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I love the concept of "wilfully off-topic", and it has a certain legal savour.

 

Some slight railway progress has been made inasmuch as I am planning the first baseboards, or, rather, frames.

 

The idea is to create an open frame in ply and to use that to frame and give support to the scenic boards, which are based on foam board. 

 

Once a frame has been built to support the village and castle mound, I can build a similar frame to sit in front.  This will give me somewhere to start on the tracks.

 

As I have made no progress in providing a suitable habitat for the finished layout, I will at least end up with 4-5 boards that can each be worked upon separately.

 

I had hoped to start this weekend, but a heavy cold/'flu means that I am a bit too fatigued and clumsy to be embarking upon wood-work in the outbuildings. 

 

Instead, I have completed my first 1/72nd Peninsular War unit, three battalions of the Spanish Ordenes Militares regiment, circa 1808.  This regiment fought at the battle of Bailen, which is a town in the province of Jaén.

 

The battle dates from the early phase of the war, when the French sought to occupy and suppress key objectives.  A French column of 20,000 men under General Dupont was sent to Cadiz to secure the Spanish fleet.  Dupont had to that point earned a very distinguished career and it was said that, if he secured this plum, he would find his Marshal's baton in Cadiz.

 

En route, at Bailen, he met a Spanish force under a Swiss officer, Reding, was defeated and surrendered his command.  This was a massive blow to French prestige, and Bonaparte reacted rather like Hitler on the latter learning that von Paulus had surrendered Stalingrad.

 

Bailen was a locally decisive military encounter that lead to the capture of a significant French force, however, its military effect was soon reversed, as Bonaparte responded by pouring troops into the Peninsular, with himself at their head.  The battle was probably immensely more significance as a rallying point for the Spanish nation and as encouragement for its new British and Portuguese allies.  The French, could, it seemed, be beaten after all.  

 

Each figure represents approximately 20 men; the wargame equivalent of tighter than prototype curves or short platforms, as has been pointed out!  I have arranged the figures on company-sized bases, with 4 companies to a battalion.  Thus the battalions can be arranged in each of three basic formations:

 

(1) Line, each company side by side, so all companies can give fire;

 

(2) Column of Division, a  division being a pair of companies.  This is a popular formation for an attack column, as it combines the momentum of a column with the frontage of 2 companies to give it firepower; and,

 

(3) Column of Companies, or of Route.  The standard formation for getting about, it has lots of momentum, but only a single company frontage.

So about the same number of people as fit in a single carriage at rush hour and they are probably just as angry!

 

Look really good by the way.

Edited by mullie
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I love the concept of "wilfully off-topic", and it has a certain legal savour.

 

We have threads on old cars, planes, the Navy, now a diversion into period wargames - what next? War Hammer or what ever the current sci-fi game is? I did once do a small unit of Imperial Scots Dragoon Guards - War Hammer Space Marines with tartan on their shoulder armour. My sons were not impressed, although they quite liked my uparmoured cheap, discount store, 1/35th Sherman with laser gun turret and missile launchers that gave them supporting fire. That had tartan unit badges. Sorry no pictures

Edited by phil_sutters
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We have threads on old cars, planes, the Navy, now a diversion into period wargames - what next? War Hammer or what ever the current sci-fi game is? I did once do a small unit of Imperial Scots Dragoon Guards - War Hammer Space Marines with tartan on their shoulder armour. My sons were not impressed, although they quite liked my uparmoured cheap, discount store, 1/35th Sherman with laser gun turret and missile launchers that gave them supporting fire. That had tartan unit badges. Sorry no pictures

 

Ah yes, impressive, but what were they in the Codex?  If you could not find an equivalent in the Codex they could not be used.

 

My son when he was a young teenager was playing Warhammer 40k with a friend.  My son's friend tried to cheat quoting from 'memory' the Codex.  My son is very dyslexic, but had read the Codex, and knew it off by heart so was having none of it.  It is surprising what makes you proud of your children sometimes.

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Ah yes, impressive, but what were they in the Codex?  If you could not find an equivalent in the Codex they could not be used.

 

My son when he was a young teenager was playing Warhammer 40k with a friend.  My son's friend tried to cheat quoting from 'memory' the Codex.  My son is very dyslexic, but had read the Codex, and knew it off by heart so was having none of it.  It is surprising what makes you proud of your children sometimes.

I painted many hundred figures for myself and whilst working with Bill Brewer. I attended at least four Salutes, the South London Warlords' annual, very large, wargames event in South Kensington. Never once did I participate in any games. Playing games to a set of complicated rules to me seemed like hard work, whereas the painting and model making was a relaxing hobby, except when Bill needed something turned around a bit sharpish.

It's like that with railway modelling. My Dad worked out a timetable for the trains on our Coleford (Somt) branch that connected with the real GWR & SDJR lines in the area, but I really was only interested in building and converting buildings and stock. I hated track work! I am now working on what will in effect be a diorama on which I can park my 50 year-old stock. I honestly don't know if it runs and I haven't even got a transformer/controller to try the locos out.

