Does anyone know: a) the precise size and shape of the MkI to MkIV individual track (for scratchbuilding purposes); and b) what happened when the MkV track was reduced back to the MkIV size - did the channel remain the same width or was it narrowed (and from which side) to fit the old track size? Tony
b) When the track was widened, all that was different was the width of the track plate. The tank itself did not need to be modified. The only change that was made to the basic design of the Mk I was to fit a narrower cab on the Mk II - Mk V. This was to allow room for the wider tracks.
Just a quick addition to the previous post. I've combined two shots to show the difference between narrow and wide tracks. In the B&W photo of the Mk V the track overhangs the frame quite a bit.
Thanks for the photos and the plans. I've blown up the drawings and scaled off the basic plate of the track - a very complicated piece of manufacture. It's reminiscent of the fancy gadgets that came out in the Victorian era. As a result of the research into the tank tracks and the rivets thereon (another nightmare) I've developed two documents in Excel - a) a table for converting imperial dimensions from 1/32" to 29' into metric equivalents and then to scale dimensions covering 1:1, 1:10, 1:12, 1:32, 1:35, 1:48, and 1:72 as many drawings and plans are in imperial, but modern drawings and modelling is done in metric. b) a table covering the round-headed (button) and conical rivets - this table gives the imperial sizes pre and post fitting, as well as the 1/35th scale dimensions. If anyone wantsd a copy, please send an email. In the meantime, I will join the other loonies in the forum in attempting to biuld an accurate tank track. Tony