Toy Fairs and Trains!

Waifs and Strays......The next train to arrive at platform one is the 3.30 from Malvern!

Last Sunday I ventured out in the Bentley to attend a toy fair at the Three Counties showground in the shadow of the Malvern Hills. A nice venue in a beautiful part of the world and a happy hunting ground for old lead treasure on previous visits.

The show is well attended by traders carrying all of the traditional toys and models that you might expect, trains, diecast cars, etc. This show doesn't seem to attract as many dealers in the post 1980's toys. It does however have a more rural air to it as the number of people selling model tractors testifies! 

I try to attend each one of these shows and normally find a reasonable number of new recruits for the armies and civilian population of Apperley Towers. This time however, I found hollow cast figures elusive, at least at the right price!

There was a dealer there that I haven't noticed previously who had bought along a large selection of Britains figures and military equipment. These all came from a collection he had recently acquired and were almost without exception in sparkling condition. Many looked brand new and I immediately spotted a number of pieces that would be extremely useful. Unfortunately the asking prices, not unfairly, reflected the quality and condition of the pieces. Sadly, this in some ways makes it easier for me to walk away. This isn't because I couldn't stretch my finances to buy a few nice items, but because I generally want them to play, with not just to collect for display. My happiest acquisitions remain the battered pieces that I find in trays for a pound or two, that I can strip and repaint. 

I asked the dealer if I could take a photo or two so that you can see why I was tempted!

So what did I find I hear you ask? Well I came back with just four figures!

A station master and a nice passenger, both by Johillco. The third figure is another (Britains) recruit for my 'Peaky Blinders'. £7 paid in total.

Some other finds ....

The tree was a nice find for £1. I love these to make little scenic vignettes for my cabinet displays. The fourth figure is a Britains jig driver which has previously eluded me. Missing an arm but for £1, I was more than happy. 

The cart was £2 and I find it hard to leave them behind at that sort of price. 

The broken gun was 50p! I see it as a nice little howitzer after a lick of paint. 

If that was it, I would have come home a little disappointed, but there were two more purchases which made it feel a worthwhile trip.

First of all was a Hornby O gauge water tower. It needs a new hose but is otherwise in good condition. This is the last piece of railway equipment that I have been looking to pick up and it has great potential for a spotter or sniper. 

That was another £5 well spent I feel. But my biggest purchase was saved for last. 

I love my little red loco as seen in  the last game I posted. I have however, been desirous of a more substantial loco. As will be evident, I have no expertise or knowledge about steam trains, but I just like the look of the bigger locos. The much larger ones would need Pullman carriages to look right and these would make the train so big, it wouldn't be practical for my tabletop. There was however a compromise in the form of  a number 1 loco. A much more substantial version of my basic red loco. I handed over £20 for this example which has finally scratched the itch so to speak. I think this completes my Hornby tin plate train collection but you never know............

So there we have it. Not my biggest haul, but a nice morning out and a few nice toys for the toy room. To be honest, I have a large backlog of figures awaiting the attention of my brush, so perhaps its just as well I didn't find hundreds of cheap hollow cast recruits!

A lick of paint.......Railway staff

Whilst looking for my earliest tin plate train acquisitions on E-bay, I also cast my eye enviously over the Britains railway staff that were up for sale. I eventually persuaded my banker to release sufficient funds and I bought a group of 6 figures together with some luggage. These figures are certainly pre war and possibly as old as the first war (I believe they were first sold in 1909 and withdrawn in 1941). I adore the patina these figures have and they have taunted me ever since they arrived. To repaint or not....that is the question?

As regular readers will know, this is not the first time this dilemma has occurred and it will certainly not be the last! This group are from from mint condition but they still have 90% of their original paint and with the exception of the  signal figure (5th from the left), are undamaged. I decided to put this set away for a while and ruminate on the situation. In the intervening months I acquired a few more of these figures in poorer condition or as in one case, a modern recast. This has given me the opportunity to 'repaint them' without repainting them if you catch my drift!

At the time of writing I have finished the porter pushing the luggage trolley, the ticket inspector and the station master. My aim was to reproduce the paint work as closely as possible to the first figures. Obviously they will always look shinier because I gloss varnish all of my figures, but I leave it to you to decide which you prefer. 

In this photo, you can see I have repainted all of the luggage that came with the trolley. This was not a difficult decision as the luggage had lost 50% or more of the original paintwork. You can also see the (recast) signalman and a repaired porter who will be painted next. If I can find another porter figure to complete the set I will keep the original set as is and display them where they belong with the train station. The newly painted figures can then take their chances with the rest of the Apperley Towers civilian population on the wargames table!

The consensus of opinion following my last post was that people like my photo heavy posts, so I have taken the liberty of setting up my railway collection for a photo shoot which I hope you will enjoy!

