Model Railway Show + a visit to a Model Railway Club in Hamar

The annual model railway show at the Norwegian Railway Museum at Hamar, is one of the major ones in Norway. Due to work there have been some years since I've visited it last, so I was really looking forward to visit it this year:

There were several trade stands, mostly second hand:

The Norwegian Model Railway Association's  stand with G-scale trains kids can operate:

Live steam in 1:1 and model:

Unfortunately there was a majority of trading stands and not so many layouts this time. Here are some impressions of the few layouts on the show.

The first layout when entering this show was the same hi class and super detailed tram layout I've already posted more photos and videos from the Skedsmo Model Railway Exhibition:

A local model railway club, BM86 Modelljernbaneforening exhibited this small layout kids could operate:

Another 'locally' club and H0-layout with vintage Märklin metal tracks:

Another local layout from a local club, this time an American N-scale layout. I liked these Norwegian N-scale trains running on it though:

I really like the way this Norwegian Z scale layout was displayed:

And that was about the layouts in running conditions there was. Not very much this year.

There was another 'layout' exhibited as a static display which caught my interest. It was a modular layout built by the international module standard FREMO. FREMO originated in Germany ans have later gain popularity in several other European countries, among them Norway. Since they're built by a standard module they're inter-connectable in any combinations. FREMO doesn't focus on just running trains, but to operate them according to the prototype with timetables etc. Several model railway society's and railway modellers are building FREMO modules in Norway, and bring their modules together for operating sessions.

This image shows different stages of development on a FREMO module:

A couple of FREMO modules connected:

But it was actually this FREMO station modules which caught my attention. It's a operating FREMO  (station-) module depicting the similar scene as I saw as a static display at the Model Railway Exhibition at Skedsmo earlier this autumn; The Flight of the Norwegian National Treasury. The only difference is that this could be operated in a larger layout and greater FREMO setup. When seeing this FREMO-module I was immediately thinking of Mark The Man of Tin's blog post on the Gulltransporten/ Gold Transport Norway April 1940 where he looks at the possibilities to transfer this into a wargame scenario where one of the lorries breaks down while the Germans are closing in. I'm following his progress with great interest, and he's started to look at how to convert regular plastic toy soldiers from Airfix into 1940 Norwegian Infantry. 

Since there wasn't so many layouts to see, I took a look on the Norwegian Railway Museums permanent displays as well:

And they do show some static models too:

In an earlier blog post Alan at The Duchy of Tradgardland askes if Norway ever had any own production of toy soldiers. Well, we didn't, but Norway did actually have an early, own production of model trains just after the second world war. Not very true to scale nor prototypes:

In the Railway museum's exhibition I saw this interesting builder's plate revealing that some early wagons actually were made in the city where I live, Moss. This is not a very known part of the local history in Moss:

The old emblem and logo of the Norwegian State Railway:

A visit to a local Model Railway Club

Slightly disappointed that there were so few layouts on display at the Model Railway Exhibition, a friend and I decided to visit a local model railway club at Hamar, which arranged an "Open House", to see their club layout. This was the same club that had exhibited the small winter layout that kids operate at the Railway Museum. Here are some impressions of BM86 Modelljernbaneforeningen's large Norwegian H0 scale club layout:

 

An equipage from one of the Norwegian 'Olsen Gang' movies where the armoured van is a giant rolling safe the Gang is trying to rob

These impressive ship models are actually made of paper and cardboard (!)

In the background I saw this old Norwegian fortress:

only the rooftops were modeled as only they could be seen by the spectators:

There was even a larger and more complex castle. Not quite a 'Norwegian type'. This castle was located...

...on a 'British sector' of the layout. It was built to 00, but still shares the same gauge and loading gauge as H0.

Some 23 years since I was at this location in 1:1. From one of my favorite tv-series 

Is this a MoD or WD design?

All in all we had a great day out in Hamar. There were fewer layouts on the Railway Exhibition than earlier, and I hope that will change for future events at the museum. I'm very glad we visited the Model Railway Club in Hamar too. Their layout was not only very large but also built to high standards.

