The Bridge at Remagen - N Gauge Rhine Crossing in 1944.

[Al.]

Ice Cold in Alex?

 

Best wishes

Simon

It is. Soon to be joined by john Mills, Sylvya Syms, Anthony Quayle and Harry Andrews...

 

[PhilJ W]

Another movie cameo under way.

 

I'm not sure how to explain how these guys made it to Remagen...

 

image.jpeg

The Germans used a lot of captured British (and Allied) equipment. A lot of that captured at Dunkirk remained in use by the Germans until the end of the war. I have seen photographs of Austin ambulances that were recaptured from the Germans 1944/45. The only thing neccessary would be to repaint it into German cammoflage and markings.

[Al.]

Not a lot of progress today, mainly due to taking Julia out to Bluewater for a new dress.

But what I have achieved is getting the final bit of baseboard refitted. Once all the glue has dried, the bridge section will be cut out. Then once I've built the new bridge, I can get back to some scenery.

 

 

 

 

Al.

[Al.]

A bit more work on the BR24 armoured train.

 

I got the basic structure done on the two anti-tank wagon, but not over happy with it. The AAA position is too high and the PzII and PzIV turrets looked completely wrong. The two T34 look better, but still not right. A bit of a rethink required...

 

 

So I lowered the rear AAA deck and replaced the Flak 38 with a quad 20mm. And also angled the edge of the deck around the PzIV turret. It's starting to look the part.

 

Next stage is to sit the PzIV turret down properly and start adding some detail.

 

[Al.]

The latest project on the workbench. A semi-stripped streamlined BR05.

The skirts have been stripped off the body and a non-streamlined footplate modified to fit.

Still plenty to do.

 

[Al.]

The two armoured wagons for the BR24 train are done. Just need to reside on the right combination of armament.

 

I'm leaning towards the PzIV turret and quad 20mm.

 

 

 

Al.

[Al.]

Any date on the BR05.

The footplate has been modified and fitted to the body. Also the front buffer beam area has been cutback. Next job is to build the frames that supported the front lower streamlining cladding.

 

[Al.]

Good progress on the BR05 this morning. The front end has been rebuilt. Next job is to work on the footplate end, then a bit of tidying up before painting.

 

[Al.]

The BR05 has progressed along a bit since the last post. Armoured plates have been added and it's been under coated ready for camouflage paint to be added.

 

 

 

It doesn't look too bad now it's all one colour. Next job is to paint the camouflage scheme onto it.

 

I'm still undecided which one to go for. I like the digi-scheme on the OH model, but it looks too modern and I can't find any reference to it any photos from the war period.

Right now I'm considering either the three-colour scheme (centre left) or the ad-hoc ambush scheme (bottom left)

 

 

I've got an old Del-Prato loco kicking about in the workshop. I'll do a couple trials to see which one looks best. On the meantime, the 05 can run around in plain black.

[Al.]

Second update for today, boards 4 & 5 are now fully rewired and dead tested. Next stage is the drop them down flat and test run a few locos. Then I can get back to the enjoyable task of scenery building.

 

 

 

Al.

[Al.]

After yesterday's dead testing, today a successful live test.

 

https://www.facebook.com/BridgeAtRemagen/videos/702820056586680/

 

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Edited September 2, 2017 by Al.

[Al.]

The latest loco to go under the knife is a Fleichmann BR50. I've 5 of these so I'm trying to make each one appear a little different from the others.

 

This one was a post war version with the brakeman's cabin built onto the tender. So that was the first thing to go. Then it was a case of making this model a little bit of an individual with the addition of timber armour along the boiler and tender sides.

 

I also toyed with the idea of mounting a 20mm flak gun onto the tender, but as the only reference I have for this are photos of other models rather then actual locos, I'm still undecided about this.

 

All still work in progress. Paint job needs to be finished, and then weathering.

 

 

 

 

 

Al.

Edited September 6, 2017 by Al.

[GeoffAlan]

I assume you are going to paint jingoistic slogans on the sides of some of the locos and rolling stock?

[Al.]

I assume you are going to paint jingoistic slogans on the sides of some of the locos and rolling stock?

A few will subjected to it.

[Al.]

Update on the BR05.

Camouflage scheme done. Decals and weathering to follow.

 

[Al.]

We've been away for a week climbing mountains in the Lake District, so not much progress on The layout. However this morning while Julia was having a lay-in, I got a couple of hours to get the Wooden Armoured BR50 finished off.

 

The grey has been washed down and it's been given a heavy weathering.

 

One thing I'm still undecided about is the flak gun. Sometimes I look at it and think it looks cool. Other times I think it looks silly.... Can't make my mind up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Al.

[Nelson Jackson]

I think one of the reasons why the flak looks a little different is because it may not be to the correct scale, flak 38's are quite tiny in real life.

[Al.]

A short video clip of the Wood Armoured BR50 pushing a captured Red Star armoured wagon.

 

The loco isn't running its best. Traction tyres need changing and it could benefit from a light oiling to improve its slow running.

 

 

 

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[Al.]

I think one of the reasons why the flak looks a little different is because it may not be to the correct scale, flak 38's are quite tiny in real life.

You're probably right about the scale.

 

Anyway, it's gone now.

[Al.]

The forth BR50 all paints up and ready to roll.

 

I've done this one in a simple striped camouflaged scheme similar to that used on tanks towards the end of the war.

 

From the mid-war years onwards, German tanks were predominately dispatched from the factories in a sand/yellow colour and the crews applied the camouflage scheme once it arrived at the unit. This is why we see such a wide variation of German tank camouflage schemes. In the final year of the war paint pressures on tank production increased, and together with lack of paint supplies, tanks started leaving the factories in just red primer paint. Hence the reason the camp scheme became more simple and more red colour based.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Al.

[Gordon A]

#441 The flak gun on the tender may look odd because there is no where to store any ammunition?

 

Gordon A

[Al.]

The 3 car SVT137 got the weathering treatment this morning. It was meant to be a light weathering but has turned out more moderate weathering.

I'm not happy with the way the roof has turned out, particularly the exhaust soothing. When I've some spare time I'll go back to it and tone it down a bit more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Al.

[Al.]

On a roll today. The BR05 is finished and looking good.

[Al.]

The wehrmacht commandeered the BR38 this morning for critical war duties which has resulted in one of the BR41's being assigned to the Red Cross Train.

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by Al.

[Al.]

As well as weathering locos, I'm also been working on the rolling stock. This is the latest work-in-progress.

 

This is a Schienenwolf, or rail wolf / rail ripper. A German rail vehicle built to destroy railway lines through the use of an immensely strong, hook-shaped armored plough.

 

It predominantly saw service on the Eastern Front during the retreat out of Russian and Poland as part of the 'scorched earth' policy.

The Schienenwolf tore up railway lines, bridges and signaling equipment, and denying the Russian Army the use of the infrastructure to supply their own troops.

 

It was used attached to the rear of a loco - in the case in the photos it's two BR57's. The hook was lowered into the 4foot and as the locos moved along the line, pulled the rails out of alignment and split the sleepers.

 

The model is made from chassis of a short wheel based wagon that's had one end cut off. The hook and all parts in white are made from plasticard. It'll get a cost of grey paint over the next few days and then I'll have to find a couple of locos to haul it.