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The Somme 1916 - Part 2

Introduction

The diorama started as a small follow up to my WW1 trench scene. I wanted to build the Resicast Draisine (Crewe Tractor) and WW1 Ford Ambulance and thought it might be possible to combine both kits in the build. Around the time of the planning Resicast release a number of diorama bases under their GBS label, one of which was designed to display the Ford Ambulance and contained a length of narrow gauge track that I though could be mated up with the track provided with the Draisine kit and things developed from there. Also released at this time was a small base for the WW1 6 inch howitzer by the same company and a plan evolved to include all three elements in the build on a larger base.


Both sections of track were straight and for interest I thought a curved track would look better and so from small beginnings grew the final product.


The later release of the Resicast WW1 Wounded Wagon developed the possibilities further and slowly the plan evolved, both from the kits available and my greatest source of inspiration the archives of the Imperial War Museum.

The Draisine (Crewe Tractor)

As The Great War loomed ever closer the British Army had already started to modernise with the favoured introduction of mechanical transport by road as opposed to rail. This meant that at the out break of the war they had little narrow gauge rolling stock to provide the supplies and support necessary across the vast expanse that the Western front had settled into in 1916. As a result of this short fall in suitable engines the Model T Ford was adapted to travel on rails. These vehicle were converted in Crewe and became know as Crewe Tractors to the British and Draisine vehicles to the French and Belgium’s.


As this kit started the whole adventure then below are the first images of the feature the build of the tractor.