Czech Legion Train 1918

Now that the latest July edition of "Wargames Illustrated" has hit the shelves I can make a post on a long term project that I had to keep under wraps as it was to feature in the article "The Train Now Standing at Platform Four is the 19:18 To Vladivostok".

The whole train was based on an engine, rolling stock and track from Sarissa Precision and it took inspiration from a number of images of such Czech Legion trains that are found easily online.

A train on the move.

Accommodation wagon.

Machine Gun Wagon

Flatbed carrying armoured car.

75mm Russian Naval guns in open wagons.

The Naval Guns.

These were made from styrene tubes, manilla card, a bit of bent brass wire 

and caviar beads for rivets.

The wagon is a low aggregate wagon built inside out so the timber forms the inside lining to what is meant to be a steel wagon. Caviar beads again form rivets on the outside.

The base coat of paint (burnt sienna).

Followed by an ink wash and some highlights. A little chipping has been applied using Dark Rust paint on a little bit of foam sponge.

Finally some weathering pigment.

The Machine Gun Wagon.

Again a low aggregate wagon forms the basis for this model with a fair amount of additions.  

Internal platforms for guns, two styrene "H" Beams to support the roof, and a sill formed from a  length of wooden coffee stirrer were added along with some ammunition boxes made from greensuff and other materials that I replicated using "Instant Mold".

 Milliput sandbags were added.

 The painting begins as the roof goes on. The roof is a layer of planks, each a double thickness of wooden coffee stirrers. I drank a fair bit of coffee at my local independent coffee shop to "liberate" the necessary quantity of wood.

The Flatbed Wagon.

A simple build of wooden planks on a chassis. More coffee had to be consumed.

The Accomodation Wagon.

The only addition to this build of a Goods Wagon was a styrene tube to make a chimney for the stove inside. Homemede transfers provide the decoration and a little freehand painting was required. The names on the wagon have been copied from photos.

The Engine.

No attitions, just a black paint job, some transfers and a suitable name.

Of course, troops were required

Once delivered to Rodger, we set it up and took some photos. Note the Austin armoured car now on the flatbed wagon.

As Ivor the Engine once said, "Poop, poop!"