Blog PostScript 

Intrigued by Mark at The Man of Tin's figure conversions to make Norwegian Infantry of readily available plastic figures I decided to stop by the nearby Norwegian Armed Forces Museum at my way home from work yesterday just to have a look at Norwegian 1940 uniforms and equipment. I couldn't help stopping by the Museum Store as well as this is the same shop I bought my long serving Army Men back in 2019. They didn't stock any Army Men or toy soldiers now, but I found this 1:32 scale M3 Half Track kit from New Ray for just $19,86, £ 15,10 or € 17,07. I think this is within my scope of 'budget wargaming' and the size was right for my Army Men, so I bought one so my little troopers can drive into battle in the future.

I was toying with the idea how it could look like in service for my UN Army Men, and ChatGPT suggested this:

Time will show what to make out of it. 

After this I didn't go straight home as I stoped at the Shopping Centre in Ski. It's still a while until Christmas, but it seems like Christmas decorations keeps coming even earlier each year. 

It's a really large Märklin Gauge 1 display with 2 loops, each with a short train pulled by a small Tank Engine going opposite directions. The Engines and rollingstock (except for the vans) are standard Märklin Gauge 1 items painted to look like Norwegian rollingstock. The conversion is both very simple and successfully. The station building is a scratchbuilt Gauge 1 model of the old station house in Ski. The large Gingerbread 'house' is the Shopping mall it self. 

It's a lovely Christmas display and I hope its will enjoy a lot of people in all ages in the time to come. 

The Bots are Coming!

Like other wargaming blogs this blog also suddenly experienced a 'tsunami' of 'mysterious visitors' this September. All this sudden hits are presumably not 'real visitors' or human readers, but more likely 'Web Crawlers', 'Search Spiders' or 'AI Chatbots'. What they exactly was, what their mission was, where they actually came from and why, I don't know for sure. Let's assume it was 'AI chatbots' they were probably searching wargaming blogs to pick up more knowledge of the subject and learn more about wargaming? -And to perhaps also to learn to wargame?? 

This made me think if this 'phenomenon' could be transferred to a wargame, or to a scenario for a wargame? -The Bots are Coming! 

Preparing the game

To be able to transfer this to a skirmish wargame I needed to materialize some 'intelligent' bots into some kind of 'battle-machines'. The answer gave it self, and I searched Thingeverse for some free files that could be resized and 3D-printed to 54mm. It's skinny, but due to the period for my scenario it's probably an early model (T600 or pre T600):

Then they were given a very simple and basic paint job, and a couple of coats of 'blackwash':

The Rules

The Terminators cant't time-travle with weapons, so for this game they are unarmed and they'll only fight hand-to-hand. I think the free FUBAR wargame rules can be amended for a battle between a superior force in close combat VS. a larger seasoned force with ranged combat capacities. 

The Scenario

After several unsuccessfully attempts to assassinate Sarah Connor and preventing her to give birth to the future resistance leader John Connor, the AI defense network Skynet simultaneously tries to assassinate Sarah Connor's father before she's even born, and so to prevent the future birth of her and her son.

Before Sarah Connor was born in 1965, her father was a soldier and fought in an unnamed war. Skynet is therefore sending Terminators back in time to search different conflicts and battlefields in the early 60ies where they have recorded plausible 'Connors'.

In Eastern Congo, 1961 Sergeant Connor is leading a reinforced UN squad which has been ordered to hold a key junction near the village of Kalemie to keep Katangese rebels from moving supplies. The peacekeepers expect rebels — but instead, three T-600s step out of the jungle and advance relentlessly toward the crossing. -What are they, where do they come from and why are they here???

Forces:

• Terminators:
• 3 early and unarmed models of T-600 Terminators which activites independently.
• A Terminator automatically incapacitate a single human opponent per action in close combat.
• Terminators are fast, so I'll let them move 12" instead of 6".
• Terminators ignore moral checks and pinning.
• I will let the Terminators fight as 'Elite' and 'Heavy Tank'. They can be harmed by HMGs (.50 cal.) and RPGs. On early Terminators only their front was heavy armored, so these will have to roll for a save (2+) from small arms if hit from behind.
• Hit effects:
• 1-2: -2 to next activation only
• 3-4: Can only move half speed rest of the game
• 5: immobilized for rest of the game
• 6: Terminator destroyed

• UN :

All UN forces will fight as 'Seasoned' in this game. Their M1 rifles are semi automatic so I'll let them have 2FP on ranges less than 12".

