Did these two vehicles have the same track? I am really dissatisfied with the link and length set for my 250/9 and am wondering if they could be replaced by the set I have for a 251.
I’m of the opinion that the 251 tracks might be to long but in this case better to long than to short. The next question would be were they the same style tracks and that unfortunately I dont know at this moment. I can have a deffinitave answer for you when I get home. Unless someone else answers before I get home.
Derek,
I am certain they are the same. The 250 was nothing more than a cut down 251. I would say go for it… The only trouble you might have is between kit manufacturers, but if your luck it will all fit. Good luck
i think Kenneth is right.
i just picked up a German 1/2 track reference last weekend.
i will see if it answers when i get home.
feldgrau23: Ooops! [:I] Style is what I was referring to, length is clearly different.
Kennethc, wildwilliam: I think you are right on the lineage. I believe both were developed from the Sd.Kfz. 11.
I have an AFV Club set that I bought for my 251 or I could cut down the rubberband style from the 251 (Better detail than the 250’s set!).
Thanks for the help, I’m just not finding much on-line and my referance library is mighty slim!
Derek, What’s wrong with the kit tracks? Remind me again which kit this is, please.
Thanks
{b]Bill:[/b] It’s Tamiya’s Sd. Kfz. 251/9 kit #35115 from about 1980. The tracks are link and length, show very little detail and are loose on the wheels even when sagged properly. One side turned out OK the other is real sorry looking. My lack of experiance with link & length probly contributed to the current state of affairs. The glue is set (overnight) so there is no fixing this easily other than replacing the tracks. With a bit more work I can make these look acceptable.
All in all it’s a nice little kit for 20+ years old.
Correction: The 250 was base on the Sd. Kfz. 10, 1 ton, the 251 on the Sd. Kfz. 11, 3 ton.
Derek, Here’s something you can try (but it’s prone to really messing things up, so you have to be careful).
If you put Tamiya Extra Thin Cement in the joints of the indy links and let it sit for a few minutes, you should be able to flex the tracks. You should be able to even pull them apart, if you desire. That’s what I was going to do to try and fix the fron hull screw up I made on my Firefly, but there’s just too much glued over the hull joint now. If you can use a real fine brush, you should be able to get the cement right in where you need it without crazing too much of the surrounding detail.
Good luck
Derek,
unfortunately, my book (“Military Vehicles in Detail Armoured Halftrack SdKfz 250/1 to 250/12” by Terry J. Gander) mentions the 251’s only tangentally.
(they used the same engine, but had different transmissions)
the info on the track is for the 250 series:
38 links 9.5" (240mm) wide, connected by lubricated needle bearings.
has a nice exploded diagram of track pieces.
oddly enough, “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles” (Ian V. Hogg & John Weeks) makes no mention of EITHER series !
sorry i do not have answer.
and a look at my 250/3 and 251/1 does not make it any clearer.
tracks look different on box art, but the Rommel’s “Greif” might not have sported the road treads of the Hanomag.
i will look some more on-line.
Two of the sources I’ve found list the 250 tracks as 24cm wide and the 251 tracks as 28cm wide. That would seem to indicate they are at least somewhat different (besides the length). I’ll keep looking as well.
Robert
I’m finding that they were different in width and pitch.
A good excuse to get a set of Fruil tracks. [:D]
Thanks for all the help.
Nope. They were completely different in width and length between track links. The 251 series was based on the sdKfz 11, and that vehicle had 3 separate types of track links during the war - early with lightening holes and rubber tread, late without lightening holes, and last which were solid steel.
The 250 series was based on the SdKfz 10 (Demag D7) which was completely different to the 251series, and were the same throughout production.
Try WW2 productions for replacement resin indy links for the 250. I hear they are great.check out: http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/ww2prod/ww2prod35003.htm
Thanks for the info and link Peter, I keep forgetting about that company. Just bookmarked them so I won’t forget again (hopefully).