Armed train: locomotive options

A surprise post by Company B over at the Lead Adventure forum brought me to reconsider the configuration of the armed train. One of the aspects that was giving me pause was the length of the locomotive, tender, and rolling stock combined, and its ‘presence’, or, more likely, its sheer length on the table.

I had begun to think about the rolling stock too; a flat car for the Armstrong 40 pounder, and a couple of low gondola’s for the Naval Brigade complement, and perhaps a flat car with a small crane.

Company B are planning a nice little 060 locomotive with a tender, and a very compact 060 pannier tank locomotive, which have got me thinking about something less historically accurate, but more manageable, around one of these smaller models.

Three locomotive options, with the currently available 0440 (top), which I was considering until the two 060s were posted. The middle loco will be a bit longer once its tender is attached, and the pannier tank at the bottom would be very compact. (Photo and renders Company B.)

Armed train Armstrong 40pdr: components

I want to try and make a reasonably accurate job of the 40pdr for the armed train. I have spent quite a lot of time researching this model – detailing is important if one is going to accept the cost and make the effort.

On the subject of cost, the two models that I have canibalised were £17, and wire rope, hooks, and blocks came to a further £20. That’s quite a lot for such a small model. I reckon the locomotive and rolling stock will cost around £100, and there will be furtheer costs for detailing parts.

Here’s some information on the operation of the armed trains, from the foresnsic Report of the British Naval and Military Operations in Egypt, 1882 (p182 onwards):
Link

The modified gun and carriage with components ready for assembly. The blocks are slightly overscale, but will work, I think. Rigging the blocks will be a challenge …

A little progress: 40pdr and Gatling gun limber

Most of today’s effort has gone into applying the first coat of varnish to twenty-odd Hadendowa rifle-armed and gun crew figures, along with Burnaby, Wilson and Prior.

I also spent about five minutes on the Gatling gun limber and a couple of hours on the 40pdr.

Yesterday I did most of the cutting and trimming to narrow the two carriages for the smaller weapon. It’s the first time I have worked with resin, and it’s brittle stuff, requiring slow careful work to avoid disastrous chips and breakages. I had one of the former, but a bit of filling was required in any case.

I added larger diameter trunions to the barrel, drilled the gun carriage for the wire rope, and added a pair of leavers, one each side. I need to add small wheels to the rear of the carriage, and model the elevation mechanism. The latter needs some investigation. I also need to source some blocks of a suitable size for the tackle … so quite a bit still to do.

The limber is nearly ready for priming, while the 40pdr is going to take a while longer.

Armstrong RBL 40pdr on naval carriage

Serendipity to the rescue! An unexpected post on the Facebook The Men Who Would Be Kings Fan Group highlighted an ebay source for a 28mm scale Armstrong RBL 40pdr. A quick look revealed a small range of what appear to be resin castings perfect for this era.

I ordered a 40pdr and a RML 64pdr naval casement parapet cannon. Comparison with photographs of the armed train improvised by sailors from HMS Hecla and HMS Invincible in 1882 suggested the parapet cannon carriage would be suitable for conversion.

Now to aquire the rolling stock.

Armstrong 40pdr on naval carriage adapted to the railway flat car by sailors from HMS Hecla.

View from the other side. These two photographs provide plenty of detail for the model. Note the ship’s name plate on the front.

The resin components from two kits, with the Armstrong 40pdr barrel in the foreground, and a Perry Miniatures’ Naval brigade Garder gun crew member for scale.

I bought some wire rope. Although this is intended for use as scale steel tow rope (for AFVs etc), I think it will be easier to manipulate into the requred shapes than actual scale rope.

Victorian heroes

The modeller in me wants to feature significant personalities individually or as part of vignettes. Apart from the obvious people – commanders such as Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Graham and Vice-Admiral William Hewett – I have ideas for characters ranging from Colonel Frederick Burnaby, who needs no introduction, to Private Thomas Edwards of the Black Watch (the Royal Highlanders).

Fred Burnaby is well underway, but today I thought to add Captain Arthur Wilson, a hero of second El Teb. Wilson was captain of HMS Hecla, a depot ship. During the campaign against the Egyptians in 1882 his Naval Brigade ratings improvised protection of wood, plate, and sand bags for a locomotive and rolling stock, and mounted an Armstrong 40pdr RBL gun on a railway carriage. Just over a year-and-a-half later, during the second battle of El Teb in 1884, Wilson won his VC in the thick of the action around a Naval Brigade battery, engaging Dervish warriors in single combat.

I had a suitably animated officer from the Perry Miniatures’ Naval Brigade command code (SB14), but he had no beard! Now I am no sculptor, but a few minutes with a very small quantity of Milliput gave a passable result.

Captain Arthur Wilson’s record at VC Online
Link

The improvised armed train, Alexandria 1882, inspiration for a planned modelling project.

Wilson in the thick of it at second El Teb, February 29, 1884.

Now he has a beard this figure will pass for Captain Arthur Wilson, ready to pitch into the defence of a Naval Brigade battery. He’s in good company with Colonel Frederick Burnaby.