1:35 BREUER IV RAIL SHUNTER

Breuer IV Rail Shunter 1:35 — kit from AK interactive

A kit of a small rail shunting machine in 1:35 scale from AK interactive. The scale is no accident: 1:35 is the standard for ground equipment and figures, so the model can be worked into a railway diorama together with the vehicles and figures you already have. The particular contents of the package, the parts count and the decal schemes are stated by the manufacturer on the box.

The real subject

Shunting tractors of the Breuer type are small rail machines meant for moving individual wagons at stations, on industrial sidings, in ports and in factory yards. Their purpose is purely operational: a train can be split and made up, or a wagon set at a loading ramp, without a locomotive, with markedly lower consumption and without having to keep a large machine on standby. Structurally it is a compact frame with a cab and a simple drive, and its dimensions are closer to a road tractor than to a locomotive. It is precisely that small size that makes such a machine a rewarding modeling subject — it fits on a small base and still gives the scene a clear purpose.

Building and painting tips

With rail equipment it pays to work from the running gear up: assemble and paint the running gear, the frame and everything that will be hard to reach once the body is closed over it, before you close the bodywork up. Take the parts off the sprue with side cutters and level off the sprue gate remnants rather than snapping them. Glue with thin cement for plastic models, which is drawn into the seam. Lay down a primer before painting — without one, thin coats hold badly on smooth plastic. In terms of color this type of machine is an ideal candidate for weathering: a working machine from a railway yard is never clean. Dust and mud belong on the running gear and the underside of the frame, grease and a metallic shine where the crew puts its hands every day, and rust into the seams and around the exhaust. Wheels that have run are polished, so paint does not hold on the tire tread.

Who the model is for

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

• Builders of railway dioramas in 1:35 scale.
• Modelers of ground equipment looking for an unusual subject.
• Anyone interested in industrial and operational machinery.
• Builders who want to try their hand at weathering a working machine.