Today, something again on the topic of the KrAZ-255 TMM-3. Construction continued, albeit slowly. As I mentioned before, the kit used is from Roden. I’ve mounted the components on the chassis. The construction is very complicated and progressing slowly. Here are a few pictures.
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Here’s the finished KrAZ-214 TMM model in transport position. The bridge sections are pushed together. Before the bridge is laid, they are widened, erected, and unfolded. Before the bridge is completely laid down, the crew unfolds the outriggers. I’m showing the model with the lettering as it would have appeared on the streets of the GDR in the early 1970s.
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I continued with the coloring of the TMM-3. The parts need to be painted before assembly. I put the parts together, and the pictures show the result.
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Today, a demonstration of the relocation of the TMM bridge. First, the turnbuckles on the bridge sections are removed. They are rotatable in the model, just like in the original, and hold the bridge sections together during marches. Next, the bridge is widened, and the outriggers are extended and locked in place. This must be done on both the original vehicle and the model, otherwise the vehicle will fall backward while relocating the bridge. Here are the pictures.
The turnbuckles
The support
The widening of the bridge
Now the frame can be lifted with the bridge.
Once the frame has reached its final position during lifting, the bridge section is unfolded. This is done using the KRaZ’s cable winch.
The bridge is completely open and can be put down.
That’s all for today.
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The bridge is lowered further and the laying vehicle is separated from the bridge. The limiting poles on the bridge are raised. Another vehicle with a TMM can drive over the bridge and extend the bridge structure.
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Fantastic!
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Thank you Taras
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Amazing attention to detail. Very nicely done, sir! 
—mike 
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After I showed you how to lower the bridge, we continued with the construction of the TMM-3 on the KrAZ-255. As mentioned, the kit is from Roden. I didn’t use the tires from the kit; I used complete wheels from NorthStar. The screw connections on the rear wheel covers were made with 0.6 mm brass screws with a 1.0 mm wrench size. These screws create a very good finish on the model. I highly recommend these screws and nuts, which are available in various sizes, to every model builder. Here are some pictures of the construction process.
The rear wheel covers where you can see the screws.
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Construction on the model continued; the hydraulic tank was installed and further work was carried out on the bridge frame. Here are current pictures of the construction progress.
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Construction on the model continued. The Minimanfaktory kit doesn’t include any widening of the bridge when lowering it. This wasn’t the case on the original; the bridge widened before the lifting frame was raised, and then lowered. Since I wanted to replicate these functions on the model, I modified the lifting frame, including the hydraulic cylinders that perform this function. You can see these cylinders on the rear part of the lifting frame in the photos. The hydraulic hoses for the cylinders are still missing. The winch has also been installed, but the cable is not yet attached. The lifting frame was further completed. Here are the photos.
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Construction of the bridge continues. Here are the first pictures before the bridge sections are assembled.
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Construction on the bridge continued; it was assembled in a movable manner. Further work was carried out on the base vehicle. Here are some pictures.
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Construction on the model continued. I further completed the base vehicle and attached hydraulic hoses. The taillights and the air supply for towing trailers were installed. This allows me to finish the rear section of the model. Here are the pictures.
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I’m following closely your excellent build, Joachim!
I do have FourStarMiniatures TMM bridge set, a Bulgarian TMM-3 manual and a HobbyBoss KrAZ-255 kit, and I plan to build a Bulgarian TMM-3 one day.
Your splendid work will be of great help when this day comes!
Angel
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Hi Angel
I’m glad you’re following the build and that you like the model. I’m really looking forward to seeing your TMM-3 build. Choosing the KrAZ-255 model from HobbyBoss was the best choice you could have made. I’ve had the Roden kits for many years, so I used them. If you have any questions about the build now, feel free to ask. I can still explain and show you various problems I encounter during the build. Right now, I’m struggling with the cable mechanism for opening the bridge sections. There were two versions, and I can’t decide which one to use. Here are some pictures.
Best regards, Joachim
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All your builds look impressive. Especially the bridge and how you can pose it into the different positions.
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Thanks mech for your praise, I’m glad you like my work.
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Construction continued with the installation of the pull cable for opening the bridge. I chose the version with one end of the cable wound onto the winch. The other end of the cable is attached to the vehicle. I used two cable ends wound onto the winch on the KrAZ-214 TMM, but that’s not advisable for model building. It’s possible that both versions were used on the original. Here are the new pictures and a comparison of the two versions. I hope you can see the difference.
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