Nothing a new coat of paint, a change of wheels and some plastic card detailing couldn't put right!
It was the first of this years Toy and Train Fairs at my daughter's school today and so I went along to take a look and to seek some inspiration. Nothing to report on the ship search but I was able to acquire a brace of firing artillery pieces for the long term Little Wars style project. Usually this show is awash with such items but today, despite being packed to the rafters with visitors and several new dealers, the artillery was minimal - or more accurately, either too expensive or in need of too much restoration to be worthwhile (sorry Tim, nothing useful to report!). My acquisition was a pair of 'Britains' (yeah right!) firing pieces which look suspiciously like 25 pdrs although are quite basic models which leads me to believe they may be copies. I am not hugely keen on the wheels as they look a little on the modern side but beggars can't be choosers. The gun barrels are fixed with no means of elevation and the muzzle brakes are missing. The paint is a little chipped around the edges and so a repaint will be called for - probably in a shade of grey.
The firing mechanisms for both pieces are absolutely fine and the obligatory matchstick round fired from each reaches to a very respectable 9 or 10 feet. The pair of pieces cost £5 which is pretty good value and with a little work they will be added to the artillery park of my Little Wars collection. In fact, at the moment they are my Little Wars collection....;-)
At the moment....;-)
12 comments:
DC
The good new is you're no crazier than the rest of us.
The bad news is the yardstick I'm measuring you against!
Enjoy the toys, plus you got to say you supported the daughter's school. Bonus!
Cheers
PD
Hi Peter,
That is a relief as I would hate to think I was anything remotely approaching normal! This is a long term idea and is really a bit of fun which is what it is all about methinks!
Sadly this is my daughter's last year at the school as she will be going to college next year.
They grow up fast....
All the best,
DC
Welcome to the Funny Little World. It'll cost you money, sanity (yeah OK - too late for that...) but it is fun!
David,
I have a couple of these somewhere in my shed. From memory they fire quite well even though they do not elevate at all.
I have considered trying to find mine to use with an projected inter-war FLW army. I would probably replace the wheels with spoked ones to make them a little less modern-looking.
All the best,
Bob
DC
I'm one year behind you, ours has another year and then she's away to uni in the fall of 2013. Truth be told, I'd do a lot more face to face gaming except I want to do the fatherhood bit while she's still here and she's got a busy schedule. Hence the blog...
PD
Hi Tim,
I was warned! I must confess though that there is something enormously satisfying about scoring a direct hit on a figure from some 8 feet!
A good start methinks although I want to give the models a little more period feel.
All the best,
DC
Hi Bob,
My thoughts entirely re the wheels although finding something suitable may be a challenge.
Interwar FLW? An interesting idea but one I shall file under pending somewhere!
All the best,
DC
Hi Peter,
I know what you mean - she is knee deep in exams at the moment although one of the subjects she wants my help on is German history from 1870 to 1920.
By June she will be finished and can ease up a little until college.
All the best,
DC
everyone has to start somewhere, and it can get very addictive. I look forward to future instalments.
DC
With mine, I'm basically reteaching her math units for the year. Last year, she did a diorama of the Jamestown settlement - a terrain base featuring a river and estuary, wooden palisades, houses, bastions, indian long houses, lots of trees, period ships for the relief convoy. All of which used my modelling skills.
Enjoy
PD
Hi Joppy and welcome to the blog!
I have pondered using 54mm figures for gaming for a couple of years now but initially not in a Little Wars way with firing artillery. That has changed now for sure but this will be a long term project so the future installments will be a little thin to begin with.
I hope to remedy this situation though....;-)
All the best,
DC
Hi Peter,
Sounds very impressive and crying out for a raid! Any pictures at all?
All the best,
DC
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