We’ve just received news that AK is launching a range of WW2 (and post war) railway kits including two shunters, freight wagons and tracks.
The Breuer IV Shunter
The Breuer IV was the 4th production model of the light railway shunting
locomotive developed by the German company H. Breuer & Co since 1913.
This variant was designed in the 1920s and around 120 vehicles are esti-
mated to be manufactured in Germany until 1943, with further examples
being built under licence in various European countries including Italy,
Austria, Finland, Denmark and Czechoslovakia. In the course of production
and service the Breuer IV underwent various updates which ultimately led
to the development of the model V, but are also the reason for differences
between various examples preserved in museums and captured on ref-
erence photos. Our 1/35 scale kit contains optional parts which allow for
depicting several modifications seen on the real vehicles, some of which
remained in service even until the 1980s. A 19 cm-long railway track
section and a Reichsbahn worker figure are also included.
The main features of the kit:
- Over 150 plastic parts for the shunter and a section of railway track.
- Optional parts for different variants.
- 1 railroad worker figure.
- 2 painting/marking options
RRP: 35,95€
The Automotore FS 206/207/208 Sogliora Shunter
The Automotore FS 206/207/208 was a family of Italian licence-built
variants of the Breuer IV, a light railway shunting locomotive developed
by the German company H. Breuer & Co in the 1920s. It is estimated that
nearly 400 shunters based on the model IV were manufactured by the
companies Antonio Badoni Lecco (1932-1969) and Officine Costamasna-
ga di Como (1929-1932). They served with the Italian State Railways
and private companies at least until the 1990s, so modellers interested
in building derelict vehicles may easily find colour reference photos of
abandoned, rusty shunters awaiting their end at the sidetracks.
In July 1942, the Italian engineers restored the railway line from Tobruk
to El-Alamein which would be then used for transporting troops and
supplies for the Regio Esercito and Afrika Korps. A few dozens of Auto-
motores delivered from Italy on 26th July 1942 became the main pulling
force on this route until November 1942. In North Africa the shunters,
whose most common nickname had been “sogliola” (“sole”), assigned to
them due to their typical shape, were instead called “scatole di sardine”
(“sardine cans”) or “armadi viaggianti” (“moving wardrobes”).
Our 1/35 scale kit can be built either as the World War II variant used in
the North Africa or a post-war model featuring several distinctive modi-
fications. A 19 cm-long railway track section and Italian Engineer Corps
NCO figure are also included.
The main features of the kit:
- Over 180 plastic parts for the shunter and a section of railway track.
- Optional parts for WWII-era and post-war variants.
- 1 Italian Army NCO figure.
- 4 painting/marking options.
RRP: 35,95€
The Type SSys four-axle railway flatbed car was used by the Germans for transporting vehicles and supplies of up to 50 tonnes during World War II.
It could therefore carry most of the light and medium tanks and self-propelled guns of the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, including the Panzer I, II, III and IV, Panther, Jagdpanther, StuG III and IV, Nashorn, Wespe, Hummel, Sturmpanzer and many others. Only the heavy tanks such as the Tiger I and II and their derivatives required using heavier six-axle railway cars.
The main features of the kit:
- Over 250 plastic parts for one wagon and a section of railway track.
- Photo-etched fret.
- Decals for 1 marking option.
- Tank model kit not included.
RRP: 42,95€
The G10 freight cars formed the backbone of the German railway wagon park during World War II and after, and were used for transportation of various goods and people throughout Europe.
This included not only supplies for the army and soldiers, but also prisoners of war and detainees transferred to concentration camps, making the G10 the most famous yet the most notorious railway wagons.
The wagon’s appearance could vary in some details depending on the manufacturer and production year, which is represented by the inclusion of optional parts in our 1/35 scale kit.
The main features of the kit:
- Over 280 plastic parts for the wagon and a section of railway track.
- Photo-etched fret.
- Decals for 3 marking options.
RRP: 55,95€
This kit includes 33 high quality injection-moulded plastic parts which can be assembled into a 19 cm-long railway track section with a buffer stop at the end.
The track gauge is standard.
The track section may be given either a straight or arched shape: the beam that joins the sleepers and the tabs between them allow for easy bending the tracks to an arched shape and preserving this without using glue.
*The beam that joins the sleepers and the tabs between them allow for easy bending the tracks to an arched shape and preserving this without using glue.
RRP: 16,95€
This set contains 18 high quality injection-moulded plastic parts which can be assembled into two 19 cm-long railway track sections with standard track gauge.
These track sections may be given either a straight or arched shape.
Optional parts which allow for connecting the track sections in three different ways are also included.
*The beam that joins the sleepers and the tabs between them allow for easy bending the tracks to an arched shape and preserving this without using glue.
RRP: 16,95€
All the above are available from AK directly or their dealers worldwide.
For further details download the January 2024 AK newsletter as a PDF file.
See AK’s new video showing how to paint and weather railway wagons… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUYwYPn_hxk