Yawn.... Boy am I tired, but still kickin'. The idea came to me since San Antonio was hopping with military activity between 1913-1920, that I would create an interesting load with two artillery pieces of the period on a flat car. Fair enough, except that finding WWI vintage military equipment in HO Scale is non-existent! Off to the world of military miniatures. I was able to find a 25MM version of the 75mm US Army field gun. I think it will work. I'm not the most precise calculator of scales, so if anyone can help me out here. The gun comes in at just under 7 feet tall scaled out. The gun is the M1897 and M1897-A2 modeled after the famous French Canone de 75. I've tried to find dimensions of the gun, but I cannot. How frustrating. Can anyone help me with scaling out 25mm against HO Scale? Thanks, Manny
Manny - I posted this somewhere, but don't remember where. Try this: http://www.printmini.com/calc.shtml (25mm appears to be 1/72 scale - if I am reading the chart correctly - 8 ft 5 " HO)
Sherrel, I have that saved in my toolbar. It cannot calculate down far enough for that size (or I must be FUBAR'ing it). I'm sad because at 1/72 that is a little too big. Back to searching...
The cannon up above is too big. 25mm using the following formula comes out to: 1/68th scale. A 5'8" man is 1717mm. 1717mm/25 mm = 68.68 which is 1/68 scale. A 5'8" man is 1717mm. 1717mm/20mm = 85.85 which is 1/85 or 1/86 scale. I did find a 20mm model of the gun. It is made by SHQ Miniatures. It is BGF21. I bought one for $12 off eBay. Should be here in a few days. Hopefully it will fit and work. If it does, I will get 6 more, to put on three flat cars. Manny
You could get just one and model the rest as being covered with tarps. Styrene sheet and some tubing for the barrel. You could get the shape right by using the one actual piece for deminsions and cover the mock-ups with tarps made from tissue paper soaked in diluted glue. Just a thought but I'm cheap like that.
You may be cheap but that's not a bad idea. I love the idea of the artillery on flat car. What I don't want is a toy like appearance. I will try it Jim. Maybe, I will put a piece of that plastic crap (because I can't spell right now) we use to cover dishes with food over the gun, then the tissue paper, then hair spray, or glue, and see what takes hold. Olive drab paint and I can fake it, er, uh, improvise. LOL... But dang it, if I don't like the look of those old guns. It'd be a shame to cover them up!
Leave the actual gun model uncovered with the tarp blown off and caught around the bottom of the wheels or draped over the tail. Maybe a loose tarp tie-down rope hanging over the barrel. Model the tie downs used to secure the piece to the deck. Use fake shapes covered with tarps for the other five. That way you can show off a good, detailed weathered artillery piece and suggest 5 more for only $12. I'm not sure if they would've been covered for rail transport or not. Just throwing out some modeling thoughts. Sounds like you have a good idea.
