None of my planned wargaming projects for 2024 actually required any new purchases this year, but on a Norwegian online marketplace I recently found an interesting lot of a collection of cheap looking toy soldiers/ army men. Since I could get the whole lot for $48,78/£38,40/€44,55 including shipping, not buying them was actually not an option. The market for new or used toy soldiers and army men is very limited in Norway, and lots like this are rare for a reasonable price.
So What did I get for $48,78/£38,40/€44,55???
First impressions was that there were various figures from various manufacturers in various scales. Most of them seems to be Hong Kong copies of Airfix' US infantry, German infantry and 8th Army. But there was some 'originals there as well.
There were 16 original 1:32 scale Matchbox German Infantry. Only one rifle and1 handgrenade was broken:
There were 44 Hong Kong copies of Airfix' German Infantry, 50mm-ish:
There were 48 Hong Kong copies of 40mm German infantry with helmets based on Airfix German infantry and Africa Corps:
The Africa Corps soldiers with helmets to the left, and their German infantry counterparts to the right. Very nice that the guy with the submachine gun finally had a weapon based upon a real one.
There were 37 Hong Kong copies of Airfix 8th Army, slightly smaller than their originals:
There were 20 Hong Kong Copies of Airfix US infantry, again slightly smaller than their originals...
...-But to same size as 13 similar figures:
In this lot there were also some few copies of Airfix American infantry in different small scales, closer to 40mm height:
There were also some very few single figures copied from the Airfix range:
And there were 3 casualtiesto similar scale as the 8th Army. I'm not sure who made the originals, as I've never seen these before. Anyone who knows?
At the bottom of the box there was also some 'casualties of play' I guess a couple of them can be rebased or used for conversions- or paint-tests.
There were also some vehicles, tanks and planes included in the lot. The gun, fortification and amphibious jeep are closer to the larger figures in this lot.
I think this was a good deal, and good value for money for almost 200 figures. As I initially said, I didn't actually need these new figures for any of my planned wargaming projects this year. -But, now as I got these extras, I've got a resource if I want to try out some figure conversions and some new wargaming scenarios, themes or periods. Too bad, it seems like Thor Sheil's salvaged website is 'down' again, so I can't access his section for 'troop substitusions' to see his suggestions for 'the 8th Army figures'. Anyone who remember or saved a screenshot of it?? Time will show.
2024 is still very new, and I'm impressed when I read other wargaming- and modelling blogs when I see how active many of those bloggers are all ready starting to realizing their plans for the new year. As stated in my previous blogpost I also have several plans for 2024, but my activity is merely up to the level of some of my fellow bloggers. Just before Christmas I read a fun meme on a Facebook-group I follow that the working space on our workbenches are usually very small, often just a few square inches, due to other projects, mess and general clutter we keep collecting there. -When I took a look at my own workbench, I recognized the meme as mine was just a mess after several projects in December. So I actually started this year not to realize any of my modelling plans, but to just tidy up my workbench, and hobbyroom/mancave in general as it was much needed. Now I don't think anyone who are reading this blog are very interested in reading about my cleaning, but now it was finally cleared some space to work on my planned 2024-projects. -So I'll share some images from my January workbench and those few projects I've barely started so far this year as teasers on what to expect on this blog in the time to come instead. More info on each one of them will eventually follow in own blog-posts as I don't want to reveal too much yet:
An overview of my workbench and current projects after I made space there for them
Another 'bucket of soldiers'??
What is this, or what can it turned into?? These still needs some more work, tweaking and adjustments before I'm happy.
Another Top Secret workbench-project just hiding away from the public, or is it crumbled household paper that's so useful for cleaning up spills etc???
And sometimes I try do do some smaller printer-jobs for my fellow MRC members in between my own projects.
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Well it's soon the end of the year and probably time to look back on the past year, and share some thoughts for following one.
This is not a big blog with a lot of blogposts or having a very large number of followers, but 2023 has been the most active year on this blog so far. Most of the readers are located in United States of America, followed by Singapore (!), followed by United kingdom. I'm not sure if there are so many actual readers from Singapore, or if it's some sort of web crawlers or search spiders located there?? Anyway, I appreciate all of you who are following it, reading it, and contributes with your comments. Especially thanks to all of you that have been promoting this blog and linking to it through your own blogs, Facebook pages or other websites. Even if my settings are set to be searchable by Google and search description added, I actually got few hits from Google (only 115 through whole 2023), and when I do it's usually just right after posting a new post. So, you're all responsible for this years growth of members and blogposts, which motivates me to follow up with more. - Thank you!!