 

The last few photos illustrate the difference between the two loco's. The size, and level of detail is obviously significant and although photos can't illustrate this, the weight difference is considerable. I am however happy to have two trains to play with!

Three cheers for.......'The Hornby Gauge O System'.....The Hornby Companion Series Volume 5

I discovered this somewhat hefty tome whilst running 'Hornby O Gauge' searches on E-Bay. As I have freely admitted I am not a 'train man' and certainly not an expert on Hornby O gauge models. This book looked like an interesting addition to the Apperley Towers library and would help me to navigate this 'new territory', whilst trying to purchase the pieces I thought would add play value to my wargames. It turned out to be a great decision and whilst my copy is a very well read book, it has been an invaluable guide and reference work. Its also got lots of very inspirational photos, showing the full breadth and width of the toys made. Believe me....there were a huge number of items! I picked up this well worn copy for £10 and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. 

A few random page shots from the book. It is over 400 pages, with at least the same number of photographs. 

Well that's all for this post. It seems to have turned in to a Hornby train 'special edition' and to those of my readers who are only really interested in military subjects I apologise....but not too vigorously! I know that more than one or two of my regular readers have an interest in this subject and hopefully will have enjoyed reading about my adventures down this particular rabbit hole! 

Tara a bit!

Last Ditch Defence, Regenerating The Tardis And Dragon Rampant !

I counted them all out.....The Battle Of East  Cheam!

We left  the retreating defenders of the town, preparing a last ditch defence as the Socialist forces pressed forward under cover of artillery bombardment. The defence was being organised by the Earl of  Dudley, who knew only too well that it was no longer possible to stop the Socialists from taking complete control of the town. It remained his responsibility however, to hold the enemy at bay long enough to extract a very important member of the Royal Household by train. The train was building up a head of steam in the station, as the enemy bombardment crept ever closer. The VIP was being driven across town by car to meet the train. The Earl knew that it was going to be a damned close run thing and that his forces were likely to suffer high casualties that day.

The Earl of Dudley

The forces under his command comprised of a company of her majesty's 1st Foot Guards, a company of the 3rd Staffordshire Line, 2 guns of the Malvern Mountain artillery and a Platoon of the 1st East Cheam Territorial Volunteers (under the command of Captain Hancock). The Earls second in command was Colonel Balmoral-James of the 1st Foot Guards. They were now in defensive positions awaiting the enemy, whilst trying to avoid the effects of the relentless shelling.

The men of the 3rd Staffs and a mountain gun prepare to defend the critical railway crossing

The approaching Socialist forces were comprised of Infantry and artillery from the Welsh Free Republic, supported by mechanised elements from The Peoples Enclave Of Manchester. The artillery was off table in the cabinet behind the Socialist forces! It was to potentially play the most important role in the unfolding events and I wanted the gunners to be there in body not just spirit!

Two (fully refurbished) guns and crew

A beautifully converted and painted gun and crew ( a gift from my very good friend John)

Combined arms attack

The Socialist Commander General Scargill

Mechanised and infernal machine gun support

Two stubborn locals who refused to evacuate, watch the advancing forces

Whilst the main thrust of armoured vehicles with infantry support was up the two main roads heading towards the railway station and the entrenched defenders, there were infantry infiltration through all of the town buildings across the front. 

The artillery barrage increased as the Socialist attack gained momentum. I allowed each of the three off table guns to fire each turn. The guns each fired into a sector equating to one third of the battle front. Each shot landed in further sub divisions of the table depending on a d6 roll and then potentially scattered 2D6 inches, using a scatter dice. I was pleased with the overall result as there was a slim possibility of friendly fire incidents as well as overshooting the table. In the main the shells landed in the main part of the town with frightening unpredictability!

A direct hit on (23) Railway Cuttings! 

The first casualty....private Kerr of the Cheam Territorials

Another property insurance claim!

The two armoured car led columns appeared and the mountain artillery immediately opened fire.

A direct hit blows the cupola from the armoured car

The second armoured cars engine is destroyed immobilising the vehicle. 

Rifle fire from the Welsh infantry claims some of the Guards

The VIP arrives to board the waiting train as the heat of battle rages 

Another round of artillery shells almost results in a friendly fire incident!

Too close for comfort!

Disaster....or is it?

At this point I thought the Socialists might have struck a critical blow, but the dice roll for damage to the train showed only superficial damage! The train was ready to go as soon as its important passenger was safely boarded.

The mountain gun crew come under fire and lose a crewman

The Welsh infantry are taking heavy losses in return

Meanwhile on the right flank, a newly positioned machine gun opens fire on the Guards

The Guards suffer heavy casualties

 

Whilst the armoured car is immobilised, it can still fire its gun

 

With devastating results!

