Summer Progress

So I've managed to get some stuff finished since the last post. I've even stayed roughly on target this time, and not got distracted with a new project!


First up are 4 Shermans and a command stand, so all my Desert British are painted

Secondly is this Parachute Artillery Battery of 75mm M1A1 Pack Howitzers, which means I only have the Glider Rifle Infantry to paint, to finish off my US Para force.

Next up is going to be the Chieftains or SU-76s from the last post.

Modelling update and WIP

Throught I'd just post a general hobby update this time, I don't have anything complete to show at the moment.

So the next batch of hobby and modelling stuff is under way (which is handy as this lock down has led to more models appearing on my door step for some reason. I guess it's helping the economy?).

So here is my workbench. In progress I have:
4 Desert Shermans tanks
4 Chieftain tanks
A US Parachute Artillery Battery (4 x 75mm Pack howitzers, staff team, HQ and observer team)
5 SU-76
Soviet SMG team (To replace a lost stand)
Desert Command team
2 Van Saar gangers

This is largely wrapping up a couple of my armies (till I buy more....). With the Shermans and command team complete, that's all my desert models painted (There might be some more artillery at some point as well).

Meanwhile, the Chieftains are the last of my Team Yankee British to do.

Completing the artillery, will mean the US force will only have 1 platoon left to paint (the glider rifle platoon).

The Van Saars will complete Necromunda (again). Both are duplicates, but they bulk out the Van Saar gang, who are looking a little undermanned, compared to the Eschers.

Here are the SU-76s. Completing them will not get me much closer to finishing the Soviets, but they are a useful unit to have, as well as being a common historical vehicle.

A word of warning about the Plastic Soldier Company kit, while it has the crew (Unlike it's Zvezda competitor), PSC messed up and the radiator vent was omitted from the sprue. This has led to the modification I had to make here, removing the mounting lugs, using 2x2x14mm length plastic strip to replicate the part, then painstakingly pressing in the grill detail using a scriber. It does at least give some texture to the top however, as well as adding an important bit of detail.

Finally I bought a new train set..... I picked up Bachmann's Midland Marvel set of eBay. While not cheap it was cheaper than I could buy the components. This has given me a set of 2nd radius track, whih I've used to form an outer loop on the gaming table for the time being, while plans for the loft are ongoing. More on that in another post.

Here you can see the new train (Fowler 3F 0-6-0) with my other goods wagons, and also my Fowler 2P 4-4-0. The 2P has finally had it's cab hand rails fitted, after I picked some up off eBay (see I completed something!).

Honey's of the Desert

So as mentioned previously, I've finally got round to finishing 17 Honey Stuarts for my Desert British. It's only taken a year of them sitting sprayed on my painting bench.

This gives me:
4 strong HQ Platoon
4 x 3 strong Platoons
1 Observer Honey Stuart

and also 17 more models ticked off the list!

The models are Plastic Soldier Company's 15mm M3 'Honey' Light Tank kit, with transfers from Dom's Decals (my preferred decal provider) and PSC. The crew figures are surplus Battlefront figures. The kit went together well, though the quantity of detail meant it took ages to pin wash 17 of them. They are cheaper than the Battlefront kit however (£20 vs £30 for 5), and I feel the quality is just as good. The only point I have against them is I feel that the crew figures are a bit spindly, and only have 1 pose, hence the use of Battlefront figures instead. They also don't come with decals, but I've found the quality of the BF transfers to be mixed anyway (they often break), and prefer not to use them if I can.

Railway People

Yes, I know I said that the Stuarts were next, but the transfers were drying on them, and I had some time....

If it makes you feel better, the Stuarts have been varnished today, and are just awaiting the turrets to be fitted and photos taken.

Anyway, while I was waiting for the transfers to dry, I started painting some 00 scale figures and bits I had found in the railway box. No idea on the manufacturer, I think they were in a bargain box at a railway show at 10p a figure! A couple of hours later, and this was the result.

Hovering Lynx, Visible TOW

So I got the 2 Lynx AH.1s painted. These anti-tank helicopter carry TOW missiles and mean I now have 4 of these. I'm now closer to completing my unpainted Team Yankee British, as well as reducing the number of unpainted models I have kicking around. Mind I was think that the Team Yankee British need some infantry.......No bad Dave! Do not buy more models! Not until you're down to one shelf of unpainted figures!

