Arkaengel. A Russian naval port in Z

[kevsmiththai]

Just doing something a bit different to showcase a couple of nice Soviet naval vessels I've got. I had a spare chunk of MDF and set to to make a Baltic port display with a small amount of running track.

 

The key here was the availablility of the Atlas editions 'Collectable' static model which has a pair ot TE3 diesels and a baggage car

 

 

I usuall pick these up off E-Pain for about a fiver

 

The coach is easy to get working with the chassis modified to take a pair of Plus-Z bogies. Slightly weathered to tone it down a it

 

 

track was recovered from the now dismantled extension board off Shasta ( My Southern Pacific layout) as was the big oil storage tank

 

 

Along the back will be low relief buildings with a hardened bunker in the middle. There is an old abandoned steam shed in one corner and acres of concrete

 

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There is a guy on Shapeways called 'Masters of Military' who does a lot of Cold war AFVs and Army trucks. Ordered a few and they are quite nice. GAZ jeeps, UAZ Minivans and Pickups and a ZIL and MAZ army truck. 

 

Early days yet but I've got the first TE3 motorised and running

 

Kev

 

 

[kevsmiththai]

I'm on a steep learning curve regarding Russian railways but what has become apparent htat as a result of aftermath of the second world war there are a couple of easy ways to do Soviet Steam. My main reference book is a very old, second edition copy of  Russian Steam Locomotives by Fleming and Price

 

First up is the classic Marklin 0-8-0. There were lots of these left behind in the east and my understanding from the book is that even in 1966 some could still be found working

 

My BR 55 was picked up for peanuts at a show where the dealer said  "It's dead, the light come on but it won't go" A quick spray of Servisol 10 on the comm, brushes and pick-ups and ten minutes later it was running around Republic Steel with a rake of Iron Ore cars! He didn't look happy when he saw it.

 

 

In the depths of a Russian winter

 

 

The other one was the P9 0-6-0T. Basically the USRA 0-6-0T that spread throughout Europe as the defeat of the Germans drew closer. Now the Russians ones have had some mods like the cab windows and domes but the basic loco is there

 

 

I have already got three Z scale ones. Two in British railways livery representing the ones bought by the Southern and used in Southampton Docks and one in Industrial colours. These are by Ivan Industries on Shapeways and fit a slightly modified Marklin 0-6-0T chassis and can be bought as a 3 pack. The ones I ordered were done in FUD but can be ordered in 3D Brass

 

 

I might treat this one to a brass body as it will make fitting the headlight and other bits easier

 

Might struggle to get Cyrillic lettering and numbering small enough though

 

More soon

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

Over on trainboard.com A guy called Zrada69 Picked uo on what I'm doing, He is doing PKP, Polish railways in Z, and has done an M62 diesel from a 3D printed. Iit should be a 6 axle one but he compromised and used a Marklin Bo-Bo chassis and to be honest at normal viewing distance you can't really tell.

 

So as a stopgap until I can create a 12 wheel Rokuhan version I have butchered a chassis to fit. Thinned down and the plastic chassis extension cut back to the pickup plates. Lead bogie has had the coupler box virtually removed and the clips that hold the top and bottom together replaced with a 16BA Screw and nut. Not done anything with the rear coupler box until I have decided on the mounting of the magnetic coupling

 

 

The inside of the pilot was thinned down on the body, The two mounting pegs ground out and a trail fit done. There is loads of room for extra weight

 

 

more soon

 

Kev

Edited December 11, 2021 by kevsmiththai

[kevsmiththai]

I've done a bit of work on the low relief buildings with blast wall added to the hardenend bunker and some old warehouses, The infills for the track buried in the cooncrete pad. Guard towers, nissen huts and the old fuelling tank off Shasta. The abandoned loco shed has been re-used as well, disconnected from the tracks. The microwave tower and control room installed in the back, left hand, corner and the mooring bollards added

 

 

The TE3 prototype runs well, but doesn't like the tight bend coming off the lift bridge. The Shorty powered diesel shunter (seen in the background) is quite happy though. There is a slab of lead sat on top of the Marklin chassis which gives it real haulage power

 

 

The TE3 needs the other loco converting. The rough ground has had 'Forest Floor' scatter applied and there is a lot of ground covered with white gravel. The flat wagons are the Marklin heavy flat wagons which had 4 wheel trucks fitted (Full Throttle) and used to carry M48 Patton tanks on Cuyahoga in the military train.

 

more soon

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

the Big dog is back in port!

 

 

Sovremeny class destroyer 755. The dockside life rings were a bit fiddly. The 0-8-0 is going to have the chimney extended (I'll fire up the lathe when it gets a bit warmer outside) and ill fit magnetic couplers to the stock seen in the photo

 

 

The abandoned locoshed is proving a bit vulnerable being so close to the baseboard edge

 

more soon

 

Kev

[Kamome]

I do like your extremely niche mentality to railway modelling and that warship makes a very interesting backdrop. 

 

Perhaps some added fencing, razor wire and russian warning information would add some extra theatre towards the front of the layout.  I look forward to see this develop.

[beakaboy]

excellent work Kev. love that TE 3 and that destroyer looks mint!

[kevsmiththai]

I kept thinking about the results of the TE3. Although the chassis fitted with some mods the rear coupler box stuck out quite a bit. I remembered that in the U.K stock boxes were the HSTs that used to run on Midsomer Mardy. They were pretty crude by our standards today. resin castings with solid windows and too short

 

 

So I opened out the insides of the other pair of TE3s and spent a few nights repainting them in the standard green colours

 

 

So the HST chassis still retain the Marklin coupler on the inner end. The gap is a bit bigger than I would like but they run just fine round the test track in the office

 

 

The rear coach needs another shim in at this end as it is sitting a bit low

 

Kev