 

Turn three starts with another artillery barrage which fails to do any damage

The Engine pulls away from the station

Welsh infantry flood through only to be met with fierce fire from Hancock's territorials

More infantry advance through the churchyard

The defenders take substantial casualties from the massed firepower

The machine gun has taken some damage in return

As turn 4 starts, the train builds up speed amidst explosions and gunfire

Full speed ahead!

The Constabulary remain to fight

Another Insurance claim!

Disaster! A direct hit on the engine!

At this point I felt sure the Socialist artillery had struck the fatal blow! I had yet to roll for damage but it was not looking good. The dice was rolled and engine damage confirmed. Speed would be reduced by 50% but the engine could still move!

Friendly fire!

Heavy support rumbles into play

The steam tank opens fire

The engine pulls down the track towards safety

The train presents a moving target as it passes over the level crossing

The Territorials fall to the last man!

Infantry pour through the buildings

The unluckiest property in East Cheam receives another hit, whilst the train is narrowly missed 

The steam tank prepares to fire at the speeding train

A four is rolled and the tank misses !

Turn Six 

The train speeds away from the advancing socialists

The train is still visible to the attackers 

The attackers advance further

The defenders are now severely depleted

An infantry detachment manages to gain sight of the royal coaches as they speed away

The last throw of the dice!

The riflemen fired at the disappearing coaches and needed sixes to hit.......none were rolled and the carriages disappeared from view!  Her Royal Highness will be safe and the Royalists can claim a Pyrrhic victory! East Cheam has fallen amidst heavy losses by both sides.

De-briefing

A game where I genuinely never knew if the Royalists would succeed or fall to the socialist offensive. The Royalist win came at a price to the defenders but it was a classic defensive stand. A few VC's will be awarded to the defending forces, sadly many of them posthumous.

If the Socialists could have broken through earlier they would almost certainly have succeeded in destroying the train. The destruction and immobilisation of the armoured cars certainly played a major role and was possibly decisive. Forced to rely on the artillery bombardment and long range shots at a moving target, certainly made it harder. The artillery did however hit the train twice, just not doing enough damage. I certainly had my heart in my mouth more than once and thoroughly enjoyed the game! The artillery bombardments were the most fun ! If you don't own some scatter dice....get some....they can create great uncertainty with artillery and a lot of fun.

A lick of paint......Regenerating The Tardis

Travellers taking advantage of away-day tickets on the railway 

As can be seen in the picture above, the Doctors Tardis is somewhat smaller than one might expect. It is also looking a little the worse for wear. Not surprising when you consider the mileage on the clock! It struck me that the Doctor regenerates, so why not a makeover for the Tardis? Unfortunately I have no way to enlarge the Dinky Tardis, but thought I might utilise a slight optical illusion to make it seem more scale appropriate. 

I glued the Tardis to a plastic Warhammer base just a little larger than the footprint of the Tardis and then glue that to a square MDF base. By repainting the Tardis and the plastic base as if one and the same, it has given the Tardis a height lift.....just like the stacked heel boots some of us wore in the 1970's! The mdf base has then been painted grey to represent the ground where it has landed. 

So a fresh paintjob and a coat of varnish and the Doctor has a new Tardis for his adventures. Has my deception worked? Well partly I would like to think, but he will probably still have to duck his head as he enters and leaves!

Three cheers for.......Dragon Rampant 2nd Edition

I have been eagerly awaiting this updated edition, since its announcement early this year. There is actually nothing substantially wrong with the first edition which has served me very well for my Middle Earth games and other generic fantasy encounters. An expanded edition however with some slight refinements was always going to be welcome. This is a beautiful hardback with copious full colour illustrations and a welcome addition to the Apperley Towers library. I am reading through it slowly, to fully take in the changes and new additions, before trying it out.

It is already inspiring me to add a new fantasy force or two to the Apperley armoury, probably in 25mm, although don't rule out the one true scale, 54mm! A Greek Hoplite based fantasy force, with Centaur allies won't get out of my head! 

As I've said above there was nothing substantially wrong with the 1st edition of which I have two copies. I would like to give one of these copies to one of my readers to give you a chance to try them out. So if anyone in the UK would like to get a free (well loved secondhand) copy of this book, please say so in the comments and I will post it at no cost to you. 

By the same token I am in exactly the same position with the 1st edition of Lion Rampant for medieval wargames and happy to make the same offer if you would like to see what the fuss is about. Claim it in the comments. 

A final thought for my readers. I have been writing this blog for quite a while now and wonder whether I am making these entries too long and possibly too photo heavy.  I would appreciate feedback either way . Well that's all for now so....... tara a bit!