When I am on holiday I am always on the lookout for bits and pieces that I can use for wargaming ... and my recent cruise has provided me with some useful holiday 'souvenirs'.
In Stavanger, Norway, I found a model shop that had two ROCO Jagdpanzer IVs on sale ...
... whilst the museum in Alesund, Norway, had some very useful hut or shed-like buildings available. (The 15mm-scale Essex Miniatures figure is included in the following photographs to give some idea of the size of the various model buildings and vehicles.)
A toy shop in Blankenberge, Belgium, had lots of interesting vehicles produced by SIKU on sale, including four modern tanks (priced at €1.99), ...
... two diesel locomotives with an open-topped goods wagon apiece, ...
... and two steam locomotives, each of which had a passenger carriage. (Each set of a locomotive and piece of rolling stock cost €5.99.)
The ROCO Jadgpanzers will join the large amount of stuff that I have been acquiring for my Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War project. Because the shed/huts are pretty generic, I am sure I will find plenty of uses for them, and although the railway locomotives and rolling stock are designed to run on TT-gauge track, they will also be very useful. Buying the tanks was a pure self-indulgence, but they may well appear in a wargame at sometime in the future.
In Stavanger, Norway, I found a model shop that had two ROCO Jagdpanzer IVs on sale ...
... whilst the museum in Alesund, Norway, had some very useful hut or shed-like buildings available. (The 15mm-scale Essex Miniatures figure is included in the following photographs to give some idea of the size of the various model buildings and vehicles.)
A toy shop in Blankenberge, Belgium, had lots of interesting vehicles produced by SIKU on sale, including four modern tanks (priced at €1.99), ...
... two diesel locomotives with an open-topped goods wagon apiece, ...
... and two steam locomotives, each of which had a passenger carriage. (Each set of a locomotive and piece of rolling stock cost €5.99.)
The ROCO Jadgpanzers will join the large amount of stuff that I have been acquiring for my Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War project. Because the shed/huts are pretty generic, I am sure I will find plenty of uses for them, and although the railway locomotives and rolling stock are designed to run on TT-gauge track, they will also be very useful. Buying the tanks was a pure self-indulgence, but they may well appear in a wargame at sometime in the future.
I especially like the trains! I have seen Siku toy cars in the UK, so I'll keep a look out for these.
ReplyDeleteThis is a better haul than the traditional holiday souvenir tat! Nice stuff.
ReplyDeleteTim Gow,
ReplyDeleteThe trains do look very useful, and the steam locomotives and rolling stock will do very nicely for most wars from 1870 onwards.
All the best,
Bob
Lee Hadley,
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am very pleased with how much useful stuff I managed to find ... and that it was not too difficult to get hold of and was not too expensive either.
All the best,
Bob
I've seen a few Siku things around too. I'll have to keep a better eye on the toyshops I think.
ReplyDeleteTT is very close to 15mm, doesn't Peter Pig use this for his train models?
ReplyDeleteArquinsiel,
ReplyDeleteIn the UK most of the SIKU stuff I have seen on sale is their range of tractors and agricultural machinery. I have yet to find a shop that stocks anything like the full range of other vehicles that are in their catalogue.
All the best,
Bob
Nigel Drury,
ReplyDeleteAs fas as I know, you are correct.
TT-gauge is far more popular on the Continent than it is in the UK, and if I had had my wits about me I should have looked in the model railway shop next to Blankenberge railway station!
All the best,
Bob
I've mostly been looking for the "pickup truck" style stuff to use as technicals for Force on Force. I've managed to find a few nice ones around, but no SIKU. I was in Belfast yesterday and they oddly had a civvie Hummer that was in true 1/72 scale and waaaaay bigger than most of the rest of their stuff.
ReplyDeleteArquinsiel,
ReplyDeleteHaving looked through the SIKU catalogue, I can find a VW Amarok pick-up that might be of use if you are using 28mm-scale figures (Its number is 1443). It also comes in other versions as a towing vehicle with a trailer, as well as a Police and Fire Service emergency vehicle. I think that it is 1:57th-scale ... but this is not clear in the catalogue.
The Hummer does look big ... and I suspect that this range of SIKU models is not of a consistent scale.
Good luck with your hunt.
All the best,
Bob