Andy's Pulp misadventures...

[Andy in Germany]

Another vehicle conversion. For a car-free hippy I sure seem to be making a lot of these:



Recently we added a police car and getaway car to the Tabletop motor pool, so I decided the next obvious addition is a bullion truck.


Ascension Island is a mere 88km², or 34 Sq. miles, surrounded by several thousand square miles of Atlantic Ocean. A Bullion truck may seem a bit superfluous in the circumstances, but our version of Ascencsion in 1937 has become an international trade and diplomacy hub connecting South America and Europe. As such it is full of celebrities, politicians and millionaires, which of course means hotels, casinos and banks, which have to transfer cash safely; not to mention artworks, jewellery, and miscellaneous devices to take over the world.


It almost sounds feasible if you say it quickly.



This is an Italian made 1:43 scale model of a Russian vehicle. This time it is a snowplough and gritting van which doesn’t look very comfortable driving this through the streets of Leningrad must have been rather unpleasant so an upgrade was certainly called for.

The original plan was for a simple repaint, but as usual I got carried away and decided it needed to look more bulky and solid. I filed the back flat and added a thick plastic box to give it a bit more bulk, and of course a really solid looking door to protect whatever mysterious cargo is inside. I also added another step for some ne’er do well to stand on while trying to break in.



Unfortunately a hundred years ago security vans were mostly a rather boring black colour. Wanting a bit more variety I noticed that one of the biggest US based companies paints their trucks in red and black, so I decided they have the “contract” for Ascension and pre-dated this colour scheme.



Of course, bull bars were not invented in 1937, or about thirty years after for that matter, but with all the other ‘inaccuracies’ this is just another to add to the list. Besides, the Bullion Van is entirely likely to share a table top with a steam powered mono-wheel at some point., which should distract historical purists.

[CapnJim]

I like that truck.  Maybe the fellas who added that push bar were just ahead of their time....

[snitcythedog]

Outstanding box build and the paint is spot on. 

[Doug ex-em4]

Great looking conversion on the van (I’m calling it a van rather than a truck, not that it matters). Very nice work resulting in a good looking, unique model.

What did you make the hinges from on the "solid looking door"?

Doug

[Grumpy Gnome]

That truck looks brilliant. 👍

[Andy in Germany]

Many thanks for the encouragement. I've got several other models waiting for when I have time; I find these projects very relaxing when I'm having a busy week.

What did you make the hinges from on the "solid looking door"?

They're just three pieces of plastic, cemented at right angles. I make them roughly, glue them onto the door and file a curve at the 'pivot' so they look the part. Waiting until they're stuck down means I'm not holding tiny fiddly bits of plastic.

[Moriarty]

Without wishing to add to your work load, have you considered a secret submarine pen for your island empire?

[Andy in Germany]

Without wishing to add to your work load, have you considered a secret submarine pen for your island empire?

Hmmm... An interesting idea and I could well imagine it later in the story; thank you. I'll add it to the list.

[Doug ex-em4]

Hmmm... An interesting idea and I could well imagine it later in the story; thank you. I'll add it to the list.

Mak it so….!

Doug

[Andy in Germany]

Funnily enough I was listening to a podcast today about the murder of one Sir Harry Oakes in the Bahamas in 1943. One curious pert of the story os that the Governor of the Bahamas prevented local police from investigating and brought in two US officers he knew, who tried to frame Oakes's son in law with badly fabricated evidence.

The governor of the Bahamas at the time was of course Edward Windsor, formerly Edward the VIII, king of the UK and well known Nazi sympathiser.

At the time, apparently, there was a suggestion that Oakes was murdered because he knew too much. A wealthy Swedish businessman owned a local island and had spent millions putting in drainage canals. There was a rumour that these were U-boat pens, in preparation for the Nazi invasion of the US (they weren't, but it made a good story)

I am now sitting here trying to find a not too obviously contrived way for this businessman to instead fund submarine pens on Ascension for...um... submarines loyal to Edward to engage in "punitive operations" aka piracy...

[Andy in Germany]

My Christmas present from the UK has arrived. Very fast delivery and no customs issues; thanks Eureka Miniatures.



This may cause some distraction...

[Andy in Germany]

I built a “Power Station” for tabletop games a few months back, and mention was made of some kind of generating machinery to be made for the inside, preferably of a large, looming, and ominous nature to form the main power supply for the Island/town/mad scientist’s secret laboratory with all the potential for shenanigans this entails.

This is supposed to be the main steam boiler. My knowledge of these things is limited to the understanding that boilers tend to be round and can go bang is not properly supervised, but I’m assuming the thinner pipe will be the steam pipe to the dynamo which will have a connected control panel, random wires, and overly large insulators.

Of course it will also feature a Big Red Lever for a mad scientist to command his minions to throw, probably while screaming “Fools! I’ll destroy them all!”

[flatpack]

Great job.
Keep up the good work.

[Moriarty]

We could talk about single, double and triple expansion steam engines if you want, but it would go on for some time :-‘

[CapnJim]

That steam boiler looks good.  Do you have a huge coal bin to feed it, and a couple dudes with shovels?