BAS Weldon Snow Cat

[Weaver]

Okay, I'm in, the intention being to turn these:



into something like this:


from here: http://www.commercialmotor.com/big-lorry-blog/british-antarctic-surveyall-th

It will then go no a diorama base with my BAS Skyvan, but that might be done in the week!

Note that I'm not attempting to model the Nodwell precisely, just produce something reminiscent of it. The black tracks in the pic are from an old MatchboX Panther, and I hope to use them because they're a bit wider than the T-34 ones. I didn't want to use Panther running gear though, because the simpler T-34 gear is more in-keeping.

[Thorvic]

Be interesting what you use the surplus truck wheels on 

The Snow Cat should look the part with that cab on a short chassis and catapillar tracks 

[sandiego89]

ooohhhh.  Like all things SnowCat.   

[Hobbes]

Cool!

Don't snow vehicles usually have really wide tracks?

[kitnut617]

into something like this:


from here: http://www.commercialmotor.com/big-lorry-blog/british-antarctic-surveyall-th

There's a shop yard I pass quite frequently where about 20 are those are stored. They take the tracks off them when they're stored too --- They can be used to cross muskeg too

[kitnut617]

Cool!

Don't snow vehicles usually have really wide tracks?

Those are usually used for grooming ski hill runs, or snowmobile trails where there's usually very deep and powdery snow

[Weaver]

This is a bit tricky because I've got the Skyhawk on the go at the same time, so I'm doing the Snow Cat on a coffee table at the moment. The Panther tracks are slightly longer than the T-34 ones, but the way the T-34 kit's designed, it should be possible to tweak the drive sprocket spacing to get them tight, which will also help make it longer. Unfortunately, that means I can't make anything else until I've built the tracks and established the length.

[Weaver]

Be interesting what you use the surplus truck wheels on 

The Snow Cat should look the part with that cab on a short chassis and catapillar tracks 

I'm trying to do it in such a way that the entire truck chassis is a complete spare. It's really big and very nicely detailed.

[Captain Canada]

Very cool. Going to be lovely especially when done and in your diorama !



ps-I didn't know that truck kit existed. Now I want one 

[kitbasher]

Don't forget the turret - essential for pest (i.e. penguin) control!

[Weaver]

Very cool. Going to be lovely especially when done and in your diorama !



ps-I didn't know that truck kit existed. Now I want one 

It's a beauty: exquisitely detailed and not even super expensive. I picked up three when Modelzone shut down. HUGE potential for Whifs too: everything from moon buses to missile launchers.

[Weaver]

Okay, well after a couple of NEPE (Not Exactly Precision Engineering) sessions I have two things to show for it:  these sub-assemblies and a sponsorship from Evergreen...



And here's how they all fit together so far:



The fuel tank from the truck fits nicely next to the engine where the reall M977 carries it's spare wheel, but it overhangs sideways a bit. Unfortunately, everything I can find in the spares box is too small though, so I think I'm still going to go with it.

Next job is to build the cargo platform. The load bed of the M977 is featureless so there's no point wasting it by cutting it down: it wouldn't look any different to plastic card.

I was going to glue it all together, spray it all red with the cab roof + doors off, paint the latter black while the red's drying, then bring them all together at the end. However it's such a fiddly shape, and the sub-assemblies fit together so positively, that I think I might paint them separately now.

[McColm]

There's a tracked rapier vehicle in the Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich Arsenal, that might be worth a Whiff build.

[kerick]

into something like this:


from here: http://www.commercialmotor.com/big-lorry-blog/british-antarctic-surveyall-th

There's a shop yard I pass quite frequently where about 20 are those are stored. They take the tracks off them when they're stored too --- They can be used to cross muskeg too

There is a fold down platform for the crane operator on the side that would look good under the part of the fuel tank the overhangs the fender.

[Weaver]

Pleased with this:





I managed to get the roof, sides and front of the cab to stick together as a unit, so I can paint them seperately then fit them later. They are NOT designed to fit together in that order (you're meant to glue them to the floor & back first) and have virtually no positive location on each other, so that was an interesting I-need-six-hands exercise...

Also got the hydraulic jacks fitted at the rear.