2023 - Status
In 2023 I continued to review free downloadable wargame rules that can be played with ordinary Army Men, which I started to in 2022. It seems like 'Old school gaming' from for instance Donald Featherstone are more popular than other free rules reviewed in 2023. I've been playing a lot of the free rules I found and was personally keen to try out, and there are still some few free wargame rules I want to try out though.
During the year I developed my own 'home brewed wargame rules', Rules of Engagement, based on experience from these other free rules I've played so far. Even if I think they turned out to be playable and pretty good as I achieved a lot of my goals for it, I still thinks they need some further development. I also used a periodic version of these home brewed rules in combination with free paper miniatures for a prehistoric game.
This year I also reviewed a commercial wargame rule, Bolt Action, as I found a way to play it for free. I recognize a lot of game mechanics that can already be found in many of those free wargame rules already mentioned, but I liked the way Warlord Games have combined them in Bolt Action.
2023 was also the year I tried out to use AI for wargaming either to develop rules or using it as an AI-opponent. During the process I experienced that the use of AI in general is controversial, and there was obvious no exception among wargamers.
Some of the Free Wargame Rules I played in 2023
Summers in Norway are usually short with mostly nice weather, so during that time of year it's more tempting doing 'hobby stuff'outside. Since I'm into model railways as well, I finally got around to convert a LGB-starter set I've had for some while into a Narrow Gauge Military German Railway. Since it was a starter set there wasn't so many wagons to form a larger train, so I started up converting even more LGB-wagons I got cheap. Converting them and making credible loads for them took longer time that I've expected, and it kept me busy through the autumn and winter, and it looks like it will still keep me busy for a while.
During a running-session in a friend's garden early this winter I had a derailment which sent my German military LGB-locomotive into the ground, smashing the front of it. Luckily I wasn't running my Live Steam Locomotive at the time. Anyhow, this made me use more of my precious modelling- and gaming time to re-construct and getting it back in running condition again. Now I probably got a feeling what it's like to be into RC planes...
I added some more details like building plates, a hatch and grille to it while it was in the workshop.
This left me in a situation where I had less time for wargaming and writing battle reports of my games than I expected, and therefore less activity on my blog from late autumn. Until now recently when I've been doing some quick projects on winter and Christmas related modelling.
2024 - What to expect?
Because my military garden modelling and locomotive mishap seized most of my modelling time at the end of the year, it meant that there were a lot of my planned activity I didn't have time to do during 2023. So this gives a good starting point for 2024 though. I hope I'll manage to cover them all this time:
I plan to play and review at least one more new free wargame rules which you can find online and play with ordinary Army Men. If you have any suggestions, please post them in the comment section below.
Finish a G-scale rake of cars for my LGB Heeresfeldbahn.
Last year I played one of the first conflicts in history, so in 2024 I plan to prepare some figures and play one of the most recents conflicts in history.
I plan to prepare some miniatures and play at least one game of 'Fantasy Scenario' or probably also a 'Wild West Scenario' or both.
I plan to do another 'Print and Play for Free', but with another period and scenario this time.
If I can find a budget way to do it, I'll play another commercial wargame.
As summers are short and intense in Norway, I'll do some outdoor military modelling in 2024 as well. Perhaps make an UK-military rake for my Live Steam locomotive, or make my RC-boat look more 'Norwegian'.
Complete another indoor model railway layout.
-Time will show!
I hope all of you will keep following for updates through 2024 as well, and comment and share the blog's contents. I'm certainly looking forward to follow your activities in the coming year!
I had a splendid day out with my military G-scale trains in the snow today. The weather conditions were challenging with low temperatures, snow and ice causing slippery tracks and less than perfect running conditions. It was a bumpy ride. - Probably just like the real thing. I think this was most likely this year's last running session:
As this was probably the last running session of 2023, I would like to thanks my fellow MRC-members, who are all into different kind of prototypes and scales, but shares the most important; a common enthusiasm for railway modelling and in most cases the 'track gauge' too. I'm proud to be a part of this community and appreciate all their enthusiasm, courage and help. And a special thanks to the ones that hosts the very most of our running sessions; Astrid and Heine for your hospitality, great time and letting us run trains in your beautiful garden.
Heine usually posts a lot of pictures from the running sessions in his garden and post them on his model railway Facebook group. I recommend you to visit it and have a look.
