Modelling World War 1

[zak]

I need to add the chains and paint the base.
Thanks for the comments.

You may have noticed a sub-theme amidst the First World War, or maybe not.

I have been reading about the early attempts to develop the tank and decided to try to model some of the experimental vehicles that led up to the creation of the tank.
The Tritton Trench Crossser was a dead end, the RNAS and the Landships Committee investigated a few alternatives.
All the parts were there for a tank but it just needed putting together into one viable vehicle.
Armour plate had been developed for armoured cars, tracked vehicles were being developed, but mainly for agricultural purposes.
The stalemate of trench warfare meant that some kind of armoured trench crossing machine was needed. The machine gun was proving extremely effective and so the armour was required to get men into action. Armoured cars were ineffective in the muddy conditions.
Most earlier designs involved large machine that would carry guns and many men, the term "Landships" must apply to these, the Navy had armour plate but it was far too thick and heavy.
So the tracked vehicles were imported from the USA and evaluated and tested. It is these vehicles that I have been building.
Why the Holt artillery tractor did not play a more significant role I do not know?
So The Killen-Strait tractor and The Tritton Trench Crosser were but two of many machines tested.
The Bullock - Creeping Grip tractor will be next to be modelled I think. Two different versions of this were tested, well three really as two were linked together at one stage.
It was the Bullock tracks that were first ordered and used for The Lincoln No1 Machine, later to become Little Willie. The tracks were similar to those on the Holt.
In Britain although agriculture was well developed, tracked machines did not seem to sell very well, maybe this is why US machines were tested?

[Wizzel]

Well done on that base - the picture certainly does paint a thousand words - and will keep you to your two minutes narration when talking about it at the meeting.  I keep saying this but I continue to be amazed at the variety of vehicles in use 100 years ago!!!

[zak]

I have added the chain, some touching up and weathering to do now.
The chains were from Boyes - 60p for a metre, bargain.

[Bigkev]

Hi Zak,
Msea will love you!
Cheap as chips!!
Well done, a very nice build.
Bigkev

[zak]

Yes, anything cheap for Martin.
I have a couple of figures to paint and add to the diorama, these are white metal from Scale Link, not as detailed as Tommy's war but they will have to suffice.

[zak]

Well it is posed on the base, but I don't like the figures I have so I will jus have to try to find some better seated WW1 personnel I suppose. It is not going to look right posed half way across and no one on it.

[zak]

Almost finished, weathering I suppose and a coat of matt varnish to seal it all in.
The figure is just to give you an idea of the size.

[zak]

Well the Bullock creeping grip Tractor is proving quite elusive, I have some plans and the odd reference and photo, but not much information really.
I will build the less powerful version first, this was a 30/50hp machine and named the "Senior". An example was tested at Greenhithe and so was often referred to as the "Greenhithe Machine".
It had a 4 cylinder L head petrol engine, it was water cooled by a conventional radiator at the front. The driver sat in the centre, the fuel and water tanks being behind him. The track bogies at the rear were very similar to those on the Holt. At the front was a pair of 40 inch diameter wheels to aid steering. The tractor had a three speed transmission, it was 18ft long and 8ft wide, the tracks were 20 inches wide.
I found some plans to 1/76nd (4mm = 1ft) in the Tankette magazine from 1979 and scaled this up to 1/32nd scale (9.53mm = 1ft).
The construction process will follow my usual routine.
I have constructed one drive gear and will cast the others from this. The curved "spokes" for want of a better description were a notable feature of the tractor.

[Roger]

curved spokes, sounds like an 80s Yamaha to me!
R

[zak]

I remember them well, but I never had one.

[MSea]

Well Zak and Kevin -- it might be cheap, but unlike my models it is excellent and shows true quality.

[zak]

You're making me blush!

[zak]

Engine under construction here.

[zak]

Radiator and front wheels.

[zak]

More progress on the rear track units.