Archer Fine Transfers 1/35
BR 52 Locomotive Markings

The Trumpeter 1/35th scale kit of the German BR 52 locomotive is a terrific kit. The detail on it is almost mind-boggling. However, Trumpeter wanted to be able to sell this kit in Germany, and some other European countries. The swastika can not be displayed there and Trumpeter censored the swastika off the decal sheet, the painting instructions and anywhere else it appears in the kit. They originally produced the decal and the box with the swastika showing, but then they had their employees manually paint out the swastika.

The swastika has always been a bug-a-boo in model kits. Some manufacturers of kits delete it all together. Others break it down into sections and you actually have to assemble it. It cannot be displayed in Germany and this has trickled down to model kits that are marketed there.

Archer has come to the rescue on this. They have done a dry transfer sheet that duplicates only the stencil markings on the Trumpeter kit’s decal sheet. Where it differs is that the eagle now has the swastika inside the reef that it clutches in its claws. Also, the serial numbers for the locomotive are different than the 2 on the Trumpeter decal sheet. The eagle is also much more defined and better done on the Archer transfers. The stencils are very readable under a magnifying glass and much clearer.

Trumpeter’s decal sheet gives three choices of serial numbers:

• 52 2495
• 52 8139
• 52 1325

This new Archer sheet gives two new serial numbers:

• 52 1198
• 52 8097-7

The Trumpeter decals appear to be rather thickly printed. If you use them you will have to do something about the clear carrier film associated with water transfer decals. No so, with Archer decals. You just burnish them down onto the model and there is no carrier film.

I consider Archer to be the best dry transfer sheets on the market. They are always in register, when the markings are multi-colored, and the clearness and detail is great.

Highly recommended to all modelers that have purchased the Trumpeter kit.

I sincerely want to thank Archer Fine Decals for this review sample.