Wednesday 16 October 2019

Kit Build/Review: Matchbox 1/76 Churchill AVRE Bridge-Layer, Pt. I

 

I recently built a 1/72 Churchill, which I wound up modifying with a scratch-built spigot mortar. I then read about and got interested in Churchill AVRE types of all sorts, including these bridge-layers. I posted about wanting this kit on a few sites, and a fellow member of Wisbech IPMS kindly got me one at a show. Thanks Darren!

Inside the box...

In the box, which was still wrapped in its original cellophane, was a kit potentially as old as me. The sprues are in three different colours, green, beige and brown. The decals, which I assumed would be fossilised, look like they might be ok. Which, in a kit of this vintage, is pretty amazing. There's even a tube of ancient glue!

The rubber-band tracks are of a more plastic than rubber material.

Beige and brown sprues... nice!

The instructions start with the bridge. I decided to skip that, and start with the turret. I'll probably do the bridge last. In part because I want to make the bridge workable. The petard mortar is not as nice, in mine 'umble opinion, as my scratch-built one. I've built it as is. But I might want to redo the gun at some stage.

Will the ancient glue still work?

Assembling the running gear, pt. I.

I like the running gear assembly on this kit. Having all the road wheels in a single piece makes it easier to assemble. And the rubber-band tracks in this kit seem to be more plastic than rubber, meaning they actually glue together! 

Running-gear, pt. II.

Tracks on, turret with modified hatches.

Tonight I'm stopping at this point, having assembled the bulk of the Churchill body. I already left the two stowed blankets, or tarpaulins , off the turret. I'm not sure whether or not to put the mudguards on over the tracks either. Quite a few AVRE I've seen don't have the upper track guards

Mostly assembled. Do I add the upper track-guards?

6 comments:

  1. A very serviceable old model. I've never seen one in stores. Did the ancient glue actually work?

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    1. I'm enjoying building it. The model can be bought new, sort of; Revell have re-badged it. But yes, the old Matchbox kits are only secondhand. And the glue? Hmmm... it works. Sort of. I glued a couple of bits with it, and then reverted toTamiya cement.

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  2. I vote yes on the track guards.. though the Bovington one doesn't have them..

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  3. Aha! So the Bovington tank (which doesn't have the bridge attached, does it?) doesn't have them. I should've known that, as I've seen and photographed it several times. My previous Churchill AVRE, converted from a standard tank, retains the mudguards. I remember when building that that I would've preferred not to have had them, but was kind of forced to (can't recall why now!). Thanks for the feedback.

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  4. This is quite good.. the Bovington one doesn't have the guards, but all the historical footage seems to show them on... your choice I'd say.. :o))

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwCgEn48Bn8

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    1. Yes, those tank chats are great, aren't they. I've been searching for footage of the AVRE bridge-layer. Not proving easy to find!

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