1:35 Karl Morser rail transport

[John Gietzen]

The 1:35 scale Trumpeter kit 209 was purchased from a friend for only $80 a few years back. You might say that I was robbed except when you consider that the kit is for the Karl-Gerat 540mm or 600 mm tracked mortar AND its two-car rail transport system. There were over 1500 parts in the kit and the box measured about 30" long x 16" wide x about 8" tall. Considering the original suggested retail price of about $160, I feel the seller was robbed.

I started the rail transport device first in early January 2010 and still had it ready for the April ModelMania show in Stafford Texas!!
It took first in the miscellaneous military vehicle category.
The rail transport was really about seven kits in one. I say this because there was (1) the front rail car, (2) the front rail car support turntable, (3) the front car support arms, (4) the rear rail car, (5) the rear rail car turntable, (6) the rear car support arms, and (7) the track base and rail tracks. The following in progress photos show the sub-assemblies.


I did not have any problems with fit or alignment even though alot of the parts were large/long and/or very thin. Pieces aligned very well and I had to use very little filler to cover gaps. What I had to fight with was a ^#@!$&#$* number of injector pin marks that were,of course, on the visible side of parts. Oh well.... not bad considering the kit may be about 5 to 6 years old.
The kit was apparently designed to either permanently have the rail transport cars in the "stand-by" position with the horizontal load bearing arms interlocked OR permanently be arranged to be carrying the Karl-Gerat mortar. But you know me..... I was able to construct things so that I could do either but still have the turntables and their load bearing arms adjustable, yet secured to the rail car frame.
   
ANYWAY ON TO THE PHOTOS!!!
All of these first 13 photos are after assembly of the major components and after pre-shading, but before the final coat of panzer grey.
PHOTO OF THE MASSIVE BOX AND ITS CONTENTS. NOTICE THE 18" RULER.

PHOTO OF THE 40 PAGE INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

PHOTO OF THE 12-1/2" LONG KARL-GERAT LOWER HULL.

FOLLOWING THREE PHOTOS ARE OF THE RAIL-CARS AND THE LOAD-BEARING SUPPORT ARMS.



FOLLOWING TWO PHOTOS ARE SLIGHTLY OUT-OF-FOCUS SHOTS OF THE RAIL-CAR SUPPORT ARM TURN TABLES.


SLIGHTLY OUT-OF FOCUS SHOT OF RAIL CAR END.

DETAIL OF SIDE AND SUSPENSION OF RAIL CAR. THE EXTRA FRAMING AND THE AIR BRAKE VOLUME BOTTLES WERE ADDED TO "FILL-IN" EMPTY SPACE UNDER THE ENDS SINCE THEY WOULD BE SLIGHTLY VISIBLE.


SIDE VIEW OF THE COMPLETED SUB-ASSEMBLIES MOCKED-UP IN THE STAND-BY POSITION.

TOP VIEW OF THE MOCKED-UP STAND-BY POSITION. THE GRIDS ON THE CUTTING MAT ARE ONE INCH (25.4mm) SQUARE.

SUB-ASSEMBLIES ARRANGED SHOWING APPROXIMATE LENGTH WHEN SUPPORTING KARL-GERAT MORTAR.
THE BLACK KITTY IN THE UPPER RIGHT IS MY ASSISTANT "TEVA". AMAZINGLYSHE DOES NOT BOTHER THINGS, BUT JUST RELAXES IN HER LITTLE BOX AND SUPERVISES.




After all the sub-assemblies were completed I airbrushed several light coats of Tamiya acrylic panzer grey. For shading and contrast, I airbrushed diluted mixtures of panzer grey mixed with a touch of flat white or diluted mixtures of panzer grey with a touch of flat black. 
I then used some really incredible acrylic-based pigment solutions for dirt/dust accumulation in corners, recesses, grease and oil spots and to rust  over 2500 rivet heads. Those pigment solutions flow extremely well and even can be airbrushed. If you don't like the color, wait until it dries and you can erase it with a drafting type eraser. If any one wants to know more about this stuff, just ask.

