Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Resicast - Ford Draisine 1916
AlanL
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2013 - 07:42 AM UTC
Hi Dick,

Many thanks. Yes, I know; the brake lever was missing form the kit so I has asked Graham for a replacement. Nothing much gets past you .

I'm assuming resetting the angle of the tank was done when the conversion was made from motor vehicle to tractor. Having easy access for refueling would make sense as the seating is just a box structure over the tank.

Thanks for looking in and the comments.

Cheers

Al
velotrain
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2013 - 07:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text


> I notice that the draisine in the photos has the post 1916 rounded radiator.

I had noticed that variance between the kit and the proto photos Dick, so thanks for providing the background.

> I don't see any sign of wheel brakes on the tractor or the wagons.

Given that there's a fellow walking alongside in the second photo, I think it's a sfe bet that they weren't setting any speed records - at least when loaded.



Very nice work Al.

I don't know why ResiCast used such monster boards on the wagons, vs. the Ford, so I'll replace those with basswood when I build mine.

I love that first photo, with three different modes (eras?) of transport so closely aligned.
velotrain
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2013 - 07:48 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Your draisine lacks the hand brake lever shown in the box art.



But then - it does have the wheel and controls not shown on the box art ;-)
AlanL
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2013 - 08:38 AM UTC
Hi Charles,

Thanks for dropping in. Enjoy your build.

If you look at the two pics the width of the boards on the wagons seems to be correct. I had a look at some existing larger wagons that were used and the width of the boards would seem to be the same. I'm guessing they just used the standard timber on the wagons that was used elsewhere although that's just my thoughts.

Cheers

Al
steph2102
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2013 - 08:29 PM UTC
hello,
very nice work
steph
AlanL
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Posted: Friday, October 04, 2013 - 08:48 PM UTC
Hi Steph,

Thanks for looking in and the comments. A neat little kit with lots of possibilities.

Cheers

Al
Plasticbattle
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Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 - 01:32 AM UTC
Amazing progress Alan. As good as the Draisine is, the stowage gives it a huge lift. A figure or two sitting on top of this stowage would look great?
AlanL
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Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 - 01:53 AM UTC
Hi Frank,

Welcome back and thanks glad you approve. I have the ex-driver with a new arm who might fit the bill and I have some seated Germans who I could convert if needs be.

There is a lot of work in this stowage

Cheers

Al
SdAufKla
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Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 - 03:14 PM UTC
Alan, this is a very nice build of a really interesting subject. The Great War is way too neglected, but this Resicast kit is something else. Hopefully we'll see more WWI subjects in the not too distant future.

I'm sorry I missed the start of this one, but I'll be looking in on it now that I've found it.

It looks like you have some cool ideas for the display, too. I'll be watching to see where you're going with it.
AlanL
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Posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 - 09:59 PM UTC
Hi Mike,

Many thanks for dropping in. I'm hopeful as we approach the 100th anniversary we will see some new 1/35 scale kits.

I'm hoping to incorporate the Ford T in the display too.



Thanks for the comments, some possible figures I'm working on.

This is the New Chap Private Tom who was released in August. An interesting development was the inclusion of straps and buckles in the kit. The other seated character is a Ford T driver with new arms I'll use seated on one of the wagons.





Cheers

Al
AlanL
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 02:09 AM UTC
Hi folks,

Some work on the larger shells. Unfortunately despite numerous searches I'm not 100% sure what caliber and type these are!



Cheers

Al
PantherF
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 02:26 AM UTC
Nice work as always Alan. Modelers like you keep me going.







Jeff
AlanL
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 02:33 AM UTC
Hi Jeff,

Many thanks for dropping in and the kind comments. Glad you approve.

Cheers

Al
AlanL
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 03:27 AM UTC
Hi folks,

This is the second batch of smaller ammo.



Al
AlanL
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 04:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Amazing progress Alan. As good as the Draisine is, the stowage gives it a huge lift. A figure or two sitting on top of this stowage would look great?



Hi Frank,

Something like this do?



Cheers

Al
velotrain
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 08:35 AM UTC

Quoted Text


If you look at the two pics the width of the boards on the wagons seems to be correct.



Al – I guess we’re seeing different things, as the two photos are largely what generated my comment. Due to the low angle, and the more-or-less flush sides, it’s hard to get a good read. However, I enlarged and cropped the relevant part of both images and tried to enhance that detail as best I could.





There’s a slightly shorter and somewhat thicker board at the front of the first car, I’d say 4-6” wide – this board shows much better on the “underway” photo than the “loading” photo, but I’ve otherwise referenced the loading photo – it offers a somewhat better angle. The next board is a bit longer and darker. The third board has warped up at the near end, making it easy to judge the width of it and the previous board – again I’d say 4-6” for each.


Quoted Text


I'm guessing they just used the standard timber on the wagons that was used elsewhere although that's just my thoughts.



To approach it from another direction, I’d estimate the total deck length on the car at 10-12’, based on the lading shown in the images. Since the kit indicates 7 boards, that translates to a 17” or 20” board width, respectively. Even in this era, that would represent premium cuts, and there is no practical benefit to using them in this application - when narrower boards will do fine.

