1:72 Armored train OP-3 'Soviet Armenia'

The real subject

Armored trains were fighting vehicles on a railroad chassis: an armored locomotive and cars coupled to it with armor and armament. They served to protect lines, to escort transports and for fire support in places to which a track led. Soviet armored trains carried proper names besides the type designation; with this subject it is the name Soviet Armenia and the type designation OP-3.

What the kit contains

This is a plastic kit in 1:72 scale. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted, the parts are placed on plastic sprues and they are removed from them before gluing. The extent of the parts and an overview of the variants are found on the packaging and in the enclosed instructions, which are followed step by step.

Building and painting tips

Separate the parts with nippers a little way from the part and sand the remaining nub down so that the mating surfaces seat. Use a glue intended for plastic models. With a vehicle with such a long and articulated body it pays to assemble the bogies and the running gear dry and only then to glue them, otherwise the model twists. Painting is easier by subassemblies: the running gear and the wheels separately, the armored boxes separately. Weathered metal, rust and dust around the running gear will give the model the weight of its scale.

Who it is for

The kit will please collectors of military equipment and those interested in railroads who want an unusual model for a display case or a basis for a diorama with a model railroad layout. Paints, glue and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.