Edited by phil_sutters
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I've never been into wargames or batlle re-enactments - unlike a lot of my former students, one of whom very nearly lost his eye re-enacting King Harold's battle ...

wait for it, wait for it

at Stamford Bridge.

 

But I was charmed by the highly detailed battle paintings in the Amber Fort near Jaipur, Rajahstan

post-21705-0-86620900-1488245330_thumb.jpg

 

The best seem to be drawn and painted as sequential 'snap shots' of the progress of the battle being commemorated.

 

...Which leads me to a most unexpected side of a former Guardian art critic revealed to me during a week-end  'life drawing' workshop.

While we were all experimenting messily with charcoal and five minute sketches or movement studies destroying huge sheets of paper, he remained resolutely clutching his small pad of white Basildon Bond and a needle pointed 6H pencil. At each 'show and tell' he might have added no more than another 4 or 5 precision lines.

Finally he revealed how he had spent his early teen age years drawing out meticulously detailed sequences of Wellington's  Peninsular war battles on large Double Elephant cartridge paper using hard pencils. When, after a week or more he considered the work finished, he'd rub the whole sheet completely off and start on drawing the next sequence  - over the indentations of the former drawings.

I reckon that to beat the most nerdish of railway modellers by a wige margin. Oh, and the week-end course was at a N Yorks country house well within earshot of the ECML during those Deltic years.

 

dh

Edited by runs as required
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Is the Chairman of the Parish Council well?

 

K

 

In point of fact, not really.

 

The Mem and I both had what felt like a heavy cold from Saturday, but which rendered us utterly exhausted. Recovered by Tuesday only to fall into the grip of a 48-hour Norovirus type thing on Wednesday, which laid all 4 of us low.  Today both the Edlings back at school and the Mem and I feeling much better, but a little fatigued.  So, I have not extended my Spanish holiday for a week, in fact, I have been unable to do anything over the last few days. 

 

Tomorrow, as they say, is another day ...

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I've never been into wargames or batlle re-enactments - unlike a lot of my former students, one of whom very nearly lost his eye re-enacting King Harold's battle ...

wait for it, wait for it

at Stamford Bridge.

 

But I was charmed by the highly detailed battle paintings in the Amber Fort near Jaipur, Rajahstan

attachicon.gifIndian battle paintings.jpg

 

The best seem to be drawn and painted as sequential 'snap shots' of the progress of the battle being commemorated.

 

...Which leads me to a most unexpected side of a former Guardian art critic revealed to me during a week-end  'life drawing' workshop.

While we were all experimenting messily with charcoal and five minute sketches or movement studies destroying huge sheets of paper, he remained resolutely clutching his small pad of white Basildon Bond and a needle pointed 6H pencil. At each 'show and tell' he might have added no more than another 4 or 5 precision lines.

Finally he revealed how he had spent his early teen age years drawing out meticulously detailed sequences of Wellington's  Peninsular war battles on large Double Elephant cartridge paper using hard pencils. When, after a week or more he considered the work finished, he'd rub the whole sheet completely off and start on drawing the next sequence  - over the indentations of the former drawings.

I reckon that to beat the most nerdish of railway modellers by a wige margin. Oh, and the week-end course was at a N Yorks country house well within earshot of the ECML during those Deltic years.

 

dh

 

Ah, Rajasthan.  Thank you for that. The Memsahib and I honeymooned there, travelling mainly by train, occasionally in an air conditioned Ambassador (Morris Oxford), and once, up the ramp ot the Amber Fort, on an elephant.

 

I realise that our photographs of the trip are still packed up at the old house.

 

One day I will read my 2-volume facsimile edition of the Annals & Antiquities of Rajasthan, by James Tod, late political officer to the Western Rajpoot States, first published 1829. When I have, I daresay I shall know a good deal more about the place. 

 

Yesterday, as I observed, was to be another day, and over the weekend some progress was made, as a result of which I begin to see The Way Ahead.

 

Below is the ply frame I have knocked up to support the village and the castle mound.  All done to Edwardian's precision engineering standards (half an inch either way).

 

Second shot shows said mound in situ and how the frame acts as a tray, with light-weight card or papier-mâché scenery to be based on foam board sitting inside the frame, resting on the cross braces.  Have to add legs, obviously.   With legs, full height will be about 6" or so clear of the top of the boxes, which will be stored underneath.

 

To the left of this board, or frame, will be another of similar dimensions.  This will have some open country and the church, not untypically of Norfolk, some distance from the centre of the village.  

 

In front of these two board/frames, will be two narrower boards, which will house the railway. 

 

Thank you again to everyone for your support.

post-25673-0-98612600-1488734287_thumb.jpg

post-25673-0-43370600-1488734306_thumb.jpg

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Does this mean that the cutting of the first sod is in sight?  Who will be doing the honours?  Methinks the Memsahib, as 'Lady of the Manor' would be the appropriate individual.