I doubt there’s any “standard timber” in a wartime environment. These short flat wagons were perhaps planked in England, with the same width used for all the boards, but it’s also possible that only the frames were shipped and the planking added at the port of arrival – or soon after. Aside from thickness, they needn’t necessarily be dimensional lumber.

I know it’s not your scale, but I noticed on another forum that W^D Models “may” be working on a PE kit for the Ford Draisine.

I found an interesting photo – and caption – in the book Two-Foot Rails to the Front, which has about 50 pages of mixed quality wartime photos, but very little text. I suspect the beaming fellow on the left is the benefactor of the free moving service.



Lastly, and somewhat OT, I couldn’t resist this image of a shy but happy Swedish boy out for a Sunday spin with his dad in this 1937 scene – no doubt the railcar came out of the shed on the right. I’ve never seen railway wheels built like this, but they would offer lightness – a clear benefit for one-man hefting from the storage "track" to the main.



For anyone interested in researching the trench railways, I have just ordered what seem to be the standard references in the field.

Narrow Gauge to No Man's Land
This covers American operations – and perhaps U.S. production for other countries. There is a reprint, and I found multiple sellers offering it for around $45. The price from the publisher is higher, as is that on Amazon. This is a big book and hardcover.

Narrow Gauge at War, Volumes 1 and 2

This covers all countries involved in trench railway operations, including many not widely discussed. After seeing high prices, even for the reprints, I discovered that it was best to go through the publisher. In this case, it's a benefit for North American buyers that they're paperback.
http://www.plateway.co.uk/

They may have another interesting publication available shortly – I’m trying to get more info.

AlanL
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 08:55 AM UTC
Hi Charles,

Thanks for the info. Looking at all three wagons in the picture they all appear slightly different in finish. If they were boarded on site so to speak that may well be the case.

If you want to split the board in half that would be fairly easy to achieve. The kit was mastered by Gilles Sabatier so I assume he drew his references from somewhere.

I'm not going to worry too much about it at this stage as things are too far advanced, but keep us posted with your findings.

Great pictures BTW.

Cheers

Al
velotrain
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 09:18 AM UTC
I have been researching the Ford Model T draisine, and discovered that it could more properly be called the Crewe-Ford light railway tractor, or simply the Crewe Tractor - as the British soldiers knew it. This also explains why you always see it with British soldiers. I’m guessing that the “draisine” appendage only came about because it largely served in France, and may have been a post-war convention. None of this info should be considered authoritative, and it comes from a multitude of sources.

And yes, there was a reason for retaining the steering wheel.




I have found a couple of detailed photos – still looking for one from the (British) shotgun side; although, based on the two images Alan posted, in front-line operation the driver likes to keep the front bench to himself.







Note the name on the front of the bench of the “un-crewed” one. I’m guessing the two well-dressed gents in the other one might be out for a test drive in England – that is likely a “works” number chalked/painted on the bonnet; it does have the later radiator. This could also be a “training” image.

These tractors were designed by the Chief Engineer (his daughter apparently had the initial idea) of the London North Western Railway (LNWR) at their main Crewe workshops in the UK. They were bought as body-less running chassis, and 138 were produced. They were designed to work on the very light track directly behind the frontline trenches. The trucks/wagons/cars that they pulled were very small/light weight.

I found this recollection:
“My father, as a young man, worked at an all-night petrol station near Bedford (England) He told me that he often had a convoy of several T Fords stop to refuel on their way from Trafford Park to London. They were bodyless with the drivers sitting on the petrol tank, some with cushions to ease the posterior. Now that would be an unenviable job in the winter!”
AlanL
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Posted: Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 10:30 PM UTC
Hi Charles,

Thanks for the top too pictures I hadn't see those before.

This is very much a British/Commonwealth thing. The British Army had moved to vehicle transport rather than rail. Both Germany and France had good narrow gauge stock that could be quickly deployed so it was a catch up game for the British when they realised how important the light railways were going to be in this new kind of warfare.

Didn't realise they were converted in Crewe but it makes sense as Crewe has always played a key role in the railways here. as it

Cheers

AL
AlanL
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Posted: Monday, October 07, 2013 - 03:38 AM UTC
Hi folks,

Hopefully I'll get a bit more don on these two chaps this afternoon.



Al

AlanL
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Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2013 - 04:22 AM UTC
hi folks,

more players.

Al

AlanL
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Posted: Friday, October 11, 2013 - 10:07 PM UTC
Hi folks,

Work continues on the loads and side track stowage.





Cheers

Al
AlanL
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Posted: Saturday, October 12, 2013 - 09:45 PM UTC
Bit more work on the stowage and figures. Although both figures are the same body I altered the legs and head on the 2nd option and with the equipment carried slightly differently I think they will be sufficient difference for them to blend together.





Cheers

Al
AlanL
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Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 10:21 AM UTC
Hi Dick,

Missing brake arrived today. That should finish the tractor off.

Al
165thspc
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Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 12:46 AM UTC
Beautiful, beautiful work!

Kudos