"e" wrote
I was exaggerating.
However, look at the BR52 example. It sort is held up as this fantastic example of German technology and power, but it's really more a case study in economy of manufacture. (Perhaps taken too far. I understand there were real compromises in performance. Wartime German - and Russian - manufacturing "improvements" here and in armored vehicles seem to have favored deleting parts and functions altogether rather than maintaining the performance while reducing manufacturing costs.) It's not a particularly noteworthy locomotive by American standards.
As to Ron's comment about American rolling stock being a "home front" subject, remember that we sent almost 2000 locomotives and 11,000 freight cars out as Lend Lease, in addition to what we brought over with our Railway Operating Battalions, so it would seem to be as "valid" a subject as, say, the US tractors and semi-trailers that have already been kitted. (Although the numbers might appear small, keep in mind that American equipments was more capable than the European "equivalents". A few examples are the standard DRB OOt coal car which had a 30 tonne (33 US ton) capacity, compared to the common pre-war US coal hopper of a 70 ton capacity; the German GG boxcars - again of 30 tonne capacity - when the most American boxcars of the wartime period were 36 foot or 40 foot 50 ton cars; or most notably for the 1/35 modeler, the fact that a run of the mill American flat car could easily carry *two* 30 ton medium tanks while it took a special capacity German car just to hold one.) Anyhoo, I'd like to see an American flat in 1/35, and would pay $100 for one in resin or $50 just for a pair of trucks and wheels . . .
KL