[TC25] 42146 Liebherr LR13000

[Wiseman_2]

Well, somebody had to try it, right? I figured that since images are out in the wild and it's due for release in August, it's fair game for this contest (at least I hope so!). I've been in a bit of a slump lately with building (my ongoing project has been on hold for a year) as I don't have much time for it these days, but with this contest focused on smaller builds I think I can get it together.

I've started with some ideas for the carrier first. As a tracked vehicle my options for a smaller scale were basically either the 3L track links, or going even further and using the 1L chain links (not accounting for more unorthodox ideas like the older rubber treads). Anyway, as they say, go big (or small?) or go home, so i'm using the 1L chain links. Keeping it small also increases the odds that I actually manage to finish it (that's not down to the deadline, that's down to my bad time management).

• The first carrier (top right) is essentially a 7x7 square. It's quite robust for its size, but isn't exactly proportioned well to 42146. I did try using the 8T gears first, but they don't mesh well enough with the chain links to run properly; the 16T probably matches better to the set anyway.
• The rest are all 9x7 with varying degrees of rigidity. I'm not keen on using the idler 16T gears as they don't feel as secure, and for some reason require an extra chain link vs. the standard 16T gears, but when the chains are added they look cleaner (with the half-width lift arms) than the standard 16T carrier, which uses 9L beams:

I will probably go with one of the 9x7 carriers as they'll probably scale better. They're ultimately all sturdy enough for this scale (and deliberating over tiny things like this is why I keep hitting walls when building...).