British 12" Railway Howitzer scratchbuilt in plastic

[jonhall]

My most recent random project - using my Silhouette cutter to cut 6 identical curved girders - this may turn out to be a prototype, for a MK2 incorporating a few improvements.

 

I need somewhere to collate my research and photos, so this top post may get repeated editing as new thoughts emerge...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_12-inch_railway_howitzer

 

1) Drawings

·         Harry W Miller, United States Army Ordnance Department, Railway Artillery: A Report on the Characteristics, Scope of Utility, Etc., of Railway Artillery, Volume II, Pages 136-145. Washington : Government Print Office, 1921

 

Railgun. John Bachelor/Ian Hogg ISBN 0 85242 328 4

 

Southern Wagons Pictorial Mike King ISBN978-0-86093-597-1

 

2) Photos

 

MkI's Mk I was introduced from March 1916. It is identified by its short barrel and recuperator above the barrel.

 

Southern Wagons Pictorial Mike King ISBN978-0-86093-597-1 - page 176/plate 295 Probably showing a mk1 (short Barrel, compensator on top)

 

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072089

 

 

I think this groupo of photos is all of the same gun, possibly taken to show the new stabilisers

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205269795 mk1 with stabilisers

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205269796 close up of stabiliser

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205269797 from other side?

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205269794 

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205269798 without stabilisers

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072183 all same gun showing preparations for firing

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072179

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072181

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072182

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072180

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072090

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205071224

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205071222

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205091097

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205239629

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205239621

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205239622

 

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205239079 Hiding behind a ruined building

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205236388  Major J. J. Llewellyn and his crew of 12-inch railway howitzer, named "Alpha", of the 52nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery at Dannes-Camiers station, May 1919.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205236387

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205244435

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205077942

 

Film http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008215

 

 

 

MkIII The longer-barrelled Mk III soon followed, with a heavier breech to balance the gun. It retained the recuperator above the barrel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_12-inch_railway_howitzer#/media/File:12inchRailwayHowitzerMkIII26February1941.jpg with stabilisers at Wareham

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205080413 captured MkIII and MkI

 

Mk V, dating from July 1917, moved the recoil buffer and recuperator into a single housing below the barrel, and  Mk V also relocated the loading platform from the railway wagon to the revolving gun mounting.

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197349 mk5 with stabilisers and 2 mk3 without Catterick - see also British Pathe film.

http://www.britishpa...ery/railway gun and with sound http://www.britishpa...ery/railway gun

 

 

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-british-12-inch-howitzer-near-queant-france-ww1-66155340.html mk5 without stabilisers 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_12-inch_railway_howitzer#/media/File:12inchRailwayHowitzerShell444SiegeBatteryAndKitten19July1918.jpg Baldrick how did you get so much custard from such a small cat?

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205072178 breach end

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205244326 same gun mk5 with stabilisers and unusual camouflage paint

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205244327

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205213531

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205085733

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205239623

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205239627

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205238400

 

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205085732 peeping tom

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205165316

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205076744 model 

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205378496

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205378495

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205378515

 

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205378513

 

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/The_Engineer_1920/08/27 Graces guide 27Aug1920 Description and 3 photos of MkV gun, one with stabilisers two without.

 

GWR Freight Wagons and loads on .... JH Russell Figure 310 possibly a mk5 without gun. (compensators below gun mount)

 

"An Illustrated History of British Railways' Workshops" by Edgar j Larkin. there are a line of 8 MK5's ex works (none with stabilisers), the caption states that in 1940 23 examples went ot Derby Works to be refurbished, the first being sent to its destination on 16th April 1940 and the last by December 1940

---------------------------------------------------

 

For those wondering where MkII and IV fit in, they are the non-rail mounted Vickers 12" Howitzers.

 

I'm increasingly convinced that the Stabilisers fittedto some guns are a later addition and were probably fitted to some, but not all guns once they were in France.

Edited December 17, 2017 by jonhall

[Guy Rixon]

Interesting. Is this a first-war or second-war piece?

[KDG]

Interesting. Is this a first-war or second-war piece?

 

Hi Guy

 

I think the picture says First World War archive

[jonhall]

Interesting. Is this a first-war or second-war piece?

 

First war built, some, perhaps as many as 23 were deployed as coastal defense batteries in the second World War.

 

Jon

[The Bigbee Line]

Jon,

 

Thanks for highlighting these really interesting pictures.  Curious about the captured guns, they must have been over run during an advance.  I'd like to know more about that.

 

Thanks

 

Ernie

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Jon

 

Not talking to you any more

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.php/figure/view/SuperHeavyArtillery27

31st illustration when searched on Google.

 

That is an amazing amount of research you have done. I look forward to seeing it develop.

[jonhall]

Hi Jon

 

Not talking to you any more

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.php/figure/view/SuperHeavyArtillery27

31st illustration when searched on Google.

 

That is an amazing amount of research you have done. I look forward to seeing it develop.

 

Of course, how could I forget the contributions from a veteran of your caliber.

 

Jon

[locomad]

Thank you for posting wealth of information always wanted to have a go modelling these guns

[jonhall]

A little progress to report

 

The files for the Portrait cutter had a little redrawing to change the way the middle mainframes work, and to more closely replicate the way the bogies will attach, I also added a few of the joining plate with scores for rivet locations but that was less successful. I've also discovered that the expensive micromark pounce wheels are much harder to use than the one I swiped from my mum who probably bought it from Woollies before I was born!

 

The Barrel was turned from a series of telescopic plastic tubes, and has a little to cut off at the breach end, and its only perched on one sideframe as I damaged the other removing it from the sheet. The pivot is just a drill bit and the compensating tubes for the howitzer need the end filling, then tuning down to shape.

 

 

 

 

I fear I may be building an early gun on a later carriage, which might not be prototypical.

 

Jon

Edited December 26, 2017 by jonhall

[Rob Pulham]

Hi Jon,

 

That's looking really good, what scale is it?

 

I have had some success in creating 7mm scale rivets by scoring 0.5mm circles in 10 thou - the shoulder created by the knife cut imitates the rivet head.

 

[jonhall]

Hi Jon,

 

That's looking really good, what scale is it?

 

I have had some success in creating 7mm scale rivets by scoring 0.5mm circles in 10 thou - the shoulder created by the knife cut imitates the rivet head.

 

 

 

4mm, I'm quite happy with the rivets pressed in from the back, its just the micromark tool is a bit loose on its axle and is particularly prone to wandering, which was disappointing considering the cost. I could have gone the whole hog and got the GW tool out to do them, but that's overkill for this little project, but the more I've played with it, the more I think it would look nice in brass and in 7mm - I have the technology, just not sure about the attention span...

 

Jon

[Rob Pulham]

 I have the technology, just not sure about the attention span...

 

Jon

 

I hear you on that score Jon,  I have far too many part built scratch builds - they are balanced somewhat by a few part built kits too sadly.