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Armor/AFV: Braille Scale
1/72 and 1/76 Scale Armor and AFVs.
Hosted by Darren Baker
AM trax for pst T54
trakpin
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Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted: Thursday, June 28, 2018 - 09:59 AM UTC
just got it and the trax don't look the best, link/length and no rounded top run sag. is there anything out there that'll work? thx
tread_geek
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Posted: Friday, June 29, 2018 - 02:11 AM UTC
I seem to recall that O.K.B. Grigorov had tracks and perhaps some other pieces for T-54/55/62 tanks in 1/72 scale. You can find their Web site at

OKB

Cheers ,
Jan
trakpin
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Posted: Friday, June 29, 2018 - 05:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I seem to recall that O.K.B. Grigorov had tracks and perhaps some other pieces for T-54/55/62 tanks in 1/72 scale. You can find their Web site at

OKB

Cheers ,
Jan



thx dad , just what was needed. might even get thier idler and driver
trakpin
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Posted: Friday, June 29, 2018 - 06:49 AM UTC
which are the more accurate road wheels for an early mid 50s T54, no bloody A,B or C , starfish or spider
Akatsiya60
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Posted: Friday, June 29, 2018 - 10:00 PM UTC
If you are going to be spending money on aftermarket items, really you want to invest in a better base vehicle, the PST kit has soo many issues, but if you have your heart set, the starfish, would be the better option.
trakpin
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Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 - 12:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

If you are going to be spending money on aftermarket items, really you want to invest in a better base vehicle, the PST kit has soo many issues, but if you have your heart set, the starfish, would be the better option.



it turned out well enuff for what it is. read a review on it and nothing serious was mentioned, and even trumpeter had issues. it ALso reminded me of just how much I hate link/length tracks, so I just might leave it as is cuz the aforementioned trax are the same type. it's a shame there're none in white metal. so, what else is better/accurate?
Bravo1102
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Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 - 12:19 AM UTC
Considering that the PST T-54 has an underscale turret hatches, I'd do Trumpeter as it has less proportional problems.
trakpin
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Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 - 09:11 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Considering that the PST T-54 has an underscale turret hatches, I'd do Trumpeter as it has less proportional problems.



would consider that one, but hatches are closed. been looking at revells, if I can even FIND one, or better yet ace
Bravo1102
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Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 - 10:02 PM UTC
Dunno Revells kits are all over the place on Ebay (my usual go-to place. No out-of-stock. Its there:)

The Ace kit is out of production. It was crude and needed TLC to put together ( all too easy to screw up the suspension height )but it was lovely. Ace also made photoetch tracks for T-54. But they were a little anemic for the subject.
Akatsiya60
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Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 - 10:23 PM UTC
As far as I can remember the PST kit won't even build into a T 54, missing the prominent turret ventilator on the roof, it's not just a question of the turret hatches, the turret itself is undersized and the wrong shape, Trumpeter is easily the best for a T 54 although like you say it also has issues
http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/Trumpeter/T-54_T-55prev.htm
Depending on what you want to build T 54 or a T 55? The Revell kit will build into a late model 55 and the Trumpeter an earlier 54, both have issues to various degrees if you don't mind rubber the Trumpeter kit has a set of decent tracks, just the wheels need replacing, you could backdate the Revell kit to an early T 55 but will need new tracks and a few minor adjustments. So much depends on what you want to build and what timeframe?
trakpin
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Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2018 - 11:06 PM UTC

Quoted Text

As far as I can remember the PST kit won't even build into a T 54, missing the prominent turret ventilator on the roof, it's not just a question of the turret hatches, the turret itself is undersized and the wrong shape, Trumpeter is easily the best for a T 54 although like you say it also has issues
http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/Trumpeter/T-54_T-55prev.htm
Depending on what you want to build T 54 or a T 55? The Revell kit will build into a late model 55 and the Trumpeter an earlier 54, both have issues to various degrees if you don't mind rubber the Trumpeter kit has a set of decent tracks, just the wheels need replacing, you could backdate the Revell kit to an early T 55 but will need new tracks and a few minor adjustments. So much depends on what you want to build and what timeframe?



maybe it will be a trumpeter. saw there are AM sets to be had, including a turret or 2 with openable hatches. interested in a T54 or early 55 that would've been in use around the time of Hungary in '56.

the pst does have the ventilator, and mine came with 2 turrets and 2 guns, 1 of which has the bore evacuator, and 2 engine decks. it just didn't have the starfish wheels, for some reason.
Bravo1102
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Posted: Wednesday, July 04, 2018 - 12:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

which are the more accurate road wheels for an early mid 50s T54, no bloody A,B or C , starfish or spider


Both. It was a transition period. There are pictures of both in Hungary in 1956.

