Build budget war wagons

Inspired by the armoured defence trains that patrolled the coast during the Second World War, Alan Rowlands built his own armoured wagon. Here’s how he did it.

Ihad no intention of including any military models on my layout until I saw Oxford Rail’s superb rail howitzer in my local model shop. I had to have one… and that has led me to delve into the fascinating world of military railways and operations during the Second World War.

Another train that took my eye was the armoured defence trains designed to help protect coastal areas from invasion. These trains comprised open wagons hastily turned into gun carriages with an EX-GER 2-4-2T marshalled in between. Initially manned by the Home Guard, they seemed wonderfully Dad’s Army. You couldn’t imagine one of these trains doing much to stop an invading German battalion!

I like my projects to be as economical as possible and so

I decided that old Lima ‘HO’ wagons, which you can find for under £10 online, offered the perfect basis for the two gun carriers at each end of the train. I used Lima’s four-wheel container wagon (with two containers) and its freelance long-wheelbase four-wheel van, which Norman Wisenden has for sale for just £5 (www.norman wisenden.co.uk). I also decided to see what materials I had laying around at home and decided that an old aluminium drinks can could be recycled to make the moving shields that protected the gunners. The can was easy to cut with a stout pair of scissors, although some snips would arguably be better.

I also used some old window lead, not only to add weight to the vehicles but to make the gun mount too. Lead strip is very flexible and will give your models a good bit of extra heft but I do need to remind you that it’s a hazardous material. Wear gloves and wash your hands after handling it.

You can, of course, use ‘U’-shaped plastic section and plastic card instead of aluminium but I was on a mission to recycle as much as possible, in order to produce my wagons.

Above: One of the armoured coastal defence trains with my economical take on the subject. The two gun cars are made from Lima ‘HO’ wagons, the four-wheel open wagon is a repainted Lima model and the locomotive is a repainted Hornby-dublo ‘R1’ 0-6-0T. Left: All ready to defend the coast! Don’t forget to paint your model soldiers. I prime them first, apply the khaki green uniform and then highlight the flesh and other details.

If you choose to start with the container wagon, first cut a segment from the tension lock coupler to shorten it.

Using either the long-wheelbase van or container wagon, remove the van’s roof or the top of the container and then, with a razor saw, remove a corner segment approximately 3cm by 1cm deep.