My wife and I decided to take a break from sorting out the conservatory, and took a trip to Herne Bay for lunch and a bit of light retail therapy. We had a very good lunch of fish and chips in a cafe on the seafront, and on the way back to the car I paid a visit to the newsagent's shop in Mortimer Street. It used to sell all sorts of toys and odd modelling bits and pieces, but it has now changed hands and all of their remaining stock is on sale for half price.
In amongst the racks of stuff on sale were two model 54mm-scale Gatling Guns. They were packaged under the Toyway brand and seem to be replicas of a model that was originally made by Timpo. At £2.49 each they were a real bargain ... so I bought both!
The models are a bit 'tender', and bits seem to fall off them when you look at them, let alone use them, but I suspect that a dab or two of superglue will fix that ... and then I can field them with my FUNNY LITTLE WARS armies.
I particularly like the fact that the tops of the ammunition boxes on the carriage axle tree lift up to provide a shield for the gunners. I know that this was a feature of the Maxim Gun carriages used by the British Army but was unaware of them being fitted to Gatling Gun carriages.
In amongst the racks of stuff on sale were two model 54mm-scale Gatling Guns. They were packaged under the Toyway brand and seem to be replicas of a model that was originally made by Timpo. At £2.49 each they were a real bargain ... so I bought both!
The models are a bit 'tender', and bits seem to fall off them when you look at them, let alone use them, but I suspect that a dab or two of superglue will fix that ... and then I can field them with my FUNNY LITTLE WARS armies.
I particularly like the fact that the tops of the ammunition boxes on the carriage axle tree lift up to provide a shield for the gunners. I know that this was a feature of the Maxim Gun carriages used by the British Army but was unaware of them being fitted to Gatling Gun carriages.
A bargain indeed- I look forward to seeing it in action...
ReplyDeleteHope they don't get jammed after the superglue!
ReplyDeleteThe sand of the desert is sodden red,
Red with the wreck of a square that broke;
The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel dead,
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed his banks,
And England's far, and Honour a name,
But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks:
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
They look very useful - a great find !
ReplyDeleteTradgardmastare,
ReplyDeleteI suspect that unless I manage to set up FUNNY LITTLE WARS battle myself, they will not see action until COW.
All the best,
Bob
Jim Duncan,
ReplyDeleteVitai Lampada is one of my favourite poems.
All the best,
Bob
PS. Do you know who the colonel was ... and that it was a Gardner Gun and not a Gatling a Gun that jammed?
Mosstrooper,
ReplyDeleteThey will add some much needed firepower to my FUNNY LITTLE WARS armies.
All the best,
Bob
Hurrah for Burnaby !
ReplyDeleteHi Bob, Yes and Yes, to answer your questions.
ReplyDeleteJim
Conrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteAward yourself a prize! You are absolutely correct!
All the best,
Bob
Jim Duncan,
ReplyDeleteWell done! 10/10 for giving two good answers to two badly framed questions!
All the best,
Bob
A good find.
ReplyDeleteI had a tempo version but never used it because it was too big for my old, old Britain's but it should work well with the newer ones and AIP.
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteThey are a little on the large size and remind me of the 1-inch calibre Gatling Gun that is in show at the Royal Artillery Museum or the 37mm Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon at Fort Nelson near Portsmouth.
All the best,
Bob