After the base coat and rusting etc,.. above, Future floor polish sealed everything for decal application, paint chipping and a graphic pencil to bring out metallic details. Finally Testor lacquer dull-cote sealed it all in. Voila'

THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OUTSIDE TO HOPEFULLY SHOW THE SUBTLE STREAKING AND PAINT FADING. SORRY ABOUT THE SHADOWS.  THE RAIL TRACK BALLAST IS CLEAN CAT LITTER GLUED BETWEEN THE CROSS-TIES AND THEN TINTED WITH VARIOUS OIL WASHES.










 
ANOTHER POST WILL SHOW THE MORTAR IN PROGRESS AND COMPLETED

[White_R34]

Hay now that's one large and magnificent build, lover your paint and weathering.

[Graeme]

Oh nice,!!!!!  John goes missing for like ever and then dumps this on us. Excellent work M8 i will start clearing space on my top shelf or it K. 

[John Gietzen]

Vincent & Graeme,

Thanks for the compliments!
The shading, fading, rust, and weathering did take alot of time. I estimated that over 2500 rivets were rusted and pin-washed close to 6000 rivets.
This beast is displayed in my work office on top of a short bookcase beacuse it requires at least 32" of length. Don't have anything like that at home that is already occupied by books, photos, sleeping cats, etc....

John G
 

[White_R34]

Hay you know if you need some one to pull your load to the front lines, I think Engineer Burke can give you a lift/pull.

[John Gietzen]

Strangely enough I did ask Ken about 2-1/2 yrs ago if he would be willing to combine his masterpiece with my rail-transport for a few model shows.  We would have to be creative so that his creation and my creation would not be permanently connected. We talked about it, but did not decide anything firm.

Funny that you should mention this!!  If that locomotive wa not so expensive (approx $170) I would have bought one last year.

John G 

[White_R34]

LOL I to thought of buying one like kens but pass over it seeing that high price. I do like to try new things but there's a limit! Remember that Ken's Mr. Big Money Grip! (but) I do plan on building a lower priced locomotive by Trump some day.

[Eric W.]

Outstanding John!!!!
The finish is amazing.
Eric

[Ken B.]

That thing is awesome. I saw it @ Stafford in April. It almost made me want to do another rail subject (ALMOST ) Railway models are tedious, aren't they? Seeing yours, I had flashbacks of many many nights hand placing and gluing ballast pebbles in place. Its all worth it in the end, though, when you get results like you have here.

I forgot about the idea of linking our 2 models together. Mine is 6ft. long, adding your 3 ft. would make one impressive piece. We'd have to rebuild a display base though, since ours are so completely different. I think that's the only downfall. A while back, I had tinkered with the idea of adding a K5 Krupp railgun to the end of mine, but the thought of redoing all that groundwork, and then adding another few feet to it put me off the idea.

[Erwin]

Hi John,
Your Karl Gerät transporter looks great.
The mistery of your cat lying around is also solved as you used her cat's litter on your railway. 

No, seriously, you have done quite a good job there and believe me, once that Karl will hang on between his supports it will look amazing. (Know it because I have one in 72 scale).

One advice: make sure, if you hang Karl on its supports, that his chassis is in the correct way. It must be hanging down loose instead of being transported with tracks retracted.

[John Gietzen]

Erwin,

Thanks for the advice.  I built the morser with the suspension in the "compressed" firing position. That way I can display it by itself or with the carriers. So if I support it between the load-bearing arms of the rail transport carriers, the suspension may not technically be in the correct position. Oh well... I will also get around the issue about track sag while in the carrier position by making some large turn-buckles that will be connected between the bottom of the track run and the five track return slide devices.  This will make sense once I make the things and post the photos. Is what I intend to do historically accurate? I don't know, but it solves the problem of no track sag when the morser is supported between the carriers.

John G