What Have We Here?

Armor35 makes 1/35 models of Soviet and German subjects circa the Great Patriotic War. These include figures of civilians, railway workers, and soldiers, plus multi-media kits of soviet railroad tracks and lineside equipment. This resin figure is a railway worker, ARM35135, Soviet Railroader, Trackwalker, one of 47 figures and 34 railway models currently cataloged at Armor35.

Soviet Railroader, Trackwalker

Armor35 cast this "gandy dancer" in gray resin and that casting is very good. There are no air pockmarks nor seam marks, although under magnification I see bits of flash. Detail is sharp and crisp. The figure is cast in seven pieces.

Body without arms
Left arm, no hand
Right arm and hand
Left hand gripping lantern
Flags
Canister
Spike maul and double end track wrench

The parts are attached to their pour block.

Detail

Trackwalker features excellent facial detail including eyes and a full beard. A billed fiddlers cap tops his head.

A tunic is sculpted beneath his collared jacket. Baggy pants bunch up atop the high boots. A leather belt supports signal flags and a metal canister. Over his shoulder is a cradled track maul and track wrench, and he carries a signal lantern. Whether this is the gear of a "snipe" (track worker) or the "king snipe" (Foreman of track gang) is unknown. Sculptor Anishchenko Dimtriy worked seams and buckle details into the cloths and belt.

Painting and Assembly Guidance

None. Refer to the box art.

The box art is a photo of the assembled model attached over sepia tone images of a scene associated with the model subject. The parts are secured in a zip-lock baggie inside a small tab-end opening box.

Assembly

Removing the pieces from the pour blocks is generally easy, but the arms will need some carving of the sprue burr from the parts. The flags have very fine handles that are easy to break off.

Armor35 engineers an interesting way of aligning parts. It seems they make the masters, attach them, then separate them before the master material cures. This creates definite contours that enhances the ability to align the parts when they are attached. The parts blend exceptionally well. Any gaps should be slight and easily hidden with putty, CA, or paint.

Assembly of Trackwalker took about five minutes, including de-spruing and cleanup. Fit is almost flawless.

Conclusion

The versatility of this figure is limited only by the imagination of the modeler. He could placed in a vignette or a larger diorama with a railway, be it a bustling station, or repairing damage to the track. If a modeler is not interested in a railway worker, this figure should make a superb partisan - just replace the track hammer with a rifle, the signal flags with a cartridge pouch, etc.

Casting is high quality with excellent detail. I have no meaningful complaint about this figure, although I would like Armor35 to include some information about colors for the uniform.

With the growing interest in railroad subjects for 1/35 modelers, Armor35 has created another interesting figure for those who model Russia railroads circa The Great Patriotic War. I will put my recommendation on Soviet Railroader, Trackwalker based on the excellent sculpting and casting, plus versatility and uniqueness of subject, and price.

Please remember to tell Armor35 and retailers that you saw this figure here - on Armorama.