This is a model I just completed of a Thorneycroft Tartar No. 26 Wireless transmitter vehicle which housed a multi-channel telephone system as used by the 21 Army Group in France in 1944. A station consisted of two identical vehicles, one housing the transmitters and one the receivers and each towed a trailer, one carrying two 3.5 KVa Generators and the other the Yagi antenna systems for the No. 57 Wireless sets carried in each vehicle as a back-up. The model of the transmitter vehicle features the Matador models Thorneycroft which was much modified and it has the #7 Wireless house body which is totally scratch-built and features a complete interior. The 5 Ton GS Trailer was also scratch-built from Geoff Lacey plans. The figures are from Milicast and Dan Taylor Modelworks. Decals were courtesy of Pete Marshall, Aleran. My thanks go to Les Freathy for photos, Mike Simpson for his Trux information handbooks and advice and Mike Starmer for colour suggestions and WD number information. Dan Taylor also provided some swivel chairs from his Dorchester set for which I am very grateful. The interior was completed using a photo of the transmitters and furnishings from the website, Wireless for the Warrior which was extremely helpful and which also had a detailed photo of the #57 set mounted on the front wall. Incidentally, the transmitter instruments are 1/72 Aircraft instruments which look convincing if you don't get to close and can see the turn and bank indicators altimeters, etc. The interior vent slots were made with Archer Transfers vents and were perfect for the purpose. The bundle of tubes on the body floor are the tubular pole mast sections for the rhombic antenna. That apparently was where they were carried on this #7 body as opposed to on the side in a rack as on the #3 body. This one took quite a while to do but was fun and my profound thanks to all for their kind assistance. Hope you like it. Cheers, Neil
Now that is very nice. Non modellers may not appreciate the skill needed to achieve the level of interior detail. You would not normally find that on a 1/35 scale model. Mike
Thanks gents for your great comments and a special thanks to you Mike for all your kind assistance. Cheers, Neil
Having had a recent modelling session with my youngest which didn't go to well, I haven't made a model for a few years , I am seriously impressed with your skill & patience Neil.
Thanks Owen for your kind words. Persistence pays off so stick with it and your son will benefit as well. I have been doing this for a number of years now and I still seem to learn and improve along the way. Cheers, Neil
Neil, For the ignorant neophyte, could you explain in more detail what "scratch built" means in this instance? I'm curious as to the base materials. Beautiful work!
Hi Canuck (from a fellow Canuck - Ontario), That is a fair and good question. Scratch-built in modeling circles simply means, taking sheet, strip, rod, tube styrene plastic (made by Evergreen and Plastruct), wire, white metal, etc. and building a model from available plans and good period photos. There are usually some kit parts involved especially wheels which can be pirated from other kits, purchased from after-market suppliers or cast by fellow modelers. In this case a basic kit of the Thornycroft Tartar chassis/cab and wheels by Matador Models was used as a base. To illustrate, see attached photos taken during construction. In the first photo with all the components, the yellow parts are the kit parts and the wheels on the trailer are from an after-market supplier. There are a number of unseen parts such as axles and springs on the trailer also cast in white metal by friends. All else is "scratch-built" using the above mentioned materials....hope this helps. Regards, Neil
Brilliant stuff. Scratch building a 1/76 model is way beyond my modest abilities. My eyesight wouldn't cope to start with.
Thanks Kevin.....at almost 74 I'm blessed with fairly good eyesight so far but do use an Optivisor. Glad you like it. Cheers, Neil
Brilliant. Thank you. The photos really helped my understanding of the process. I haven't built a model in over 30 years but I once dabbled in the modification of existing kits. Not nearly at the level you have attained. I'm sure that most of the population do not have the patience, eye for detail and dedication to precision in order to do what you do. I'll guess that you are inveterate 'scrounger' for odd bits, parts and materials that you can incorporate in some future project?
Glad you found the photos informative. Yes, I'm always looking for bits and bobs and I'm fortunate to have a number of modeling friends in the UK who keep me in parts as needed. In turn, I post their model photos for them on other modeling sites as they are a little wanting with computer skills. Cheers, Neil
