ORIGINAL: pattoncommander
The Cat sounds like fun...a T-34 driver once told me that if a track breaks, it takes 4-4 1/2 hrs to get it back on. American tanks have it much better and a good crew of 4 can get a track repaired on back running in 30-45 minutes...replacing a bad block about 15-20 minutes. (Mine damage is another problem.) Have done it in hot sands, in frozen ice and in 2-3 feet of gooey mud.
A 1;6 scale can't really be that bad, even alone. Even at 350 lbs, you let the sprocket do the work and guide the track in place with a bar in where the pin would go. Get it tight, lock it and couple the tracks links between the sprocket and 1st road wheel. Track jacks are a must in cases of the track being so heavy. I changed and worked on my 1;1 scale T-16A1 for 4-5 yrs and often broke and reconnected the track by myself using a pair of home made track jacks, a long pry bar and a 10 lb hammer. Those tracks were lot heavier. 1;6 can't be that bad if you have the right tools.
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Man, that is a really awesome vehicle. I imagine you had lots of fun restoring. BTW, thanks for your service.
For anyone who might want my opinion about the larger scale tanks, I can recommend the 1/8 scale as a pretty good compromise considering size and weight, cost, and maintainability. Mine weighs only 70 lbs, so I can manage lifting with the help of one other, or use a pulley or ramp to get it onto my work trolley.
Track repair/replacement is fairly simple. On mine, you just remove a track pin after releasing tension at the idler.
But yes, it performs like any real tank and one needs to be careful backing up or "tracking" (pivoting) in sand, snow, or any debris as it might get caught up in the idler and throw the alignment out along the road wheels and eventually the drive sprocket.
I'm thinking about getting a 1/6 but I'll also need some extra equipment to assist in handling. I keep reminding myself that my 1/8 may be just the right size (not too small, not too big; shaken, not stirred...) as I'm getting older and it's going to get more difficult to handle the very large tanks.
Cheers...