David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Thursday 1 June 2017

A Country Garage

Ages ago I acquired a Scaledale English barn, which I used on the table in support of various Conflix rural buildings, or even as an outbuilding for Blandings Castle in our VBCW or Operation Zeelowe games. That it was a large OO scale building meant I could get away with that approach while the buildings remained individual pieces on the tabletop, but when I based them up on MDF bases in small groups it didn't fit in so well in size or style. After languishing in a box under the table in GHQ for several months I had a moment of inspiration when I found a couple of old signs in my bits box, one for an engineering firm and one for a garage. I decided to utilise it as an English rural garage from the 1930's. Searching the same bits box produced several items to clutter the scene and add to the effect, while Phil's bits box produced an oil drum, which he kindly painted, and a petrol can. Two spare Perry Mafeking civilians in my figure box provided some life to the scene, as did a Dixon Miniatures WWI bicycle. Just one problem: no petrol pump. Then by chance I noticed an old Gallia brick pillar on the floor in GHQ - it must have fallen out of a box a while back when I made my North European town. Phil seized on it and cleverly converted it into a Shell petrol pump! Trawling the web provided some period signage and posters to further the image and a win on an eBay auction provided a 1930's AA patrol van. A bit of work on the base with static grass, Tufts and the like and it was finished ~





















It may be a trifle twee to the eyes of some but for me it captures the feel of rural England in the 1930's just right. Whatever, it will do nicely for me...

22 comments:

  1. Very nice! Wish I had your focus on these things. My plans have been thrown out by the sudden pressing need to find some British Skirmish bases to try out a new ruleset just when I was happily turning out 1809 Austrians...

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    1. Actually Graham, no focus at all here, but drifting from existing project to existing project as the fancy takes me. Currently two Reb colour bearers for the ACW and 6 Native Americans for the F&IW.

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  2. Realistic and beautiful work on this garage, great details!

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  3. Lovely bit of re purposing, very successful I'd say.
    Best Iain

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  4. Great use for a fine old building.

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    1. Yes, it has a bit of age if I'm honest George.

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  5. Just the ticket, and I see it has attracted the wild geese back!

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    1. We did ok there Phil between us. Thanks!

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  6. A very atmospheric piece.

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    1. I agree there, it speaks of the period to me.

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  7. Well doesn't that just like the biz! Well done!!

    Christopher

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  8. Great job and the scale is perfect

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  9. Replies
    1. Thank you kindly! But, in the RAC myself...

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