frame will be pinched between these two points.



The rearmost mounting does not have a very solid location so is able to this, making for a very loose fit between the A frame and chassis. Note i have also shown the lovely diff assembly and rear leaf springs pre cleanup.

The transmission is a lovely little assembly and goes together with ease.



The UJ is not glued so the prop shaft can be orientated correctly when the time comes.



Here we can see the little three pulley arrangement which forms the rear x member. I have also shown the lovely little leaf spring and tow hook that will end up on the front end.



While the chassis and ancillaries were drying I made a start on the trailer. Assembly is a little tricky and extra care must be taken to ensure all remains square. I used blocks to hold everything flat whilst the glue dried overnight.



I really enjoy modelling when things get a little tricky like this. Tamiya like ease of assembly can get a little boring i feel and the satisfaction gained from this type of assembly far outweighs any shake and bake kit in my opinion.



Note the planking is represented by woodgrain on both top and bottom of the panels. I have rescribed the plank lines to increase their definition and make them pop when washed.

Here are the trailer rear end sub-assemblies.




Finally, we take a look at the beautifully engineered winch mechanism. This is a beautiful representation that is a joy to build. It's gonna look great with the spool full of wire rope and grease everywhere!!





Thanks for looking guys. I'm back to work tomorrow so progress will slow a little.

BTW.. does anyone know what colour the engine and transmission would have been painted?

Thanks for that great picture Chris.. I see what you mean, but the tread pattern on the kit is practically parallel to the ground whereas the one you have shown curves up toward the centre on the outer and down in the inner side of the tyre, much like the tyres on the bigger Russian trucks of the cold war era.

I actually think the tyres in the kit were an afterthought because none of the cad models leading up to release depict these tyres, although the marketing blurb used to state "Correct tyres are depicted"

I believe accurately depicting the tyres as you have shopwn would be very difficult in injection moulding.

Your progress is looking good!

Just read on facebook that Thunder Models will send correct radiator grills. (I do not know if the tank transporter and pioneer have different shapes... Just thought I'd let you know in case...):

"Scammell Tank Transporter Radiator error.
We want to apologize for the kit error that has just been brought to our attention. We had addressed this issue a few months ago, it had been a design error that some of you informed us about seeing it in shared CAD renders that time, it was corrected for the mold, but not delivered , and we failed to recheck again later at testing stage. Now the error is already being modified for all next production and we will offer the correct replacement radiator part that you can request through our website soon. It will take about 2-3 weeks to get replacement parts produced and ready, meanwhile we will set up for you the way to order them. Once again our apologies"

your build is looking good ,keep the pics comeing .

Thanks for the heads up Stef. Great to see that Thunder take such pride that they are taking steps and will offer the replacement, unlike other well known manufacturers that basically say tough luck....

You are welcome.
Indeed, others would not care, they do, makes their kits even more interesting.
I

Wow, that is one really nice service policy by Thunder Models! Makes them most definitely climb the ranks in my own personal Top List of manufacturers!

Thanks Stef,

I didn't notice this, and I'm building the bloody thing!! I hope the moulding on the new one is as crisp as the original!! If I cant get mine apart, it may have to make do with a retrofitted rad from a recovery truck??

As has already been said, LZ models and Thunder/Mirror are a great bunch.

Glad to hear you like it guys.. It's one of those kits every armour modeller should build. It is a real builders kit, beautifully detailed, complicated enough to keep the mojo going and definitely not shake and bake!!

I've been busy on the trailer this week, having done a little on the truck chassis and letting it set up before continuing. I am also working on a 1/48 Trumpeter U boat..

Here's where I am with the trailer, almost complete.... Note I have used a tiny drop of Mr Surfacer 500 to eradicate some sink marks. You may decide to leave them as is??



And the underside.. the rear bogies will pivot, allowing for the trailer to be posed attached or removed from the tractor unit.



On to the tyres.. each one is made of 3 parts, as the fronts they are able to be assembled with the tread patterns as i have them, or staggered so the outer blocks join the voids in the inner ring.



There is also the option to have the ramps displayed lowered or raised. the detail in the ramp area is astonishing.. every hook, shackle and turnbuckle is included in the kit, as is the rope to connect them all up!!



You even get the additional chocks and ramps if you want to make a diorama with a Tank being loaded..



Here they are in use..



And a pic of the ramps raised.



I must say, the more I build this kit the more I love it.

Hey guys, late post here.. couldn't help myself..



We have wood!!



Still more work to do once the oils dry, then it'll get a covering of hairspray, then camo colours and some good old scuffing.

I assume all this wood would have been painted camo colours when new? I would also like to know if the truck chassis and ancillaries would have been camo colour or black please??

Hi Nige

I think you will find the chassis was the same colour over and under





This website might be of interest to you too:
https://leicestermodellers.weebly.com/scammel-pioneer-6x4.html

Plus this Pathe clip on youtube which is where some of the above stills came from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYznU9553HM

Engine colour?
Can't say if this is the standard colour or not...as this one may have been reconditioned in the 60's

Found here
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gardner-6LW-complete-engine-from-wartime-Scammell-Pioneer-cast-iron-Turns-over/372132583200?hash=item56a4d49720:g:qnoAAOSwZQxW3rdZ

And this one


found here
http://panzerserra.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/

Looking good Nigel, you are quick!
Great sources there Peter. I feel the urge to buy one of these kits, too.

You my friend are a complete star!! Thankyou so much for the pics and links.. what more could i need. Interestingly the instructions call for RLM76, which is very similar to what you have shown??

Hi guys. here's some more for you..

I have temporarily fitted the engine before paint so I can get the transmission lined up. This was pretty fiddly as all the mounts are to scale with no big pins or tabs as you may find in other kits. Thoroughly enjoyable!!



Here's the rear of the chassis with the fifth wheel mechanism fitted. Note al the PE, which fits a treat!!



There are two frames slung under the trailer, I decided to solder these as the will more than likely fall apart if glued together?



Finally, there are four off jacks under the trailer. here are two pads and pumping handles along with their hanging brackets, soldered PE being the media..



Hopefully, I'll have more pics for you tomorrow. Choosing to work on this and my 1/48 U boat is tough..

Glad the info helped Nige.

You really are moving along on this one. Looking superb

Good progress. This is all PE included in the kit, is it?

Yes mate, this is an Out of the box build.

Hi all,

At the bench this morning and seeing what I can work on while I wait for the desert paint to arrive. I cant believe there isn't a correct colour in the Tamiya range?? Anyway, I've ordered two bottles of Mig 016, which is apparently the correct RAL colour for this baby.

I started assembling the front mudguards and thought "I wonder if they steer with the wheels"? Following some research on YouTube I discovered they actually do.. so I need to sort my model out as I have made the front wheels pose-able. I have drilled out the mudguard mounts and glued in some 0.5mm brass rod.



I then drilled down through the axle pivot and into the hub with a 0.55mm drill, and opened up the axle pivot to 0.75mm. Now I can glue the brass rod on its tip but not on the axle so the wheels remain pose-able and the mudguards steer with the wheels.





I thought this would come in handy for anyone building this kit who hasn't assembled the front axle yet. It would be easier for you to fit the brass rod before assembling the axle than risk gluing everything up like I may have done?

Thanks for looking in..