RSO 'Raupenschlepper Ost' Tractor
Track and Detail Set
WWII Productions 1:35 Scale Set No. 35004
Review by Terry Ashley

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This track and detail set from WWII Productions is designed for the Italeri RSO ‘Raupenschlepper Ost’ Tractor kits and if ever a kit needed new tracks these do. Cast in a light grey resin the set consists of approximately 135 track links plus 32 large snow track shoes (gleisketten) sometimes fitted, new hubs for the drive and idler sprocket wheels plus a new idler axle are also supplied.

The actual track links are 340mm wide which in 1:35 scale is 9.7mm with the resin links being 10.5mm wide, this 0.8mm difference is not that noticeable unless compared to other tracks of the correct width. The links have excellent cast detail but the sprocket teeth holes are rectangular when they should be contoured on the inside corresponding to the recess in the guide pin. There is quite a bit of fine resin film ‘flash’ on each link that needs to be cleaned off either with a sharp #11 blade or using an old toothbrush to gently scrub the flash away. They also have the diamond shaped cleats as seen on some RSO track while others have small rectangular cleats.

There is also some minor cleanup needed where the links were snapped of the pouring blocks but is easily trimmed with a sharp blade as well as few air holes mostly on the edges of the links, these are hidden on the straight track runs but can show on the links around the sprockets. The wider snow shoes have some minor cleanup needed as well there should be two small reinforcing strips on the inside of the outer section of the shoes.

Metal and Etched parts

The track use the simple click together assembly. Each link has a large and small pivot pin (see image Step 1), next slip the next track over this large pin (Step 2) and then click the link into place over the smaller pin (Step 3). As this small pin only just holds the links together any rough handling (especially twisting) will see them come apart but under normal circumstances they will stay in place just fine. Also don’t clip and unclip the links as you will wear away the sides of the locating hole for the small pin meaning it won’t hold.

WW2Prod tracks fitted to the Italeri RSO kit sprockets.
Note a few air holes present on the resin links.

If using the large snow shoes supplied these are designed to fit onto the track pins of adjoining links but the small locating holes in the show brackets will need to be drilled out with a 1mm drill. Take care to press with your finger against the top of the bracket as you drill otherwise the small lip will just break away.

The shoes can then be fitted to the kit track pins the same as on the original with the fit being good mostly but some minor adjustments may be needed, note the shoes have either one or two large cleats for traction in snow/mud etc. and these are fitted alternatively to one another (see image). The shoes were not like Winterketten or Ostketten or US Sherman duckbill end extensions where every track link has the extensions but were usually added in groups of four spaced out around the track run, four groups per side.

The Italeri drive and idler sprockets have some serious shape problems on the centre ribs and hubs as well as both sprockets having the same design when in fact the two are different. You are given new hubs for both drive and idler sprockets to help add some detail to the kit sprockets but the drive sprockets are still the wrong design. A new idler axle is also provided to replace the two part Italeri axel eliminating the need to clean up the unsightly join on the Italeri axel.

The new resin hubs added to the kit sprockets,
compare the idler sprocket to the DML sprocket in the image above

The instructions outline clearly what needs to be done to fit the new hubs and although some very minor surgery is required on the idler sprocket hubs they do improve the look of the hubs but the rib shape is another issue.

This set is a huge advance over the poor Italeri tracks with nice detail on the resin links, there is a bit of cleanup required and the links are fractionally oversized as well as the odd air hole present. Assembly is easy and straightforward and the tracks articulate well and fit the kit sprockets without problems.

The inclusion of the large snow shoes is a big bonus for the set and the other parts are useful although the hubs are a little lost on the inaccurate Italeri kit sprockets.
The tracks can be used with any of the Italeri RSO kits or the new DML 7.5cm RSO (kit #6640)

Rating 7.5/10

7.5cm Pak 40/4 auf gep. Selbstfahrlafftte Raupenachleper OST (RSO) Nuts & Bolts Vol. 09 Revised	Panzerjaeger Panzer Tracts No.7.3 Thomas L Jentz, Hilary Louise Doyle
Allied & Axis No.20 Raupenachleper OST Ampersand Publishing	Ground Power Magazine #119- 4/2004 Published by GALILEO Publishing Co.,Ltd