1:72 Armored Train Type BP-43 No 2 61st Satd

The Type BP-43 armored train in 1:72 scale from UM

An injection-molded plastic kit of the Soviet standardized Type BP-43 armored train in 1:72 scale. It is an extensive project whose scope amounts to a whole train rather than a single vehicle. Before you start, check the instructions supplied with your particular item so that you know how much room the finished model will need.

The real subject

The BP-43 was a standardized type of Soviet armored train introduced in 1943. Unlike the earlier improvised trains it was built to a single design: the armored locomotive sat in the middle of the formation, flanked on both sides by armored gun cars with turrets taken from the T-34 tank and by anti-aircraft cars. Covered flatcars ran at the head and the tail of the formation, carrying materials and at the same time protecting the train against damage to the track. This arrangement provided fire to both sides without having to turn the train around and at the same time allowed the line to be repaired quickly. Armored trains were used mainly to protect railway lines and movements in the rear.

Building and painting tips

The key to a good result is being level. Build the cars' running gear on a sheet of glass or another flat surface and keep checking that every wheel touches down, otherwise the train will not stand straight on the track. Build and paint the cars one at a time and couple them only at the end. Prepare the rails and ties in advance, because without a piece of track the model lacks a sense of scale and looks unfinished. Handle the painting with a single base shade and create the differences only by lightening the surfaces and a wash into the rows of rivets. Keep rust and grease mainly around the running gear, the couplings and the lower part of the cars, and hold back on the upper surfaces.

Who the model is for

• Anyone interested in military railway hardware, which appears in kit form only rarely.
• Experienced modelers who want a longer-term project.
• Builders of dioramas with a line, a station or an embankment.
• Collectors building a collection of tracked and railway hardware in a single 1:72 scale.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.