Panzer on bogie
The Panzer III Ausf. (Model in German) L/N SK1 (SchienenKampfwagen 1), was modified in Austria in October 1943, to accompany the German rail formations that moved through the European territory. This vehicle was mainly used to protect the trains from partisans or enemies forces' attack. The tank performance was enhanced when it ran on the railways reaching a speed up to 100Km/h, while its maximum speed was 60Km/h. The wheelworks system worked through a worm screw that made the wheels go up or down for railways, in this way the tank could relocate itself from railways to the road or simply to the open field.

The Scale model
I used a 1/35 Tamiya's kit, which I built straight from the box, with some additions or modifications, such as the rear end box, the crew, etc. I changed the towline Tamiya provides for a scratchbuilt one. I also modified the barrel gun, instead of the 50mm model (long) I used one of 75mm that corresponds to this tank version.
I scratch built the bogie wheels (using aluminum turned) as well as the railways taking as reference, photos from the time and profiles. To paint this Panzer III SK1 I followed the reference books, I used panzer grey weathering it with washes and dry bush.
This is a simple but interesting model and a good piece to add to your German armor collection

Consulted sources
· Les Trains Blindés 1826-1989 (Paul Malmassari)
· Panzer III & its Variants (Walter Spielberger)