Next up, I'm going to try and finish my Desert British for WWII. As such I'm currently painting 17 M3 Stuarts, I've actually made some decent progress there. I'm then thinking of finishing the 4 Desert Shermans I have, to round out my desert stuff.

Hitting the Buffers

Just a small update this time, 5 Hornby buffers for the layout.

Not sure if there was a standard scheme for LMS buffers, but I've seen pictures of them painted white, so I've gone for that, then used a drybrush and a pin wash to add some weathering. They will do for now.

Wargaming stuff next, I should have some more AH.1 Lynxs for you in the very near future!

I've been working on the railroad....

I'm currently toying with the idea of building a small train layout in my loft using my old "Midland Belle" train set (Because I needed "another" project). The layout would be set in the mid-1930s and would be based around the LMS railway company. I'm currently thinking about the track layout below (thanks SCARM).



This is roughly 4m long and 0.8m wide, so will fit down one side of the loft. It makes use of all my existing track, with the main expansion being flex track and several additional points. It has a loop allowing continous running, with a passing place long enough to store my new train (see below). It also features a goods yard with a decent amount of shunting potential, and even allows the option of using a second DC controller for this yard, allowing shunting to take place while a train runs round the main layout. It even uses most of my existing buildings, which I built in my teens.

I've added in an additional point near the station, allowing me to expand further into the loft if required, but I think this is enough for the time being.

So, with this is mind, another thing I've been painting in addition to Necromunda bits is trains.

These two are 0-4-0 Caledonian 'Pug' Tank engines. Commonly used for shunting, they are a common engine found in starting train sets. The maroon LMS model was my first engine, and probably my favourite at present. The blue Highland Railway engine was a later present for me. As the Highland railway was merged into the LMS company, I've decided it can stay for the moment, despite it's slightly ahistorical colour scheme (I think all the Highland engines were green from Wikipedia).

Sturdily built, the 0-4-0s are inexpensive models, this means they lack a little detail. Thankfully looking at old pictures, a lot of it can be added back with a bit of paint and ingenuity. These models have had the following work done.

• Service and clean
• Windows glazed with transparent plastic (a hole punch makes a disc of near enough the right size)
• Buffer beams, side boxes, rear lamps, hand rail and cab detail painted. Manufacturers plates have been hinted at on the side boxes (I can't paint small enough to get legiable text!). The Highland 0-4-0 got it's chimney painted as well. 

Future work may involve adding a resistor to the motor to try and slow the model down a bit (these models are known for being uncharectoristically quick), but for now I plan to try controller control first.

Next is a new addition. I picked up this 4-4-0 2P Passenger locomotive up off eBay with 3 LMS coaches (including a brake coach) for £90. I always wanted a tender engine in my teens, but they were expensive. As such, my passenger service was provided by a Lima Tank Engine (see below). Now I can replace it with a more thematic train, and it will even run on my first radius curves.

As it was not only second hand, but also quite an old model this loco also required some work and was a bit bland with all the detail in black. As such, I did some work here too, using some googled pictures for reference:

• Hand rails picked out in silver, and side mounted pipe (for the feedwater heater?) picked out in brass 
• Cab detailed
• Repaired the rear body mount
• Replaced a missing side wheel panel (see if you can spot which one!). pulled the other off the model and used it as a template for a new plasticard cover, painted black and red lining done. Manufacturers plate then roughly added (see disclaimer above)

There's still some work to do, I have a new rear tension lock coming from ebay, and I might remove the one on the front, as it is unlikely this engine will shunt. It also needs the cab handrail replacing (I may also add these to the Pugs) but I don't have the right wire at the moment.

I am also planning to add a front loco number plate to all three of the above locos, but I want to think how I want to do this first.

Here we have the final loco I own at present. This is a Lima 0-4-0 tank engine in Great Western scheme of an undetermined model. It uses to haul a Lima GWR carriage as my passenger train. When I got this out the loft it seemed to struggle to work, it also doesn't fit my layout theme, so I plan to retire it. As such it is now taking on a new role as my practice locomotive. As such it was the first to be painted, and the buffer beam was practice for the Pugs, for example.

I suspect it will be used to practice weathering at some point in the future.

Finally to round things off, I have painted some old barrels. These were 3D printed models I originally got printed for Necromunda, however the scale was off, and the model was about 20mm (1:76 scale). As such, they should be the right size for the layout. These aren't painted in a particular scheme at present, just quite generic. They will either be added to the goods depot, or used as a wagon load.

Next up should hopefully be desert Honey Stuarts, unless I get distracted again!