Small layouts and 'pizza layouts', and especially those made to narrow gauge and H0e/ H0n30 in particular, have always intrigued me. Several members of my MRC, Gleng Modelljernbane Klubb, have made such narrow gauged pizzas in different scales and gauges. Many of them are seasonal layouts and have a Christmas theme, which inspired me and made me thinking for a while to make one on my own.
My wife made a chess-table by painting a chess-board directly on a table. I 3D-printed her some black and white chess-pieces to go along with the chess-table. After a long while the varnish started to turn yellow and flaking off, and the table didn't look so good anymore, and she was going to throw it away. I've said before; Throw away nothing - it might come handy some day. By coincidence the table was circular and an idea to convert it into a small seasonal micro-/pizza- layout was born. Luckily I had some Roco H0e/H0n30 starter set and some other narrow gauge stuff laying around. At this time there wasn't that many days left before Christmas, so there was not much time to loose.
Day 1
The original circular table with the 'chess-board':
I thought the outer rim looked to deep for the layout, so I cut 2 pieces of foamboard which I put inside, so the rim didn't seem so deep anymore:
I had a H0e-starterset which fitted the table nicely. The track were glued down to the foamboard with some few blobs of PVA here and there. -And then some obligatory test-running. I then weightet the track down and let the glue set overnight:
Day 2
Some small blocks of styrofoam was cut to shape as small hills, and glued down to the foamboard with PVA. Then the chuncks of styrofoam were covered with drywall plaster. Now everything needed to dry overnight again:
Day 3
Now everything was covered with a layer of white matte household paint, needing another evening to completely dry:
Day 4
At the craft shop they sells a lot of things for christmas-decorations these days. So in my local craft shop I found some 'snow paint', which was very thick and actually more like a paste. After covering the whole layout with this snow paste, I used the brush to stipple some texture into it. Inspired by a recent trip to 'Lommedalsbanen', a narrow gauge heritage railway in the forrest, I wanted to make a heavy snow scene. Now it needed to dry to the next day:
Day 5
Now it was time to plan the details to put on this micro layout. Firstly I drybrushed some trees with white craft paint and 'snow paint':
I wanted the layout to work as a candlestick for advent candles, so I placed some bases for led-candles too:
The station building is scratchbuilt by a friend and was salvaged from another H0e layout I'm currently reworking. I just gave it another color and a station sign:
The 'Stabbur' (storehouse) was also 3D-printed as is from Thingiverse. It was like a kit were you printed the different parts. Details like figures and vehicles I planned to buy in a model railway store, but it looks like I was a little late as almost every seasonal details were already gone and out of stock. So I bought some few they had left and 3-printed the rest.
The few I managed to buy:
The rest I 3D-printed (and painted):
The most observant of you may recognize the sleigh and the load (load #2); It's the same I scaled up for winter-service with my G-scale Heeresfeldbahn. Now I've scaled the same sleigh down to H0. The original STL-files at Thingiverse are made to about 28mm scale:
Day 6
Now it was time to bring everything together at the layout:
This is a military modelling blog and I usually include some kind of military presence on model railway layouts. Even if the main theme on this layout was 'Christmas', I included some memories from my own service.
I tried to replicate the temporary white paint used for winter camouflage on Norwegian vehicles back, as it did not turn out like a 'solid' white color, but somewhat more transparent.
Finally at display in our living-room for everyone to enjoy just in time for Christmas.
Scenery: Styrofoam covered with drywall plaster and Snowpaint on solid table
Control: DC analogue
Roadbed: None
Track: Roco N-scale track
Max grade: None
Minimum radius: 7 7/8" Backdrop: None Fascia: Original table edging
Conclusion
Often I read and hear that if you want to 3D-print small miniatures and details, only a Resin printer/ SLA-printer will do. I must say I'm surprised with the results from my Filament printer/ FDM-printer. My miniatures are not smoothed with filler and sanded as there were no time to do so this time. Mine are only printed and painted. Being cheaper than Resin printers, I think Filament printers are highly underrated.
I didn't plan to name this little layout, but as a Facebook-group I follow called 'Micro Layouts' planned to host a virtual model railway exhibition at Saturday the 23rd of December I decided to join.
-But again, then my little layout needed a name to participate. - So I named it: Svingen (which is Norwegian and means "The Turn", as the trackplan is in a constant turn)after a popular Norwegian Christmas tv-series for kids.
This was a quick and fun build, and it certainly motivates me do do another micro in the future.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
