IHMN: The Salamander Fire Insurance Company

[Craig]

In the late 19th century many Fire Brigades are independent contractors. They go around a district selling insurance in the form of their services. If you pay them they put their symbol on your building. When a building catches fire several crews might turn up and most will then leave when they realise it isn't one of their customers.

In some areas competition between the Brigades is very fierce and their service often becomes a protection racket. Some members of the Brigades secretly set fires in the premises of people and businesses that have refused their insurance or who are paid up to a competitor.

The Salamander is by far the largest and most aggressive Fire Insurance Brigade in North London. Its men are more than willing to commit arson, extort 'insurance' payments, rob burning buildings, intimidate other brigades and attack anyone who gets in their way.

The full listing for this company is in the Bonus Materials section of the blog.

[H.M.Stanley]

Sounds like something straight out of Gangs of New York. That applied to this side of the pond too?

[FramFramson]

That's all old hat in any case. Pretty sure I recall Crassus made his hay in almost the exact same way in Rome so many centuries ago!

[Melnibonean]

Well, well... And I have a crew of Victorian firemen already painted. They've been waiting for a long while for some reason to take to the gaming table. I just need a steam powered fire cart.

[Poiter50]

Lledo do one? Ebay item 251195178032 .

Well, well... And I have a crew of Victorian firemen already painted. They've been waiting for a long while for some reason to take to the gaming table. I just need a steam powered fire cart.

[TimK]

Matchbox Yesteryear Y-04 was 1/63 scale 1905 Shand Mason - don't know how it compares to Lledo for size, or if there are any about at a reasonable price.
Tim

[Thunderchicken]

Don't forget Westwind are about to release one. Nice model it is too! 

[Conquistador]

That's all old hat in any case. Pretty sure I recall Crassus made his hay in almost the exact same way in Rome so many centuries ago!

Some elements of human history are "from the Fall" eternal...

Gracias,

Glenn

[chantyam]

Just when I was going for an original idea of a fire company based on a blast from my TV watching past ...buying 4 1905 Busch Self Propelled Fire Engine's off e-bay (Matchbox YS-43) standing and seated legs from Victoria Miniatures, torsos and heads from Curious Constructs (dress torso /life guard head) and scratching around for suitable "plain" "unarmed" arms to use along with "Fire" axes up this comes  saves me writing up some profiles though 
 
     





 

[The_Beast]

I know when I saw the description on TMP, 'gangs' was exact what I was thinking.

> I fear a bit of pilfering would not be considered an opportunity to be missed.
>
> Why am I thinking of the opening scenes of Copper?
>
>    '…most will then leave when they realize it isn't one of their customers.'
>
> But the Salamanders might even 'delay' the contracted lads, just to enhance their own offerings. ;->=
>
> I bring up pilfering because I like the idea of delivery of goods, and whatever brew up might entail.

Of course, the Yard could be trying to put the kibosh on this, or even local constabulary looking for their cut, but I really imagine the Tong or that darn Pharaoh looking for artifacts that our brave fire fighters don't even realize they have.

Doug

[Bullshott]

This just had to be done 

Brigade Games do these:

http://www.brigadegames.com/Victorian-FiremenFirefighting-Club-5_p_787.html

EDIT: Unlike these figures, British firemen would probably have worn heavy wool jackets like sailors' p-coats - which isn't really surprising bearing mind that many early firemen were ex-sailors, putting the damage control skills they learnt in the Navy into practice on land.

Although these figures have large fire axes, in practice only a few would have carried such, since you can't use your spare hand or, if you want to use two hands, you can't stick it in your belt. Their main weapon tool for this task in their former lives at sea was the boarding axe - looking exactly the same as a modern fireman's belt axe, but with a haft about 2' (60cm) long - as standard axe in IHMN.

[The_Beast]

"Stop interrupting my Hyborean dreams with your 'facts' and 'figures', man! "

Sorry, another quote from TMP on a totally different topic, and yet, so captures the feeling...

Roger, those who want to make sense, maybe take a couple, fill a company with sailors with small axes or buckets or ladders or...

However, we all know that the Salamanders are a different sort. Seeing themselves as the toffs of conflagration control, they carry the largest, most intimidating axes imaginable. Heck, I see them in the finest imported, German(?), heavy fire coats money can buy.

The better to stash 'saved' items...



Sorry, imagination = fevered.

Doug

[Bullshott]

"Stop interrupting my Hyborean dreams with your 'facts' and 'figures', man! "

Sorry, another quote from TMP on a totally different topic, and yet, so captures the feeling...

Don't get me wrong, I think this is a great idea and since this is VSF anything goes as long as it looks right (remember the comments about Thunderchicken's British artillerymen in RED?).

[Bullshott]

Early experimental colour film footage of this company has now been found:

[The_Beast]

Early experimental colour film footage of this company has now been found:

Oh, yes,  unmistakeably, those are the chaps! A rough and surly bunch they are, no?

And, I hope you understand, my dear fellow, I appreciate corrections and clarifications. Verisimilitude is our noble goal.

Mind you, I'm in no rush to have repainted all my inherited red-coated Brits. 

And, I shamelessly admit it, I will continue to watch, AND ENJOY, Ripper Street. 

Again, my thanks, Bullshott.

Doug