 

Jim

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Great news!

ditto !

 

I believe the posh word for your sort of frame building is "spline frame construction" - much favoured in US modelling, where the the line runs through an undulating landscape.

 

Legs?

When we moved into our old parsonage (40 odd years ago), we eventually plucked up courage to explore the cellars and found all sorts. Most useful were 2 pairs of coffin support trestles, (least useful some mouldering old black cassocks, plus a few bits of old semaphore and shunting signals)

 

Ever since then I've supported layout frames with trestles - most recently IKEA variable height ones.

 

dh

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Before you get to far, remember to drill some holes in the cross members to pass wire through.

And possibly a couple of cross braces to stop the frame twisting.

 

post-3744-0-28456300-1488835482.jpg

post-3744-0-16576200-1488835532.jpg

Edited by Shadow
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I've got some of the Ikea "non-variable" trestles, which I acquired many years ago, when living in temporary accommodation, and can't deny that they are incredibly good value for money (£6 each then; £10 each now), but the one disadvantage of all the ikea trestles is that they don't fold flat, so are a nuisance to store when not in use ........ buying the hinges, to alter them so that they fold, would probably exceed the cost of the trestles!

 

K

Edited by Nearholmer
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ditto !

 

I believe the posh word for your sort of frame building is "spline frame construction" - much favoured in US modelling, where the the line runs through an undulating landscape.

 

Legs?

When we moved into our old parsonage (40 odd years ago), we eventually plucked up courage to explore the cellars and found all sorts. Most useful were 2 pairs of coffin support trestles, (least useful some mouldering old black cassocks, plus a few bits of old semaphore and shunting signals)

 

Ever since then I've supported layout frames with trestles - most recently IKEA variable height ones.

 

dh

 

I've got some of the Ikea "non-variable" trestles, which I acquired many years ago, when living in temporary accommodation, and can't deny that they are incredibly good value for money (£6 each then; £10 each now), but the one disadvantage of all the ikea trestles is that they don't fold flat, so are a nuisance to store when not in use ........ buying the hinges, to alter them so that they fold, would probably exceed the cost of the trestles!

 

K

 

I wonder if trestles would be tall enough?

 

If I want to store boxes under the layout, which I think needs to be the case, I do not think I will be able to accommodate the splay of trestles.  

 

 

Before you get to far, remember to drill some holes in the cross members to pass wire through.

And possibly a couple of cross braces to stop the frame twisting.

 

attachicon.gifpost-3744-0-94418900-1388927869_thumb.jpg

 

Sound points.

 

I had anticipated placing bracing ply wood pieces in between every other of the dividers, but the structure seemed taught enough so decided to hold off for now. 

 

No need for holes for wires on the rear two boards.

 

The difficulty will be in the front boards, because I need to plot the full-size track plan in order to determine the dimensions, and to avoid locating cross-braces under point-work.

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Who says that model railways don't stretch the old grey-matter? 

new boards to make, fit to size and all the bits outlined above. involving accurate measurements, mathematics, geometry and carpentry and that's before you get to start on the artistic bit (  aka=scenery)  

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Who says that model railways don't stretch the old grey-matter? 

new boards to make, fit to size and all the bits outlined above. involving accurate measurements, mathematics, geometry and carpentry and that's before you get to start on the artistic bit (  aka=scenery)  

 

I agree, though in the case of CA, rather than "accurate measurements, mathematics, geometry and carpentry", it is more a case of "none of the above"!

 

The building isn't straight, so it doesn't really matter if the wood-work isn't (I reckon)!

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Almost WIP for CA!

 

Not quite.  These chaps are in fact destined for donation to a military figure exhibition in Arnhem in June.  Due to the sort of bumbling ineptitude in which Yours Truly excels, I managed to join a group-build by accident and, so, had quickly to think of something to donate.

 

These are they.

 

I include them because they are an entirely appropriate choice of troops for a turn of the century pre-Grouping layout, and, if they turn out well enough, it might inspire me to try something similar for my 1905 Yeomanry.    

post-25673-0-05991800-1488914330_thumb.jpg

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ditto !

 

I believe the posh word for your sort of frame building is "spline frame construction" - much favoured in US modelling, where the the line runs through an undulating landscape.

 

Legs?

When we moved into our old parsonage (40 odd years ago), we eventually plucked up courage to explore the cellars and found all sorts. Most useful were 2 pairs of coffin support trestles, (least useful some mouldering old black cassocks, plus a few bits of old semaphore and shunting signals)

 

Ever since then I've supported layout frames with trestles - most recently IKEA variable height ones.

 

dh

 

I think the main feature of spline trackbase is the use of several thin layers of thin material on edge. The materials can be bent to follow the line of track glued and clamped together once sets the clamp can be removed and the spline will hold the shape.

Don

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