Tony
The latest issue of Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (issue 120 June/July 2022) has another tutorial written by me and showing how I built some additional linear terrain for the wargame table. My earlier tutorials showed how I built and painted stone walls, wooden fences and hedges. In this issue I show how I added to the earlier articles and built some unique and interesting features to add to the earlier pieces.
For more information you can pick up the magazine which is now available in the UK from WHSmiths.
At a recent visit to WHSmiths, I saw three wargame magazines Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy, Wargames Illustrated and Miniature Wargames for sale on the same shelf - each magazine included an article written by me. This is not a unique occurrence but but rare enough that Sue took a photograph and posted it on her Facebook pages.
Tony
I have often looked on in envy at the Iwata range and not for one minute ever thought I would own one. As you can image, I was immediately down the shed and connecting it up to my compressor to test the action - it worked perfectly.
Thank you Mal. I am absolutely 'blown away' with this very special gift.
Tony
Thank you.
Tony
The latest addition is this flatbed wagon mounted on a secondhand HO-OO chassis with a scratch built plastic card body, painted with acrylics and weathered with oil washes and weathering powders.
Here you can see it next to my YP (Yellow Pelican) box van.
The final image shows it with a removable load of wooden crates.
Tony
I started this morning with the intention of working on the layout while in the back garden. However I noticed that the short length of Peco 'Crazy Track' at the rear had warped through the heat. I'm checking if the track goes back to normal, or if I'll have to cut and re-soldier it.
Tony
Update - 19.07.22
I've cut out the offending piece of track, replaced it with a new piece and spliced it in using PECO track connectors and making sure that sleepers to either side of the new track are securely nailed down. I can confirm that everything now works perfectly.
Issue 472 of Miniature Wargames (August 2022) has an article written by me showing how I built a Dark-Age round hut and two pieces of additional terrain for the new Warlord Games box set Slaine Eat My Axe.
Using corrugated cardboard DAS modelling clay and a hanging basket liner for the thatch I modelled the round hut and based it on the MDF models you get with the boxed game.
The Bronze Idol was modelled from the handle of a wooden spoon and the Stone Monolith is a piece of slate from the garden, detailed with some old minis and clutter from my spares box.
For more information pick up the latest issue from WHSmiths.
The latest issue of Wargames Illustrated (issue 415 July 2022) has a six page tutorial showing how I scratch built and painted this adobe cantina inspired by the film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Starting with a detailed sketch. I built the model over a cardboard core laminated with foam and finished with DAS modelling clay.
This is one of the most detailed magazine articles I have produced and shows not only how the model was built and painted but also offers advice on choosing what type of foam you should look out for and how to choose a foam cutter and cut foam. For full details see the magazine which is now available in the UK from WHSmiths.
The third of the new wagons is this metal water tank which was inspired by one of the Budget Wagons from Model Earth Design. Like the earlier two it is based on a simple 4 wheel HO-OO wagon with the buffer detail removed and a new wooden body built from plastic card.
The water tank was built around a plastic gaming piece and detailed with plastic card and plastic rod. The fuel line and dispenser came from a toy garage/petrol pump.
The second scratch built wagon is this bulkhead, again inspired by a model produced by Model Earth Design and from the Budget Range. It is constructed from plastic card on a modified HO-OO chassis and painted with acrylic paints.
I still need to add couplings.
Weathering was done with oil washes, ground pastels and watercolour pencils while the rusty chain was from a plastic construction toy suitably aged.
Part one a box wagon
Yes I know that I should really be getting on with finishing the main buildings on the layout, but I'm having way too much fun building stock to run on the tracks. This particular wooden box van was inspired by a similar model found on the Model Earth Design web pages (from the Budget Range) and painted 'reefer red' with Y P signage hand painted.
The chassis was a cut down metal wheeled wagon frame bought second-hand with all brake gear and buffers removed. The main body was built from 3mm thick plastic card and detailed with 1mm thick plastic card overlays.
The curved roof was built from two layers of thin cardboard and textured by applying painters masking tape in layers which was further secured with superglue on the edges.
Painting was done with acrylics and weathered with oil washes, ground pastels and watercolour pencils.
Tony
I have now painted the fascia as well as adding even more 'clutter' and detail to the layout.
In addition, I have built a barbed wire fence to the right hand side which was modelled from some scrap wood and Games Workshop barbed wire which I weathered with both acrylic and oil paints. In the image below you can see some Ford Model T 1:24th scale wheels which I picked up at Malvern Flea Market last week.
Tony
When I initially discussed building the layout with my grandchildren, one of the features that they asked for was a crane and one that could move. I had looked at building a larger version, based on the underground crane found at The Bath Stone Quarry, but later realised that I didn't have enough room for such a monster. In the end, I built this wooden crane based on an illustration I found on the internet.
The main construction was from wood, strip wood that I had in stock, some plastic card details and a metal post from a Meccano set.
To support the crane, I had to do a bit of reverse engineering and built a wooden post to attach to the edge of the lower loading bay. Obviously it needed to pivot and this was done with a short metal peg inserted in the top of the crane post.
I trimmed away the roof area of the building to the front of the layout and slotted the support post in place, while I worked out where the lower, main pivot post would go - a matter of measure twice (actually measure about six times) before drilling the hole in the layout. The crane is mounted on to a concrete base modelled from plastic card and the post goes down below the level of the baseboard into a wooden plug glued below the base. I still have to work out how I will operate the crane remotely, but at least it turns or swivels on the metal post.
You can also see how I have started to add 'clutter' to the layout, something that I will continue to do.
Tony
