Hello friends. I have a strange question regarding the BA-10 armoured car!! I am looking to depict the vehicle with its railway wheels fitted and wondered about the dimensions of the track it would have run on. I was hoping to use the Miniart Railway track set(1/35 scale) and as this comes in both European and Russian versions am I correct in thinking that I would need the Russian gauge track? Many thanks Paul

Not 100% sure about this but it all depends on if you was going to do a Soviet version or a captured version.If it is a Soviet version I would think go with the Soviet tracks and if doing a version captured by Germany I would think the European version would be better.Just remember this is my guess and am not 100% sure.

If you are planning on doing this design:



then I would say Russian gauge tracks (1520 mm measured between the insides of the rails).
The BA-10 was based on the GAZ-AA-chassis which has a track width on the front axle of 1405 (measured between centers of the tyres).

European gauge is 1435 mm which leaves 15 mm on each side.
If the rails where European standard there would be a lot of tyre above the rails.
With Russian gauge, 1520, there is a difference of 42.5 mm on each side so there would be less rubber overlapping the rails. I think this fits better with the photo above.
If we look at the rear axle the drawing says 1600 mm which means that the center of the slot between the wheels is 40 mm in over the top of the rails and the rails are maybe 50 mm wide (depends on the size/weight-class of the rails)
/ Robin

No expert here, but I'm thinking that captured BA-10's might have just remained in Russia to be thrown back into service there.

—mike

Based on Robin's photos posted above, you have documentary evidence of what is most likely Russian gauge (Russian troops, Russian vehicle - most likely Russian gauge track). Bear in mind, however, that the Germans laid (and relaid) quite a bit of European gauge track as they moved east so they could use their existing rolling stock. It does not appear that they were able to capture enough Russian locomotives and rolling stock to meet their supply needs. Whether they went through the trouble to convert a captured BA-10 to European gauge for railway use is another question entirely.

The best answer if probably whichever track the kit fits. The difference between the two gauges scales out to just over 3mm, and no one is going spot that with the Mk 1 eyeball.

Considering the track width of the BA-10 (1400 mm) I think that the easiest solutions, if the Germans had decided to put the BA-10 on European gauge rails, would be to switch the wheels. The flange of the steel wheel only needs to move outside the rubber track width by 8.5 mm on each side, the metal of the flange would more or less be centered on the 1400 mm track width.
European gauge is 1425 mm, clearance to the flange is about 4 mm on each side, this leaves 1417 mm. Rubber wheel track width (center of rubber) is 1400, 17 mm to share gives 8.5 mm (1/4 mm in 1/35th)

Compare with this Panhard 178

Borrowed from Bundesarchiv

/ Robin

WOW!!!! The wealth of knowledge here is unbelievable
Many thanks!!!!!!!

The war on the Eastern Front was fluid at best. As mentioned, there is a lot of commentary by authors about the rail system differences between Russian and German railways. I know that two methods were used. 1. A train on Russian gauge would go to a town/station where equipment on the train would be transferred over to a German/European gauge train (most likely captured) and moved from there or 2. Russian gauge trains would be unloaded on one place, the material (vehicles, goods, etc...) would be moved to another place to load up a European gauge train.

While there would be some attempts to lay new track at the desired gauge, Russians in particular saw keeping their own gauge separate (both in rail and stock) from the European gauge gave them another added layer of security from a massive movement into Russia if things suddenly wnet badly for them.

That all said, your BA-10 could be doing security sweeps on either gauge rail, so it now becomes whatever you want. I know the Russians re-gauged all kinds of equipment to European gauge, why not a BA-10?