BUILDING 3D-PRINTED MILITARY WAGONS
Many of us have favourite eras or topics on which we base our model railways. Mine are the railways during the Second World War in general, particularly the activities for the build-up and support of the D-day invasions of June 1944. This offers a myriad of strange but fact-based modelling opportunities – always with interesting backstories.
When I began, little was covered by mainstream ready-to-run or kit manufacturers. I suppose, for me, that only added to the attraction. Today, it is pleasing to see that many more models of this time are available, examples of which range from various Austerity locomotives, through the Quad and 50T Warwell ‘A’ wagons, all the way up to the ‘Boche Buster’ rail gun.
Not everything can be catered for this way, and the perverse side of my nature is often secretly grateful for this. I like the serendipity of stumbling across something different, then setting myself the challenge of building it from scratch, even if the resultant efforts are below the standard achieved by others more adept than I, or that can be purchased in a bag or a box. One such prototype I came across thanks to the World War Rail Study Group was a 12-wheeled tank transport wagon.
I am always on the lookout for new tools and techniques that can help me improve. One tool becoming more popular (and, most importantly, more affordable) are 3D printers. As my attempts at scratch-building the tank transport wagon using traditional tools and material came to nothing, I finally took the plunge at the start of the year and bought one.
This is the story of what I have done and learnt since then…
THE PROTOTYPE
Many will be familiar with the Warwell ‘A’ wagon now available in ready-to-run form. Rated to carry 50T, it was created with the
