Just a bit of a whinge
Why do kit manufacturers insist on supplying crap tracks with otherwise nice kits?
I've just finished Mirage's 7TP, and it built up into a very pleasing little model - a few parts fit probs on the turrets, but nothing too bad.
Then I tried to fit the tracks. On first inspection the they lacked detail, but they made 'em simple back then, so no biggie.........
Then I tried to join the ends - they are very stiff and don't like ataying bent, they just ignored any sort of glue I tried on them, and the little tabs the instructions tell you to melt to hold them together just aren't there........
Eventually getting they to hold together I start fitting them - the holes in the tracks don,t even go close to matching the sprocket teeth, and just sit on top of them.
Being an unusual little model, I doubt the aftermarket people would make anything for it either ..... but why should we have to pay for good tracks anyway ...... Mirage have obviously put a fair degree of effort into the rest of the kit, so what makes the tracks so difficult ?
Rant over :-)

I think it's a conspiracy thing, so the AM guys can survive and get their business.... #:-) #:-)

as SS said I think they know that most people will change them anyway

I guess the AM guys have to have something to survive on , but it's just bizzare that so much effort is spent on the rest of the kit and the tracks are just cheap afterthoughts.
It doesn't help when the shops down here just don't stock that sort of stuff - price is usually the excuse ( a valid excuse too, as I was told by the local shop that you would probably be looking at $70 -$90Au or so for Model Kasten stuff in his estimate, more than the price of Tamiya's King Tiger, or Academy's Tiger 1 with full interior )

Brno, if you wanna you can PM me, I will be happy to get some Modelkasten tracks for you here in HK at about 60 to 70% of the price you pay now.

Dave

It sucks that the kit tracks are typically very poor (unless you are talking about DML whose tracks are usually nice). You can get replacement tracks from Modelkasten and Friulmodel for the 7TP. The 7TP, Vickers, and T-26 all used the same tracks as they were essentially the same tank and both Modelkasten and Friulmodel make very nice tracks for the T-26. Take Dave up on his offer for Modelkasten if you can't get them cheaply in Australia as Dave is honest and gets good prices over there in HK.

By the way, you might be surprised at what is available for the 7TP in the way of AM stuff. Besides the tracks (I actually forgot to mention that RPM and I think Mirage as well make single link plastic tracks for the T-26/Vickers/7TP), Armo makes a beautiful barrel for the single-turreted 7TP, Eduard makes PE for the T-26 which would more or less work on the 7TP, Aber makes PE for both the single and double turreted 7TP (NKR in Australia carries this at a reasonable price), and Moskit makes replacement exhausts for both the single and double turreted 7TP.

Brno
Red Star Models shows kit #RP207 as tracks for the 7TP/T26 family of kits.
What the shipping to Oz might be, I don't know.
HTH
http://www.redstarmodels.com/kitslist.html

Pipesmoker & BRNO,

The RP207 tracks are the RPM links that I mentioned in my second post. If you don't want to order from America due to shipping you can get those tracks from NKR ( http://www.nkrmodels.com.au/) in Australia. His site says that he is currently out of stock on the RPM tracks, but he carries them and they should be pretty darn cheap.

Thanks for all the info guys, I will check NKR out further.
I have brought stuff from them before, but when I looked on their site for tracks, I only looked for Fruilmodel and Model Kasten - didn't know about the other brands.
I've always built straight from the box with maybe a few scratchbuilt bits (single dad = no money, so I'm lucky if I can afford the kits I want :-) ), but the 7tp tracks are so bad on such an otherwise nice model that I'll have to give the AM stuff a go.....
Again thanks

BRNO,

Since money is an issue, I would seriously look for the RPM tracks. They are about $6 USD. I don't know for sure because I've never seen them, but I've heard that they are pretty good. Besides, I have that 7TP kit and anything is better than those crappy tracks that come with the kit.

The RPM tracks for the T-26 are very well done. Mine had no flash at all. Much beter than the indie tracks that came with my Pz111AusF E which took about 10 hours to clean up.

Take extreme care removing the links from the sprue trees as they are fragile.

Adam, could you please fill me with the RPM tracks, I never heard of this brand. Are there any German tracks from that company? Sounds like a hell of good deal...

Dave,

I'm pretty sure that you have heard of RPM. They are a Polish model maker. In fact, that little Polish TK-3 that I am working on is an RPM kit. They make individual non-working tracks for the T-26/7TP/Vickers, T-34 & variants, and FT-17 and at one time (I don't think that they make them anymore) they made indy links for the Lorraine and 38(t)/Hetzer chassis. If you are interested in RPM products check out Jadar Models.

Thanks Adam, pretty unique stuff they making...

Hi

RPM have Pzi and PzII tracks. I bought a set at a show on the weekend!

The tracks are quite nice, delicately molded, but with faint surface detail.

Are RPM and Maquette one and the same?

Andy

Andy,

No RPM and Maquette are different (though they may share molds). RPM is out of Poland and Maquette is out of the Ukraine. RPM tends to do more early War Polish & French stuff and then tons of variants of the FT-17. Maquette does mostly German stuff. Are the tracks that you bought Panzer I & II or did you buy a set of Panzer I tracks and Panzer II tracks. The reason that I ask is that I am about 99% sure that those two chassis didn't use the same tracks. Could you possibly take a picture of a couple of the links and either post them or email me them? I have been thinking about buying some RPM tracks for a while, but had been holding off because I wasn't sure what the quality would be like.

Thanks for the info Adam, I contacted NKR Models and they will apparently be getting more RPM stuff in next month, and they do sound like the cheapest way to go.
I'll get the 7tp finished first and worry about tracks for the KV1-B later. At least the Tamiya tracks will be useable on the KV1 - they'll do untill I can get something better.
Thanks again everyone :-)
Tim

Hi Adam

The tracks have a long list of possible vehicles. I agree, I thought Pz I and Pz II had different tracks. According to the box these will fit the Pz I, PzII, Marder III (???), and a bunch of other kits. They look like Pz II tracks, which is why I bought them.

I'll try to get a phot for you ASAP.

The reason I asked about RPM vs Maquette is that I bought a set of t34 early model tracks, and they were awful. The track pictured on the side of the box and what was inside were very different! I think they were Maquette, but the box is virtually identical to these Pz II tracks.

And as far as I know, it's Alan who make the PzII out of Eastern Europe, I didn't know of RPM or Maquette ones. So I wonder where these puppies originated!

Cheers
Andy

You are right. Alan is the only one of those manufacturers that does any Pz IIs, but I've never seen anything other than complete kits from them so where they originated is a good question. The box on those tracks that you have must be terrible to try and tell you that the same tracks work on the Pz I, Pz, II, and Marder III! Those all had very different tracks from one another!

No kidding!!

I think some East European companies share their molds, and then market stuff without regards to research.

Perhaps these will be collectors items!

I have the Alan Pz II, the Alan Marder IID and the Alan Grille. From memory, I know these aren't 38t type tracks. I'm pretty sure they are PzII tracks (I think the box lists the Bison too!). So I'll compare the tracks to the Pz II based kits and know what they match.

Hey, they cost me $3!!

Cheers
Andy

$3! Now that's a deal you've got to like! RPM has come a long way in quality in the past 5 years. Their FT-17 kits and T-60 are very good models.