HobbyBoss’ new German flatbed railcar with Tiger I comprises a mix of old and new toolings. The railcar is all-new and Tiger I, which appears to be based on Trumpeter’s 2006 offering, has new easy to assemble running gear and tracks. The kit also includes four sections of railbed to display the finished model.
The finely molded railcar features a relatively low part count and goes together smoothly. Details like handrails and hooks are scale thin. The trucks can only be posed parallel to the car’s centerline, but the wheels roll freely.
Construction of the Tiger I follows the same vein and with a bathtub-style hull and molded single-part tracks it goes quickly. The detail on the tank is not quite as sharp as the railcar with the hull lacking the Tiger’s distinctive weld seams. You can sculpt your own, but built out of the box, the joints between the armor plates look slightly off to me.
The tracks build quickly and surface detail is sharp and crisp, but the curved sections front and rear lack any interior surface detail including separations between the links. Note that only the service width tracks are provided. Tigers had two sets of tracks, including a narrower set for transportation by rail. I was hoping the kit might include an option for those as a display option. The good news is that some of the marking options cover captured tanks and full-size service tracks would be appropriate in that circumstance.
The kit provides four 6-inch sections of railbed and in theory, you could connect more sections and have more than one railcar on the display. But the couplers will require minor modifications to join the cars. I felt the ties sat a little too proud of the molded gravel, so I added fine model railroad ballast around them. If I build another, I would cover the entire railbed with ballast to enhance its appearance.
I painted the tank, railcar, and railbed with Tamiya acrylics and AK Interactive Real Color lacquers and weathered with a combination of artist oils and Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colors.
Overall. HobbyBoss’ kit builds into a good-looking, detailed model of an interesting subject. The lower part count means it should be enjoyable for a novice, but to get the full potential out of the kit, more experience will be needed.