Ztrains: Z-Panzer WWII German Armored Locomotive

The Z-Panzer Company



	The Z-Panzer BR57, part of the Panzerzug

The Z-Panzer company of Great Britain specializes in producing highly accurate Z scale military models of WWII. Their focus is soundly on armor, and their newest release is the German Panzerlok BR57 armored locomotive. The Z-Panzer Z scale model is built on a modified Marklin 2-10-0, Z scale chassis. This unique locomotive with its dual tenders (one in front of the locomotive, one in back) was part of the German armored trains designated BP-42 and BP-44, built in 1942 and 1944, respectively. These armored consists were essentially two symmetrical halves comprised of 5 cars on both sides of the centrally positioned locomotive and tenders.

A Brief Panzerzug History
Germany had used armored trains in WWI, but prior to the start of WWII the armored train was seen as something of a relic by the German defense force, the Reichswehr, and its government renamed successor in 1935, the Wehrmact. The Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG), or German National Railway between 1920 and 1945, saw armored trains as a way to preserve and advance a military presence. By keeping a strong military face on this state owned railroad, the Reichsbahn looked to increase both their state funding as well as their national prestige.

The BR57 locomotive was actually based on the Prussian series G10 locomotive first built in 1910 and featuring an 0-10-0 wheel arrangement. Prussia was the single largest territory in Germany until it was, as a state, abolished by the Nazis in 1934. At this point Germany would have simply absorbed the Prussian locomotive fleet and renamed the G10 to the BR57, then gone on to refit the BR57 into its armored state.

Two Panzerzug Variations
The 1942 BP-42 was the first version of the standardized armored train. It would have the BR57 locomotive and two tenders at its core, with 5 armored wagons on either side. These armored trains were numbered 61 through 72.

The BP-44 developed two years later was numbered 73 to 84, although only 9 or 10 were finished by the end of the war. The armament and anti-aircraft wagons was upgraded from the BP-42 and a Panzerjagerwagon was added, this Panzerjagerwagon was a self-contained trolley (electrical drive from on-board batteries) that could perform short range reconnaissance. The chart below shows the 5 wagons on both sides of the BR57 armored locomotive in both the BP-42 and the BP-44 trains.


Panzerzug BP-42 Geshutzwagen: Cannon Car Kommandowagen: Command Car Kanonen und Flakwagen: Artillery and AA Car Panzertragerwagen: Tank Transporter Car Abstosswagen: Control Flatcar		Panzerzug BP-44 Geshutzwagen: Cannon Car Kommandowagen: Command Car Kanonen und Flakwagen: Artillery and AA Car Panzertragerwagen: Tank Transporter Car Panzerjagerwagen: Tank Destroyer Car

Questions & Answers With Z-Panzer.com
This is such a fascinating model that I wanted to ask the man behind Z-Panzer, Andy Hart, a few questions about his new release.

Q. Why did you choose this armored German train as your prototype?
A. WWII for me holds special interest because of the technical achievements made by all sides during the war. Unfortunately it seems that war drives man forward like nothing else. This particular train interested me so much as it was the only "standardised" type that the Germans made during WWII, all other armored trains seemed a little ad-hoc. In addition, I just loved the look of it; aesthetically pleasing to me, with its clean angular lines. I looked at what was on offer from the mainstream manufacturers and there seems to be a void - that of military models - and so I wanted to fill that gap with the best models that I could make, but also models that I would enjoy making.

Q. Tell us about the construction process.



	The Z-Panzer BR57 in pre-production resin stage

A. To create a model I first obtain full sized scale drawings, then I scale the measurements to 1:220. The main pieces I mill from aluminium for accuracy, I typically achieve tolerances of 0.002". Once the master is milled I mold it in silicone rubber, then make a resin cast of it. I then add the details to this resin model. The details are carefully made to best tolerances using brass or plastic rods, sheets etc., and added to the resin model. The finished master is than molded again in silicone rubber.

I decided to cast the main body in resin with metal inserts, the end result being a resin body weighing in at total weight of 11.5g, exactly the same as the original Marklin body for the loco chassis. The resin is strong and tough, and the metal weights give it a good "feel".

Q. How does your shell attach to the modified Marklin chassis?
A. I scaled up the Marklin loco chassis drawings and superimposed them on the large drawings of my Panzerlok body, and by carefully milling out the body interior achieved a perfect fit, the motor has good clearance and allows for an air gap for cooling, whilst the body attaches to the chassis via the original Marklin screw into the top of the chassis. The front of my body was designed to rest on the flat section of the chassis just forward of the boiler area.

Final Thoughts...
As Andy Hart of Z-Panzer has said, there seemed to be a void in military Z scale models. With the release of their BR57 armored locomotive, this void has begun to be addressed. Z-Panzer is also planning to produce the complementary armored wagons for these Panzerzug trains in the future. For additional information on this model as well as to see their other Z scale products, you can visit the Z-Panzer website by clicking here.

July 7, 2008

Making Styrene Look Old

Styrene in both strip and sheet form is used extensively in model railroading as it is very predictable to work with.

Now learn one technique for making your styrene look like real aged wood. This tutorial is a keeper!

Coffee Break Archive

Visit Your Ztrains Sponsor