• A squad of 8 soldiers armed with 1 SMG, 6 M1 rifles and 1 LMG are manning the UN-Check Point.
• A Bazooka unit with 3 soldiers armed with 1 bazooka (with armor piercing rockets), 1 SMG and  M1 rifle provides back up support.
• A Jeep with a crew of 3 armed with a .50 cal. HMG provides supporting cover for the Check Point. Luckily they trying out the new Multi Purpose ammunition from Norway.

Mission:

• Terminators: To eliminate the UN unit in search for 'Connor'.
• UN: To pacify the Terminators.

The Game

Time:    55 minutes 

Turns:   9

Result:  This point is a 'spoiler alert', isn't it? It's a win for the Sgt. Connor and his men, but I'm not sure it's a victory for humanity having a battlefield with future artificial killer technology scattered around. One of the 'bots' are even still on.

There are not Katangan Rebels who exits the Jungle and approaches the UN-Check Point outside Kalemie...

The Traffic Sentry shouts them to stop as they're approaching the Check Point. He has not seen 'things' like these before:

The Terminators are ignoring him and keep advancing. Following the Rules of Engagement he warns them that he will open fire if they don't stop:

The Terminators keeps advancing, and the Traffic Sentry gives them a final warning and shoots a warning shoot:

The warning shoot did not scare the terminators off or made them come to a halt. The Sentry aims carefully and fires against the closest Terminator. He can see that he hit, but with no effect at all:

The closest Terminator rushes towards the Traffic Sentry and lethally strike him. The 2 other Terminators changes course and advance towards the Cover Sentry and Search Team. Both the Cover Sentry and the Search Team open fires upon the advancing machines, and score several hits on them with no effect. Not even from their high rate fire LMG:

Sgt. Connor orders his men to retreat:

The UN Jeep covering the Check Point opens fire with it's 0.50 cal HMG, and hits the Terminator which killed the Traffic Sentry:

The UN HMG hits the Terminator with so many successfully shots, that the Terminator stumble backwards, looses balance and fall upon the Czech Hedgehog behind him. The Czech Hedgehog impales the Terminator, and the Terminator becomes immobilized for the rest of the game:

Sgt. Connor's squad are retreating, but the LMG Team falls behind. The UN-Jeep rushes forward and opens fire on the pursuing Terminators: 

Even if the Terminators are hit by several shots of the HMG it doesn't stop them, only slowing them down:

Soon the 2 Terminators catch up with the slow LMG team of Sgt. Connor's squad, and immediately takes out 2 of them:

Even if the UN HMG scores several hits on the Terminators, it doesn't stop them from taking out the last member of the LMG team:

While the Terminators starts advancing towards the Jeep and the threat it's HMG represents, they don't notice the Bazooka team sneaking up from behind:

When ready the Bazooka team aims carefully and fires an armor piercing rocket and hit one of the Terminators from behind, where it's weakest point is:

It was a lethal hit:

The last Terminator turned around and took aim to ram the Bazooka team...

...which made a daring move; They knew that they didn't have time to reload so they started to run towards the Terminator at the same time the Terminator approached them and beat the Bazooka gunner to death. The team leader and loader made to run past him. They immediately turned around and shot the Terminator in the back:

Another success by the 2 remaining members of the Bazooka team! The Terminator was finally Terminated:

Sgt. Connor didn't know he was the target for this mechanical 'kill team', and the androids did not know if they've targeted the right 'Connor'. 

Sgt. Connor gathered his men around the last Terminator impaled at the Czech Hedgehog struggling to get free, but...

... no official reports were given what happened next...

Conclusion

Ironically I used the AI bot ChatGPT to partially create this scenario and figure out a rifle-squad chance vs. a T-600 Terminator. 

I have a soft spot for the free FUBAR wargaming rules, and used the expertise in the FUBAR FB-group to check my suggested stats for the Terminators.

I really do recommend the FUBAR wargaming rules, and signing up to their FB-group. If you haven't tried these rules out, yet, I really recommend you to do.

Blog PostScript

My youngest son is autistic and is not interested in tabletop wargaming. He's very interesting in gaming characters though. While preparing for this game he came with some of his lates acquisitions and played following his own rules. -which I off course let him. In his game the robot (Metal Sonic) was the winner and the Terminators seemed chanceless.

