Repurposed Diecast Matchbox Superkings Scammell Contractor

A repurposed old diecast matchbox Scammell Contractor as a postwar British tank transporter.

I'd planned on doing this for some time after a wargame buddy of mine Iván gave me lovely old diecast model from the Matchbox Superking's range a couple of years ago. He knows I'm a sucker for these old toys, whatever condition they're in.

Made in England in 1971 .... and by the look of it, in that 52 year period the toy's obviously been through a lot ! 

Paint scratched, grille's disappeared, busted up at the bottom, and God only knows what happened to the wheels, looks like someone's been at it with pliers, or even the dog's had it. 

Definitely what some e-bay descriptions would class as "played with" condition.

This Superkings version originally had a trailer and carried two long construction pipes, and also there were some other versions, such as one without a trailer that was a wrecker too if I'm not mistaken.

I had a trailer in mind using a Chinese 4D Models KrAZ-260B Russian tractor / tank transporter that also donated replacement wheels.

Stripping off the 52 year old pink metallic paint before I gave it a new paintjob didn't go as well as I planned, the paint was pretty resistant and was certainly made to last.

Even though I left the paint remover on for 24 hours, it wasn't 100% successful. It did get quite a bit off but there was still a lot of paint left so I had to resort to using a little fine wet sandpaper to get most of the paint off the leading edges where the model will get the most handling. 

The remaining pink paint lost all its shine and went completely matt, so I did in the end have a decent base for the undercoat.

I used a matt black enamel spray undercoat. Nothing fancy, I've found that the cheapo enamel spray paint I can get from a local tat shop is pretty good strong resistant stuff, albeit very strong smelling - not something you can use in the house though.

I added the replacement wheels and an engine grille was made from a cut-down plastic window shutter I found in the spares box

Once undercoated, it was painted in an olive drab base colour and finished off with an amber beacon on the cabin roof made from a repainted diode.

I realise it won't get much use on the wargame table, but we can use it as clutter scenery for some kind of future game scenario.

Besides, it was an enjoyable process getting to grips with an old toy like this and trying to give it a new lease of life

Allied "Funnies"

As a follow up to the "Ersatz" Opel Blitz pictures published on the blog last month,  my miniature allied arsenal also has some "funnies" that were pressed into service many moons ago.

Sherman Jumbo

A repainted Matchbox Battle Kings die-cast toy that a mate of mine Iván gave me when we first met and started gaming together on a regular basis some 20 years ago. 

The Matchbox tracks were missing and were replaced with tracks off a Hasegawa 1/72nd scale M4A3E8 Sherman. 

The tank commander is an Airfix British Paratrooper.

Even though it's oversized and clunky, it's seen some action as a Sherman Jumbo in a couple of games over the years. 

When you compare it with a lovely detailed kit, like the Trumpeter Sherman below, it's toylike appearance is even more evident. Anyhow, even if it raises a few eyebrows when I next get it on the gaming table again I don't mind too much.

Roco M40 155mm / Sherman suspension hybrid

About the same time back in the early 2000's, my tiny, but growing US forces were in urgent need of some mobile artillery. Getting your hands an Esci M12 was difficult, but I had a Roco Minitanks 1/87 155mm M40, but without the HVSS suspension. 

A broken 1/76 scale Sherman came to the rescue and donated its suspension and tracks to the allied cause, giving birth to this strange hybrid.

It's small next to a Matchbox M40 kit, but on the other hand, it's only a little smaller in size to a real Esci M12 - which I now have thankfully through Ebay, (and also now some excellent Altaya M12 diecasts).

Sherman Dozer

The British Shermans below were all made back in the early 2000's.

We were going to game a scenario that needed a Sherman dozer. A few days before the game I managed to get a hot-wheels bulldozer from a toyshop, fixed the blade onto the front of one of the Shermans and hey-presto ! Not very pretty but you can see what its function is.  

I did recently get a real dozer blade for my US forces. The blade came courtesy of a kit from UM Models.  Not sure if my version is comical or just sad in comparison.

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoyed the pictures. Will be back with some new stuff later in the month.

Cheers, John

Some work in progress - M35 Truck by 4D Models

I posted about these kits some time ago (HERE) and recently saw a good offer on the internet for a set of five so being a sucker for cheap-as-chips offers that are too good to refuse, well of course I ordered them - and just got them a couple of days ago.

I did a bit of chopping up and these reliable workhorses might be able to serve in a few modern game scenarios in other roles rather than just as the basic truck

I had an old 1/87 scale Roco Dragon Wagon that I was never going to use so I cut off the cab and swapped it for the M35 cab.

Hey presto !  An M275 Truck Tractor that it can now also be used to tow this military container.

I'm pretty sure the M35 wouldn't be suitable in this role for towing a huge load like this, I don't think it's powerful enough, but I might be wrong, and please feel free to leave a comment in the comments' section if you do know. 

In any case, in spite of any inaccuracies I can live with them as these are just gaming models.

However, this next configuration really is pure fantasy. A long wheelbase and multiple wheels. 

The platform and crane came off a toy. Be kind to me, in my mind's eye it looks at least feasable. 