The PST turret is underscale and the middle is too sharp. The hatches and ventilator are about 1/87 scale. The guntube is skinny with too much of a taper. I built it as an early T-54 and an Ace T-55 and the differences are obvious.
trakpin
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Posted: Wednesday, July 04, 2018 - 12:58 AM UTC
so it's become a tossup between trump and rev. I'm kinda leaning toward the rev as the hatches can be left open, as tho it was abandoned at the sight of 4RTR Centurions advancing. the real drawback might be the tracks. which trump is it that has the open hatch? the site doesn't seem to say
Akatsiya60
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Posted: Wednesday, July 04, 2018 - 03:22 AM UTC
That's a very specific time period, you could only build a T 54, even then with the older style engine deck and either starfish or spider wheels, there are also a number of other changes needed to the vehicle such as fuel and oil pannier and stowage layout, you can use the main gun with the fume extractor, but no IR lights, on a side note tanks with the fume extractor mainly had starfish wheels those without mainly spider. The T 55 at the time was just beginning its development and entered service a few years later. I also doubt very much that any tank was abandoned by the sight of advancing Centurions! Seeing as Hungary was behind the iron curtain. The T 34 was still going strong at the time as was the T 44 and IS 3, Trumpeter is still your best bet, with a bit of creative cutting the hatches could be opened
trakpin
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Posted: Wednesday, July 04, 2018 - 05:39 AM UTC
yeah, my idea is that while the west was preoccupied with that and suez, the sovs carried out a sudden thrust into W. Germany
trakpin
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Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2018 - 07:09 PM UTC
with the exception of the turret roof ventilator, lack if IR searchlight and diff engine decks, as there anything else that would backdate revell's T55A/AM to a T54A/B? got it yesterday
Bravo1102
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Posted: Friday, July 13, 2018 - 02:44 AM UTC
Theres also fender storage, some weld lines, the bow machine gun as well as fuel drums, smoke laying cans, snorkel. Really need a good set of plans to go over everything.
trakpin
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Posted: Friday, July 13, 2018 - 04:10 AM UTC
bow mg? never saw a T54 pic with that, or smoke dischargers
Bravo1102
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Posted: Friday, July 13, 2018 - 04:46 AM UTC
It was fixed in the hull and was just a hole in the front plate, but it is a modification. The smoke cans are like the round cans on the rear of a T-34. They were for smoke laying. Later T-54/55 had the adaption to spray regular fuel to make a smoke cloud.

That's the variant I did with my PST kit back in the day using spares from Eastern Express T-34 and Ace T-54 kits. It was the configuration that went best with the spider wheels.

Now a 1956 T-54 with the bore evactuator and starfish wheels wouldn't necessarily have had the smoke cans. So many varieties at different points in the production run and constant updates. Find a picture and pick a configuration.

And the sight housing on the turret top is different on pre-IR equipped tanks.

I'm trying to do a 1968 tank and what modifications to leave off and what older features to retain. Ugh.
trakpin
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Posted: Friday, July 13, 2018 - 08:28 AM UTC
the revell will have to be a later 54, which is fine with me. just don't wanna make a mistake in removing the mounts for the IR. the engine deck may be a prob tho. there a 2 but nothing to say one way or the other. I suspect they're 55 specific
Akatsiya60
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Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2018 - 10:26 PM UTC
The instructions will tell you, but it's either the Russian or Vietnamese version you want, with the addition of the turret ventilator and bow mg and weld lines it is possible to get a late T 54, although the engine access hatches would still be wrong, but that brings you back to the original question, you would still need aftermarket tracks, Tankograd or OKB both do sets for the Omsh tracks you need, the trumpeter kit would have given you all that you need without modification for an early T 54, and even a more accurate start point than the Revell kit ( which isn't brilliant even for a T 55)
trakpin
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Posted: Sunday, July 15, 2018 - 03:45 PM UTC
thx for the data. it's all moot now. built the revell outta the box, and I gotta say these tracks I can live with. the kit went together rather well. did a little surgery on it, tho. drilled out the MG mounts on the turret rear. looks like maybe the trump might be up next
trakpin
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Posted: Monday, July 16, 2018 - 09:51 AM UTC

Quoted Text

...the bow machine gun...



any pix of that? found a site which mentions it, but no pix of one

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwirlru3yqTcAhUJUt8KHQFuAKIQjB16BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nolimitszone.com%2Ft-54t-55-main-battle-tank%2F&psig=AOvVaw0iOo2BpDpWY5p_Rnx9oCg2&ust=1531559950414876
Akatsiya60
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Posted: Tuesday, July 17, 2018 - 09:17 PM UTC
The site you link to the Polish T 54 ( black and white photo) shows the bow mg just to the bottom right of the bow mounted triangle, that little dot is all it is, but it is a feature of the T 54 and early T 55
trakpin
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Posted: Wednesday, July 18, 2018 - 08:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The site you link to the Polish T 54 ( black and white photo) shows the bow mg just to the bottom right of the bow mounted triangle, that little dot is all it is, but it is a feature of the T 54 and early T 55



well, looks like miniart forgot something in their T54-3
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