Hello model builders
Since two model builders here are working on the Roden KrAZ-214 kit, I’m joining in as the third model builder. The vehicle variants on these chassis were very diverse, and the vehicles were found in a wide variety of branches of the military. They were also used in civilian areas. I decided to build a GSSD vehicle from the late 1960s. The kit is relatively simple to assemble, but several modifications must be observed to make it a KrAZ-214. Here are some original pictures of the vehicles I envisioned as models.
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I won’t go into every construction step here. My goal here is to explain the differences between the KrAZ-214 and the KrAZ-255B and to demonstrate the differences. Both Roden kits have sprues that aren’t needed for their respective models. One example is the front axle fenders on the KrAZ-214, which need to be modified. I’ll show you some pictures of the KrAZ-214 and KrAZ-255B construction, where you can see the differences. The kit wheels weren’t used on either model.
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That´s an interesting comparison, thank you.
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I did not know the differences. This is a KrAZ-255B:
KL
Regarding the lamp boxes, it must be said that the two vehicles were not always distinguishable. The first KrAZ-255Bs were built without them. The shape of the lamp boxes also depended on the specific vehicle. Here are some pictures.
KrAZ-255B
KrAZ-214, clearly visible that the spare tire mount doesn’t extend beyond the width of the cargo area. The Russian bear logo is also missing from the hood. New tires with an arrow pattern were also used compared to the YAZ-214.
The YAZ-214 with the old tires and the old company logo, the Russian bear. The logo is very well represented in the kit. These vehicles were built in Yaroslavl and later in Krementschuk. Visually, these two vehicles, the YAZ-214 and the KrAZ-214, are difficult to distinguish. Here are some pictures.
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This is the result of the KrAZ-214 kit from Roden. I only replaced the wheels; everything else was used from the kit.
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Great work !!
I really like the look of yours, also the canvas cover looks very good too.
Congrats !
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After completing the KrAZ-214 model, the thought occurred to me: what should I attach to the vehicle? I’d never seen cannons or other guns on this vehicle, and I didn’t have any photos of them. But I was familiar with the KrAZ-214 as a towing device for low-loaders. I’d seen it used to transport tanks in the 1960s and 1970s. So I decided to build a replica of a low-loader. I used a modified model from the PanzerShop company. Today, there’s a kit available, which I’m showing here, that would have been better.
Here is the Russian model, which was in use for many years.
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Today, I’m comparing the American and Russian low-loaders. The difference isn’t that big. They’re hard to tell apart. Even though the topic doesn’t fit the KrAZ-214 model, I’m including the low-loader in this thread. Here are some pictures.
The Russian low loader
The American model
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It is always a pleasure to take a look at your built models, Joachim!
Cheers,
Angel
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Thank you, Angel. I wish you continued success with your model building and I’m very much looking forward to seeing more models from you.
Best regards, Joachim
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Today, the KrAZ-214 is used as a towing vehicle for low-loaders, as it was used by the GSSD in East Germany in the 1960s and until the mid-1970s. After that, tanks and other tracked vehicles were transported on MAZ-537 low-loaders. Here are some pictures of this model project. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any KrAZ-214s used as a towing vehicle for cannons.
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Are there any actual pictures of these being used on the Ho Chi Minh trail, and if so were they used in this role? Would make a cool dio if they were, possibly hauling a T54 or PT76. Wayne
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This is a T-62 main battle tank of the 44th Guards Tank Regiment of the Soviet Army, stationed in the town of Königsbrück, known as Sukhe-Bator. The regiment belonged to the 1st Guards Tank Army in Dresden. This tank, which I have shown, was operated by the regiment’s best crew. The T-62 tank was the last tank type to be transported on this low-loader. All more modern types were transported on MAZ-537s.
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Here are two more pictures of this tank.
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Here are loading scenes for the original pictures shown.
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Looks great… that is huge, the truck is quite big… amazing scenes you got there.
Great references too
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After introducing the KrAZ-214 as a flatbed vehicle for towing low-loaders, I’ll move on to another variant. In the 1960s, the KrAZ-214 appeared as a bridge vehicle, designated KrAZ-214 TMM. TMM stood for mechanical support bridge. A bridge set consisted of four vehicles, three of which were bridges with supports and one without. The bridge set could be expanded with additional vehicles. The laying of the bridge sections was completed in a very short time; no additional vehicles were necessary. The bridge set was led by the GAZ-69 DIM, which was responsible for reconnaissance of mine crossing points. In the 1970s, the bridge set was replaced by the KrAZ-255 and redesignated KrAZ-255 TMM-3.
The KrAZ-214 kit from Roden is again used for construction. Here are pictures of the original.
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Construction began with the Roden KrAZ-214 base vehicle. The bridge-laying equipment and the bridge are made from a Minimanfactory kit. Gabor Mateka did a great job, and I’m very satisfied with the kit. The wheels from the Roden kit are not being used; better wheels are available from other manufacturers.
Here are some pictures of the kit parts.
the construction plan
the kit
the bridge kit
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