Next step will be painting, I'll try and update this article once they're painted with some pictures.

Keep safe all.

Hell's Angels in 1/72 scale

On a previous post  I mentioned on the blog that I'd seen some Hell's Angels / bikers in plastic in 1/72 scale in a board-game based on a series called "Sons of Anarchy".

I've never seen the series and I only played the board-game once, but what really interested were the figures.

My good mate Carlos was having a clear-out during the lockdown and when we got together after the distancing restrictions had eased he came round and gave me a dozen or so of these bikers. Lucky me !

I test painted a couple of them over the weekend and they do look the business.

The figures all have the same pose unfortunately, but I think that with some cutting and converting, a few head swaps, and maybe cannibalizing the Italeri 1/72 German motorcycles and combos, I could get a nice gang of marauding bikers for a near-future / post-apocalyptic / zombie-dawn-of-the-dead kind of game scenario.

WW2 British Motor Gunboat, Würzburg Radar & Sailors

A few years ago our small wargaming group gave a demonstration game of the Operation Biting Bruneval Raid at a local comic / cosplay / gaming event.

The scenario was  designed by one of our fellow gamers Iván, who also built the magnificent terrain board and coastline.

You can see a game report on the link below, which will open up in a new window if you click it. It's in Spanish, but with pictures that speak for themselves

https://wargamestenerife.blogspot.com/2015/03/bruneval-commando-raid-1942.html

For the game we already had plenty of 1/72 scale Germans as the defenders, and also lots of British Paras left over from an Arnhem wargame campaign (albeit in the wrong uniform for this raid, but we could live with that) and more than enough scenery.

What we didn't have were some rescue vessels to to provide covering fire as the paras were picked up from the coastline, and something to represent the Würzburg radar.

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Würzburg Radar

We knocked up a crude representation of the radar just a few days before the game.

Well, I did say crude  ........

It's basically a perspex ball cut off at the top and mounted onto a structure taken off a toy crane, and then fixed onto the base of an Italeri 90/53 Gun.

A good dousing of grey paint and on the day it did its job and nobody mentioned that it bore only a fleeting resemblance to the real thing.

Should also add that nobody mentioned either that the British paras were wearing red berets and were dressed for Arnhem.

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British Motor Gunboat

This was a bit of an invention, made from a modified toy motor launch.

The missile launchers and oversized MG on the the stern were removed and the bridge was taken off and moved forward.

It was also cut down to make it a waterline model and two Bofors were added, one the bow and stern.

Painted grey and with a Royal Navy Ensign flying, it makes a more or less passable MGB.

And here she is, MGB "Conversio" providing covering fire as the Paras made their way down to the beach with a German prisoner and parts taken off the radar. 

The landing craft crashing onto the beach in the foreground is an Airfix LCM with the pilot's house removed and a few other minor conversions. 

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Sailors

The vessels couldn't be complete without crew members, and the sailors are mostly conversions with a mix from various sets.

There are a couple of Airfix civilians and a Dapol railway worker with new heads, plus a few Revell Kriegsmarine figures and some Emhar WW1 British

Quite a few of the sailors have heads taken off the old Airfix British WW1 figures in caps as they make good donors and you just need to slightly trim down the visor at the front and they are perfect for representing the flat visorless hat worn by British sailors. 

The idea for using the WW1 British Infantry heads like this isn't my original idea, I got it from a very old Airfix magazine article back in the 1970s.

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Just to say that I was inspired to finally get around to posting these picture after viewing an excellent post on sailor conversions and a huge WW2 vessel by Simon from the Service Ration Distribution blog which I recommend you visit. You can access his post on the following link (click and it will open in a new window)

https://servicerationdistributionhobby.blogspot.com/2020/05/ships-finishing-touches-lock-down-catch.html

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As always, keep safe and hope that wherever you are the lockdown is easing and that we are all slowly but surely getting over the worst.

"Ale-Hop" - Repainted Toy Trucks for WW2

Still on lockdown and have been fluttering from one unfinished project to another like a veritable wargame butterfly, but I have actually managed to finish off a few things, one of them being a repaint of these niftly little civilian trucks mentioned in the previous post on this blog

I had to change the wheels for some I had in the spares box, I kept looking at those spokes on the originals and they just didn't look right.

Now with their new wheels they're ready for the wargame table.

Here they are below being requisitioned by a French officer for the war effort off some unfortunate locals

I doubt these trucks are based on any particular model, but if I'm wrong please let me kmow in the comments section. 

Whatever the case, real or invented models, they make nice WW2 era cvilian trucks.

Keep safe everyone wherever you are.

"Ale-Hop" - Toy Trucks for WW2

More toys. I got these from a shop called "ale-hop" two weeks ago, the day before the lockdown here in Spain.

Ale-Hop sells a lot of cheapo gadgets and tacky stuff, but these trucks at 3 euros each caught my eye ( I bought three😝).

They should make nice generic 1/72 scale WW2 era civilian trucks. The figure gives an idea of the size.

Those large empty wooden cable drums could come in handy too for an industrial setting once repainted.

Keep safe everyone wherever you are.