From Armed To Armoured

Amoured CAr models By Nick Buxey

As part of our Evolution of the Tank series, we asked Nick Buxey to dig deeper into armoured trains and cars. Nick went wild and ended up modeling and painting more than 30 armoured cars, and compiling an extensive list of manufacturers. We didn’t have room to fit everything in the magazine, but here they all are, just for you!

A US Army ‘Duryea-type’ quadricycle, circa 1898, set against the Military Academy in Wisconsin. It mounts a Colt MG. Car is actually a converted De Dion Bouton by the French firm Huilor and bought via Ebay France. Figures are Clive Knight seated French Drivers from Tradition and converted with Old Glory heads.

Frederick Simms on his ‘Motor Scout’ of 1899. Quadricycle is based on Paul Hicks’s ‘Croydon Crusher, but with wire wheels from a Models of Yesteryear 1911 Daimler. Vickers-Maxim is scratch-built, replacing the kit’s original Vickers. Figure is from a Lledo ‘Day’s Gone horse-drawn vehicle driver.

An armoured Fowler B5 traction engine in South Africa, 1900. A fanciful scene, as they weren’t used in action like this! But they did pull wagons and heavy artillery pieces

A French civilian car in army service, with a St. Etienne MG in the rear compartment, circa 1904. Car is a die-cast 1904 Delauney-Bellville, made by French firm JMK Rami.

Scale Comparison! Austin/Austin-Putilovs (two in Russian service and one belonging to the Royal Tank Regiment) Left: HLBS Co. model (1/64th), middle: Copplestone Castings model (1/55th) right: Sloppy Jalopy model (1/48th)

A French-made Hotchkiss armoured car in Turkish service in 1909. The civilian car is showing the first attempts at true ‘armouring’. Another die-cast Delauney-Bellville, made by French firm JMK Rami, purchased via Ebay-France, but converted. Rear turret is plastic card. Hotchkiss MG from Ebor Miniatures, with plasticard shield added. Figures from Tiger Miniatures’ Balkan Wars range, but converted.

A British Army Model T Ford scout car of 1912, adapted to be an MG carrier. Car by Company B, but with some ‘surgery’ to lengthen the wheel-base. Figures adapted from Great War Miniatures & Tradition.

A Russo-Balt on the Eastern Front, 1914. Resin and Metal model by Scheltrum Miniatures. (‘Raised’ Rivets added by me). Figure by Musketeer Miniatures.

Belgian Minerva, painted in early war blue/grey.. Crew are also in early Belgian uniform. First Corps model with original wheels exchanged with wire wheels from a Die-cast model. Crew converted using Brigade Models’ and Woodbine Miniatures’heads and joined by a Brigade Models officer in sidecap.

A prototype Rolls Royce in Southwold, 1914, awaiting shipment to Belgium. Copplestone Castings, heavily modified. Artizan figure.

A Lanchester in RNAS service, 1915. Resin and metal model from the old HLBS range. Models are nice, but fit better with ‘true’ 25mm figures, as they equate to 1/64th scale.

Austro-Hungarian Junovicz, 1915. Resin and metal model by Tobsen77 of Germany.

Austrian Romfell, 1915. First Corps. Figures by Scarab Miniatures

A 1915 model Ehrhardt armoured car in Imperial German service. It had a crew of 10! I just included 6 to give the idea! Model is from Black Army Productions. Crew mostly conversions, using figures by Artizan, Brigade Games and Copplestone.

French White armoured car, 1916. Resin and metal model by Scheltrum Miniatures. Great to see one in 28mm and part of Scheltrum’s new ‘November revolution 1919’ range. I like ‘raised’ rivets, so these were added by me. Crew converted from Empress Spanish Civil War range, with Woodbine heads

Italian Lancia IMZ, 1917. Model by Force of Arms. (completely resin kit). Figures from Brigade Games.

British Rolls Royce, 1917. First Corps’ model of a late war RR, complete with chains on the wheels to cope with the mud!

Austro-Hungarian Romfell 1918. Another Romfell by Black Army Productions: this time in a late war setting. (Resin & metal). Figures by Scarab Miniatures

Company B late British Rols Royce with solid wheels. ‘Rivets’ added by me.

Lawrence leads his Bedouins into action atop a RR (‘had to do that one!) Copplestone Castings with wire wheels from a die-cast model

Company B’s RR Tender. MG swopped for baggage provided. Driver from Tradition, with Woodbine soft cap.