Airfix 1/32 scale Railway Enthusiasts set - Making the set Airfix didn't

In some toy soldiers Facebook groups I follow there was a phenomenon of making AI-generated images of 'What-if' box art of 1/32 scale figure sets by Airfix, actually never made. This phenomenon was trending at the time I had attended 3 Railway Garden meetings in only 4 days, so I was heavily influenced by these impressions when making my contribution:

I also 'stretched' this phenomenon and challenge a little further by adding an image with a suggested content to my suggested 'what-if' Airfix box of 1/32 scale Garden Railway Enthusiasts:

These AI generated images by ChatGPT intrigued me to much that I imagined what these figures, if ever made, would look like beside Z-scale (1:220) or T-Gauge trains (1:450). I don't have any T-Gauge trains (yet), but I do have a starter set of Märklin Z-scale. There was only one way to actually find out, and that was to make the figures myself. So some suitable miniatures was scoured on Thingiverse, which I resized and 3D-printed to 1/32 scale /54mm:

I also found some engines and resized them to look right as garden trains for my 1/32 scale figures:

Then everything was given the simplest paint-job ever:

This is how my miniature garden railway enthusiasts in 1/32 scale looks beside a 1:220 scale train by Märklin. I wonder which scale this train will actually be in relation to the figures?

And here are a couple of video shorts running the train with my miniature garden railway enthusiasts:

 

This was a quick and fun little 'project'. What I'm going to use these hastily made miniatures for now I don't really know yet. Any suggestions?

Blog PostScript

As earlier mentioned, this Facebook phenomenon and challenge was initially about soldiers and  military sets. Last week when I posted a blogpost with some photos from a Norwegian model railway exhibition I'd been visiting, showing a Norwegian WW2 themed layout, Mark at the Man of Tin Blog 2 followed up with an epic blogpost on his Sidetracked blog on how this could be transferred to a wargame. Please have a visit on his blog to read about his ideas. One thing he suggests in his post is what kind of miniatures to substitute as 'WW2 Norwegians' in his wargaming ideas. Well, this blogpost was originally about Airfix What-ifs, so at least I can suggest the Box Art for Mark's Norwegians:

Army Men vs Zombies

This week it is Halloween, which originally is a celebration to 'All Saints'. In modern times and pop culture Halloween has focused more on 'to frighten evil spirits' and turned into a horror and gore related celebration. Anyway, by this time of year the shops are full of everything Halloween related merchandise, and the toyshops are no exception.

While visiting a toy store in Sweden (at the border just some 60km south from where I live) last weekend with my youngest son, I saw a 'new' bucket of soldiers. -And they were Halloween themed. The bucket was labeled "Zombie Hunter", "Marines vs Zombies", and "Zombie Battle Playset". It got my attentionand I took a closer look on it.

I haven't seen the Zombie figures before, but they looked somewhat chunky, 'cartoonish' and not so well proportioned. Since some of the Zombies was 'kids' they looked bigger than the 'Marines'. The 'Marines' on the other hand I've seen before, as they are identical to 'The Corps' futuristic army men looking like Starship Troopers. 

So, did I buy one? No. These almost 'Pound Store figures', were not at sale at 'Pound Store prices'. At £ 16,10 or $ 21,48 or € 18,41 for only 105 pieces I didn't think it was worth it. If I'm going to make an 'Zombie Army' for a future game, I'm considering converting some of these. I still have some 90+ unpainted 'Space Marines' left from a larger 'Bucket of Soldiers'. - So it's no danger for me painting my last miniature yet, hence Mark's latest blogpost at Pound Store Plastic Warriors.

These futuristic Army Men or Space Marines looks like they're made as 'Starship Troopers', but are very versatile and generic and can be used for everything from near future troops to various alien armies. The prone sniper looks like a present day soldier. Perhaps they even can be used for Warhammer 40k or Kill Team? They are notably smaller than regular 54mm figures. I've been using them to create a small section of 'V' - Visitors Shock Troopers and James at the Quantrill's Toy Soldiers have used them for making a Sci-fi Lizard Alien Army and more recently classic Space Opera Troopers. Please share a link in the comment-section if you have made your own versions of them.

However you celebrate it, Happy Halloween!