Sunday, July 28, 2013

Fun at the toy soldier table

The nephew was over for a couple of days.  Here's what he left in his wake:


Federals advance...




 and form line of battle.




 Confederates respond with artillery.




The butcher's bill.



Who says kids won't unplug?



That kid's a good egg.

Soldier On!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Post and rail fence in 54mm




 I found myself with a little time on my hands, it being too hot to work outside, so I decided to turn my attention to finishing up the fences on my 54mm road.



The post-and-rail fence is constructed just as the actual ones are with wooden uprights, holes augered through them, and the ends of the rails resting in those holes.



Scraps of poplar, pine, and mahogany went into the construction of the fences.



This post-and-rail construction is typical of the turnpike fences of this region during the Civil War.



Here's one a portion of fence on the historic Hagerstown Pike which passes through 
Antietam National Battlefield...


and here's its little brother.




The  Mumma farm lane as it appears today...


 

and as it appeared...


on September 17, 1862.



Good fences make good neighbors, so say the grouchy neighbors anyway.

Soldier on!

Mannie

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Played with...a casual post

Here are the childhood soldiers of the father of a friend of mine.  I think loss of paint indicates a much beloved set of soldiers.


A Barclay anti-aircraft truck.  Sadly the crewman in the rear has lost his head.  A casualty of bedroom floor combat no doubt.



A fairly crude gray iron  indian and horse.



A Barclay machine gunner in very good condition and his friend (who once had a separate helmet) who is much the worse for wear after running back and forth for ammunition.



A helmetless artillelryman on the left and a stretcher bearer on the right.



Two gray iron doughboys



a gray iron bugler and a Barclay flag bearer.



A hollowcast crazy rootin' tootin'  six-gun shootin' bowlegged cowpoke has just blown into Dodge.



Two iron pirates with mischief on their minds.



A Barclay drummer.



Three iron doughboys home from the front.



A Barclay cadet with little paint left; how many demerits for that one must wonder?



His classmate equally worse for wear.



A knight of old in very nice condition.



A Barclay carrier pigeon soldier, helmet detached and apparently with a head wound.



An iron cop, or prison guard for keeping ne'er-do-well soldiers in the stockade.