A huge Garford-Putilov armoured car, under the command of the Red army in Moscow, 1919. Model by Copplestone Castings. Figure is a converted Empress Miniatures SCW figure

A Russian Mgebrov twin-turret armoured car under the command of the Whites, 1919. Model by Copplestone Castings.

An Austin-Putilov, with Red Army special armoured car troops disgorging, 1920. Armoured car and figures by Studio Siberia, a Russian manufacturer.

A captured Izhorski-Fiat armoured car, in use by the Freikorps, Berlin, 1919. Model by Copplestone Castings. Figures by Hecker & Goros (converted 1/48th), Scarab (converted) and Copplestone (converted)

A Lancia armoured truck careers through Dublin, manned by tough ‘Black & Tans’. Vehicle and figures by Musketeer Miniatures. Anti-missile cage is brass-etched mesh.

An Irish Loyalist Model T Ford (c.1920), armed with a Colt MG. Model T Roadster is a 1/48th scale white metal kit by Wiseman Model Services from the USA. (Ebay) Figures converted from Musketeer Miniatures. Colt MG from Tiger Miniatures

A captured 1915 model Lancia being used by Freikorps troops in 1919 Berlin. Model by Copplestone Castings, with small turret and front wheel covers added by me. Figures by GWM and Copplestone.

A Ford Model T in Polish service (c.1920). Model by Company B

MANUFACTURERSOFEARLYARMOUREDTRAINS

ANDARMOUREDCARSUPTO1920,BYSCALE

1/32 1/35 25­28mm

(1/64,1/56,

1/55,1/48)

20mm(1/76,

1/72)

15mm 10mm

(1/144)

6mm(1/300) 3mm(1/600)

ArmouredTrainsandTrainsSuitableforConversion

Trumpeter CompanyB(RCW

&Colonial)

Unimodels

(EasternEurope)

PeterPig Irregular

Miniatures

Redoubt

Enterprises(ACW

&Colonial)

FiveStarModel

kits

OddzialOsmyof

Poland

DixonMiniatures

(ACW)

ArmouredCars(includingSteamPunk/VictorianSci­Fi)

ScaleLink Major

Models

(Russia)

FirstCorps/

CurteysMiniatures

ITFigures

(Lancaster

Games)

Minifigs

(Caliver

Books)

Pendraken Irregular

Miniatures

King&

Country

Roden SloppyJaloppy Raventhorpe Irregular

Miniatures

Wargames

South

Scotia

JohnJenkins

Designs

Model

Victoria

(Italy)

Copplestone

Castings

Reviresco/Tin

Soldier(USA)

HeroicsandRos

Panzershop

(Czech)

Scheltrum

Miniatures

SecondCity

Games

Resicast CompanyB(USA) ReiverFigures

Recon

Models

Tobsen77

(Germany)

ConvoyModels

LouStener

Models

BlackArmy

Productions(USA)

Retrokit

ArmoJadar

Models

OldGlory

Corporation(USA

/UK)

Solfig(France)

(Milicast)

JMGT SiberiaStudio

(Russia)

MatadorModels

FiveStarmodel

kits

HLBSC(A/CsNo

longerproduced)

PlanetModels

TracksandTroops

Ironclad

Miniatures

(Steampunk)

BrachModels(Ex

Mr.Panzer)

BlackPyramid

(Steampunk)

MGM(Europe)

WespeModels

Matchboxdie‐cast

(1/64RollsRoyce)

W Dmodels

DeAgostiniCriel

Model(1/43

LanciaIZM)

AMC

MoscowModels

Die‐cast

AirCzech

ModelTrans

DenBels

(Holland)

Model‐Krak

(Poland)

Retrotracks

Extra‐Tech

B.U.M(Spain)

IlPrincipeNero

(GiorgioBriga)

(Italy)

CromwellModels

(RollsRoyceA/C)

MANFACTURERSOFINTERWARPERIODRANGESUSEFULTOEARLIERPERIODS

PlusModel ForceofArms Frontline FlamesofWar

(Armoured

Train)

MuttonChop

Miniatures

MatadorModels

Musketeer

Miniatures

UMMilitary

Technics

(Ukraine)

Empress

Miniatures

Armageddon

Reiver