M60a1 All done

You may be able to see the center guide inside the support roller.

Rob Gronovius wrote:

A center guide is the 2-pronged tooth item in the center of the track. A spare one is used to hold the road wheel onto either the bustle rack or onto the grunt rails (hand rails on the side of the turret). The center guide bolt is threaded through a road wheel mounting hole and secured with the center guide and the nut.

I'm pretty sure I can picture what you're describing (at least how it works). Is it essentially a track link trimmed down - i.e., ends removed - to "expose" the center guide? Or would that be too thick?

You don't happen to have a photo or link to one, do you?

Again, thanks in advance.

I like the camo a LOT. The '60 is one of my favorite builds, and that one is sweet.

Anybody remember the old Bandai '24th scale M60A1? More of a toy, but I attempted the same 4-color camo, and I think I'm going to go back and try to correct it, based on this build.

Once again, sweet.

rdxpress wrote:

Hay All. Crockett is right about the C rats, but when we went to the the field it was,nt unusual to dump them in the bustle rack till we got to uor staging area or first bivouic area. If left them after that they would disappear, if you know what I mean. The paint is correct for the unit, Jesse modeled, The unit I was at even had the last '60 in germany when I got there and was the the in the same colors. Crockett, What unit were you in? I was in 3/68 and 5/68 nextdoor was A2s and they never left the motorpool!!!!                                       Good Hunting G.W.

Hey G.W.,

Charlie Co. 3/33 Armor, we left the motorpool quite a bit. Graf twice a year, Hohenfels and Wildflicken twice a year, inumerable alerts and Reforger. The problem was we would leave a trail of broken down Tanks and Gamma Goats where ever we went!. Remember the M85 50 cal.? (junk), the M209 coax? (real junk), the infamous PR 77 radio ?(the ultimate junk, batteries and more batteries). Third Battalion...Kirch Goens, Butzbach, Friedburg an Geissen......I can still here the flippies poppin!

Steve

usmc1371 wrote:

Thanks Steve, I'm going to replace the MRE's with something else.  You might be right about the tracks.  The pictures in Squadron's book look like the chevron style tracks.  Anyway, the removeable block tracks can with the kit so that's what I'm using.  The camo scheme  was used on only a few tanks from that unit and Squadron has 2 pictures of it.  I thought it was more interesting than the standard green camo.  I know M60's used different searchlights but I'm not sure if the kit searchlight is correct for this tank.  It's the searchlight that is square not the one that has curved sides.  This guys tank has the searchlight I have: http://www.patton-mania.com/M60_Patton/M60_modeling/Andreas__M60_Stuff/m60a1_7th_00.jpg Thanks again, Jesse

Hey Jesse,

I'm pretty sure the searchlight on the A2 that I pictured is the correct one for the period. But, I am no expert on the A1. I only crewed on the A1 for a few months, and that is counting AIT. I sure saw a heck of a lot of them, though.

Congratulations on a really stunning model. These 60's really took a beating in those days, we were in the field at least half of a calendar year. Maintenance was a nightmare in the Jimmy Carter army, no spare parts, unserviceable weapons etc. We held our tanks together with whatever we could scrounge. As you can see in the pics, we had very primitive conditions in garrison, to include inadequate water pressure at the wash rack.

IMHO, some weathering would really send your build over the top.

regards,

Steve

    Hay All. Crockett is right about the C rats, but when we went to the the field it was,nt unusual to dump them in the bustle rack till we got to uor staging area or first bivouic area. If left them after that they would disappear, if you know what I mean. The paint is correct for the unit, Jesse modeled, The unit I was at even had the last '60 in germany when I got there and was the the in the same colors. Crockett, What unit were you in? I was in 3/68 and 5/68 nextdoor was A2s and they never left the motorpool!!!!

                                      Good Hunting G.W.

Thanks Steve,

I'm going to replace the MRE's with something else.  You might be right about the tracks.  The pictures in Squadron's book look like the chevron style tracks.  Anyway, the removeable block tracks can with the kit so that's what I'm using.  The camo scheme  was used on only a few tanks from that unit and Squadron has 2 pictures of it.  I thought it was more interesting than the standard green camo.  I know M60's used different searchlights but I'm not sure if the kit searchlight is correct for this tank.  It's the searchlight that is square not the one that has curved sides.  This guys tank has the searchlight I have: http://www.patton-mania.com/M60_Patton/M60_modeling/Andreas__M60_Stuff/m60a1_7th_00.jpg

Thanks again,

Jesse

usmc1371 wrote:

That's for the reply guys.  Do any of you know if the searchlight in the kit is the correct one for this tank?  The instructions said to leave it off.  Also, what about the MRE boxes?  Correct for the time?  I don't know when MRE's came into use.  I was in the Corps from 1991-1999 and the Guard from 2001-2004.  We always had MRE's. When I got the Guard, that 'A' bag - 'B' bag thing confused the heck out of me.  Why can't they just say Seabag and Duece gear . In terms of cleaniness, I do like to model my tanks clean with only a little bit of rust and dust. Thanks again, Jesse

Hey Jesse,

No such thing as MRE's in Germany in the late 70's. Would have been C rations...and cardboard on the outside of the tank in the maritime Atlantic climate was a no no. We had three cases of emergency C rats in the sponson box, only for war. Also, the type of track you have chosen MAY be correct, we didn't get ours until late '77 (with the removeable track pads). I can't imagine why the instructions would say to leave off the searchlight, it was used both for white light illumination and IR in night fire. Hope this helps.

As a side note, if you are interested, I'm not really sure about the camo scheme. It's been years, but I really don't recall seeing any A1's with that much light gray. Here is a pic of an M60A2 (my tank) with stowage in the field, and a color pic of how the tanks looked. Camo varied a little from unit to unit.......

Steve

That's for the reply guys.  Do any of you know if the searchlight in the kit is the correct one for this tank?  The instructions said to leave it off.  Also, what about the MRE boxes?  Correct for the time?  I don't know when MRE's came into use.  I was in the Corps from 1991-1999 and the Guard from 2001-2004.  We always had MRE's.

When I got the Guard, that 'A' bag - 'B' bag thing confused the heck out of me.  Why can't they just say Seabag and Duece gear .

In terms of cleaniness, I do like to model my tanks clean with only a little bit of rust and dust.

Thanks again,

Jesse

Well, I was right down the road at 3/33rd and saw many 3/32 A1's. Looks like you went for the 'pristine' look. The only knock I would have is the storage, in 3rd Battalion, we weren't issued rucks in the 70's(Alice?), our load plan was "A" bag, which was your issue duffle, and "B" bag, which was your butt pack and poncho. Also I would rust up the heater exhaust tube a little, and blacken in the bilge outlet tube as well. The absent searchlight, either mounted or stowed is also something that I would fix. Tankers in that era relied heavily on the searchlight for night engagements.

No big deal, the average Joe probably won't notice.

A great piece of work.

regards,

Steve

Nice job all the way around. You really pulled off the Silly Putty camo. Wouldn't change a thing.

On subject of the Hunnicutt book on Pattons, my local library has it. Great book. If your library does not have something, ask them if they have "interlibrary loan". I've used this to check out other Hunnicutt books. Saves a ton of money.

Rob,

That's so cool.  Have you seen the cover of the old Squadron Patton in Action book?  It has this exact same tank on it.

By the way, do you like the Hunnicutt books?  There's a bunch on Ebay for sale and no, I'm not the seller.  I would like to get a few but can't afford them right now.

-Jesse