What was the purpose of the 3 + 1 arrangement? What do the bridges with and without supports look like?
KL
1 Like
Hello Kurt Laughlin, as I said, the bridge set consisted of four vehicles, and the bridges were laid one after the other. The last bridge didn’t require any shoring because it was supported on the opposite bank. The entire bridge could be lifted up again even after the vehicles had crossed from the opposite bank. The riverbed was important to ensure stability. Otherwise, a catastrophe could occur and the bridge could topple over. Here are pictures of the shoring and the installation principle. In the drawing, the supports for the last vehicle are incorrect; they weren’t there.
It’s worth noting that during road transport, the bridge sections on the base vehicle were pushed together in width. This, of course, had to be realized in the model as well. No easy task.
In 1968, this vehicle was already in the inventory of the NVA of the GDR.
The support was adjustable in height
Here a vehicle without support
This happens when the ground gives way.
I hope I was able to answer your question.
4 Likes
Yes, thank you! I was thinking of “support” as something on the bridge section structure, not the “trestles” as they are called over here.
Referring to the drawing (I have removed the extra support on the last bridge section)
How was it possible to lift the bridge behind the advancing column, from the far bank in the original crossing? The trucks would need to lift the spans facing the same way as when the bridge was laid, in the opposite order. That would leave the trucks and bridges on the opposite side of the river than the advancing column. Was it possible to disconnect/reconnect the support so that span A was without supports, spans B and C now had a support on the left side, and span D now had the support that was originally on span C?
KL
1 Like
Hello KurtLaughlin
First of all, thanks for correcting the drawing. The mounting of the bridge sections was done exactly as you describe. The supports had to be attached to the other bridge section. This was also the case with the other bridge structure on the ZIL-157 base vehicle. Otherwise, the bridge vehicles wouldn’t have been able to follow the convoys. Here are some more images.
Something else about supporting the bridge.
3 Likes
Now for the construction of the model. Theoretically, two versions can be built: the TMM and the TMM3. The choice of base vehicle, KrAZ-214B or KrAZ-255B, must be made. The bridge conversion kit provides both variants. It should be noted that the bracket for the spare wheel is mounted above the driver’s cab on the TMM3. The Minimanfactory kit is excellently manufactured. There are no air pockets, so no filling is required. One problem during construction is reproducing the mobility of the bridge and the laying equipment, as well as the supports. This is the greatest challenge for the model builder.
Here are pictures of the various base vehicles and the bridge kit.
KrAZ-214 for TMM
KrAZ-255 for TMM3
The rack for the spare wheel above the driver’s cab
I had already shown the kit, the bridge elements
5 Likes
Construction begins with the construction of the lifting frame. Since I decided to build the model with a movable structure, various parts had to be rebuilt. And this is where the first disaster began. Since the bridge sections are widened before the bridge is laid, two components on the lifting frame must be movable. They sit on a shaft at the end of the frame. Unfortunately, Gabor Mateka didn’t drill these parts and only indicated the holes. The holes must be 4mm. And that’s the problem: the drill bit gets stuck and the component breaks. And that’s exactly what happened to me. The parts were no longer usable. I had to cast new parts and incorporated the entire bore into the casting, thus eliminating the need for drilling. So, the construction is really complicated, since TMM and TMM3 are different. There are always setbacks in model making. Here are a few pictures of the disaster.
Here, I cast the parts myself, and this is how they come out of the mold. I made two spare parts. No drilling is required.
The lifting frame and the two movable parts for the bridge.
The resin used, I can only recommend it to every model builder.
6 Likes
Very interesting and well-executed ideas! The low-loader trailer converted into a Soviet ChMZAP-5208 turned out instantly recognizable. How accurate are its dimensions and proportions?
And the bridge-layer based on the KrAZ-214 is a rare and impressive modification, one you don’t often see even.
The execution of both projects is remarkable for its precision and thoughtfulness.
1 Like
Hello Taras
Thanks for your praise, and I’m glad you like the projects. Here are the dimensions of the low-loader again. When building the KrAZ-214 TMM, I decided to present both versions here, including the KrAZ-255 TMM3. It’s not easy to make moving models from a resin kit. Here are some more pictures.
4 Likes
