Back of Beyond - Armoured train part 1

Before heading off on hols this week I decided to crack on with the last major item for my Bolsheviks - an  armoured train . Having baulked at the price for a 3d printed version - north of £150 , for something that is of limited long term use I decided to get the spares box out . One advantage of being a very long term model maker is there are all sorts in it . I have the loco, tender and a fighting carriage made and undercoated .

I had some train bits left over from the Sudan stuff and am repurposing some of that. These were originally built around a toy Teamsterz set I picked up for £3.50 in 2016  . For the RCW /BoB there are some good references and also some scratch builds on LAF . So I had a plan . 

Main faighting carriage 

Loco and tender 

Pleased to have sorted out the moving turret . It’s magnetised as well , so I will do an MG team for this position at some time .

The teamsters sets are these :-

The loco and tender are based on the blue  version . They are listed as 1/55th on the packaging so a decent size .First up was to clad the loco piece in a balsa frame and then plasticard . I also raided my grandsons little used Lego stash for some useful pieces to make the smoke stack . I used some nicely shaped notice board pins to make the buffers as well.

The frame and plates etc idea nicked from SteveL’s one made by Jim  

I have trimmed the armour plate over the wheels by 3mm since this picture  as it sat too low . The Teamsterz pieces sit over standard  16.5mm track but they look ok . I am using my On30 track I did for the cowboys and the Sudan , it’s O gauge narrow - as it has larger wooden sleepers which I think look better

The main fighting carriage is based on a couple of 00 gauge bogie sets that have lain in the stash for more years than I can remember. A result to find a use . These were attached to a 4mm balsa base which I can then build on . The Lego was used to form a large rectangle to sit on the base with space for the gun . This is then clad in 2mm MDF rectangles , again from the basing stash . I added 5mm circle magnet to the flatbed and base of the gun to be able to swap out for other items . The gun turret was made from a 60mm across flats Octoganal MDF  top and bottom with 20 x 40 bases upright at the flats. The gun was made from brass tubing and held in place with milliput. I filled the upright gaps in with 6mm Tamiya masking tape . This was then run  around the turret at the top and bottom . Another couple of Lego pieces added the top to create an observation cupola . 

A pair of these have been in the stash for goodness knows how long. 

Lego is a great resource for scratch building thanks to a regular shape .

MDF cladding for the LEGO . Adding in some extra doors and some small washers for apertures .

Glueing the top to the uprights was fun , but a pair of tweezers to hold the uprights and a spray with superglue activator soon had it sorted . 

The tender was clad in various pieces of MDF and some bits of LEGO once more . Some bits of plssticard section have been used across the whole model . Some staples used to make steps , some washers used to made observation and shooting apertures. 

It nearly 600mm long at 3 pieces . 😆

I have added a couple a couple of armoured  car MG turrets to the top - who doesn’t love more firepower eh !

Trains are big old things and nice to see it looking like it next to the cavalry .

Everything glued  had dried and I decided to give it a basecoat of green . I want to add another passenger carriage and flatbed for supplies . MartinC says he’s seen some more of the Teamsterz bits . I will keep and eye out for some  more bogies - there is a model railway show coming up locally so might have a look there . 

I want to add some more detail , railings , couplings , ladders , rivets etc (though I might not count them!) . It’s then a simple final paint job , washes and drybrush . Some nice slogans to research I think 

Cost so far I reckon is about £10 for the new superglue I needed and some noticeboard pins  . Great result and actually a very enjoyable 3 afternoon sessions doing it !

All in all pleased to far .