« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Steam Landship  (Read 536 times)

Offline Buzzbomb

  • Low Concentration Span, oft wanders betwixt projects
  • Accurate Scale representations of fictional stuff
    • Club and my stuff site
Steam Landship
« on: February 01, 2026, 04:11:53 PM »
So just back from our club Modellers Retreat Build weekend. As always, dedicated building time gets a lot done. A couple of builds are relevant to Whiffer world, with one, being a Centurion based Stridsvagen 104 teetering on the edge as it just an out of the box build at the moment while some thinking time is done.

But on topic is exploring a steam powered Landship using the Hobbyboss St Chamond, which was aquired for just such a purpose.


Not much deviation from the out of the box build, until the very end, which after a sit and stare session led to deciding to actually go the What If path.
So first up a couple of Stacks, to get the creative process underway


For me, the current gun fits in my Steam(punk) ish timeline, so that can stay. However the various machine guns are being replaced with something that looks a bit more gatling like.

As a bit of info, the construction for the majority of the time spent to get to this stage for this kit was on the suspension and running gear, which is quite complicated, and I have to say appears to be quite complete as to what the real thing was like. Not that you ever see it unless you display it turned upside down, which would make a pretty specco diorama.


More to come, mojo is high. Next will be things like flywheel housing, some nice fillegree lacework perhaps and other stuff as it happens.
I suppose I need to glue some gears on it to call it Steampunk   ;D




Logged

Offline Mig Eater

  • Munch, Munch, Munch
    • Mig Eater Studio
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2026, 08:04:02 PM »
Those smoke stacks look like the ones on paddle steamers, are you going to add a paddle wheel to the back and make it an amphibious tank :P
Logged

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2026, 10:09:34 PM »
You need to get a bit pre-Dreadnought & put a couple of offset Renault FT turrets on the top deck.  ;)
Logged
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Buzzbomb

  • Low Concentration Span, oft wanders betwixt projects
  • Accurate Scale representations of fictional stuff
    • Club and my stuff site
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2026, 12:55:13 PM »
Quote from: Mig Eater on February 01, 2026, 08:04:02 PM
Those smoke stacks look like the ones on paddle steamers, are you going to add a paddle wheel to the back and make it an amphibious tank :P
Yes they do, for exactly that reason. ;) And no ;D

work on the flywheel housing which would lead to some sort of gearbox and then to the chaindrive.


Time for a bit of scale-o-rama methinks.. 1/48 it is.


Is it just me who thinks it needs some weird wheel gizmo up front ?  Probably just me  ;)



Logged

Offline Mig Eater

  • Munch, Munch, Munch
    • Mig Eater Studio
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2026, 01:47:34 PM »
Quote from: Buzzbomb on February 03, 2026, 12:55:13 PM
Time for a bit of scale-o-rama methinks.. 1/48 it is.

Oh wow I always thought the St Chamond was a lot bigger, the 1/35 figure looks like he could barely fit inside :o 1/48 looks more like what I'd imaged the size to be.
Logged

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2026, 05:39:48 PM »
Quote from: Mig Eater on February 03, 2026, 01:47:34 PM
Quote from: Buzzbomb on February 03, 2026, 12:55:13 PM
Time for a bit of scale-o-rama methinks.. 1/48 it is.

Oh wow I always thought the St Chamond was a lot bigger, the 1/35 figure looks like he could barely fit inside :o 1/48 looks more like what I'd imaged the size to be.

Same here!  :icon_surprised:

I guess it's the images that are shown of it looking huge, & looming, & menacing.  :-\
Logged
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline raafif

  • Is formally accused of doing nasty things to DC-3s...and officially our first whiffing zombie
  • Whiffing Insane
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2026, 07:17:42 AM »
Quote from: Buzzbomb on February 03, 2026, 12:55:13 PM

Time for a bit of scale-o-rama methinks.. 1/48 it is.


Is it just me who thinks it needs some weird wheel gizmo up front ?  Probably just me  ;)

I think 1/72 would be even better for a "Landship".

It does have a roller up front underneath but a single short track out front like the Bullock tractor would be neat.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2026, 07:19:22 AM by raafif »
Logged

Offline finsrin

  • The Dr Frankenstein of the modelling world...when not hiding from SBA
  • Finds part glues it on, finds part glues it on....
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2026, 09:49:48 AM »
I like landships  :smiley:
Go with 1/72.
Logged

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2026, 11:55:08 AM »
In that case you need some serious turrets on top! Maybe even set into the sides like the USS Arizona.
Logged

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2026, 07:01:12 PM »
Quote from: Kerick on February 04, 2026, 11:55:08 AM
In that case you need some serious turrets on top! Maybe even set into the sides like the USS Arizona.

That'd be "in sponsons like USS Arizona".  ;)
Logged
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
  • Alt Hist AFV guy with a thing for Bradley turrets
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2026, 08:16:00 AM »
Loving it, lots of polished teak and brass!  :-*
Logged
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!

Offline Dr. YoKai

  • Was in High School when mastadons roamed the plains...
  • A notorious curmudgeon who is partial to...hemp!
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #11 on: Yesterday at 08:01:17 AM »
I am intrigued. 1/48 will work-any smaller and you'd have to start really modifying the doors and hatches. What about a flying bridge with a couple of Nordenfelts?
Logged

Offline raafif

  • Is formally accused of doing nasty things to DC-3s...and officially our first whiffing zombie
  • Whiffing Insane
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #12 on: Yesterday at 08:47:44 AM »
Not sure about this pic - the St Chamond looks VERY small compared to the FT-17 (maybe photoshop) :-\
Logged

Offline Buzzbomb

  • Low Concentration Span, oft wanders betwixt projects
  • Accurate Scale representations of fictional stuff
    • Club and my stuff site
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #13 on: Yesterday at 02:10:41 PM »
Thanks for the interest and support.
I think that boxy tank in the RAAFIF image is actually a Schneider CA tank, which is even smaller again than the St Chamond.

So this session got some things done, overall shot
I am going to go with some front wheels to give a point of difference, so that will be built up next session. These are from the Takom Mk1 Tank, which I am using the spare bits as a quarry for this.
First up.. the anti Infantry fence experiment was dismal style failure. Only white glued on so no damage. Off that stuff comes. Some of it may get a re-run in a more ornate, filligree role maybe
I did fail to resist the urge to "glue some gears on it and call it Steampunk", they are there, but to my eye pretty much blend right in.


Gatlingish Machine Gun experiment of rod around a piece of hex goes alright as far as I am concerned. More of those to get done. Also a bit of exterior bizzo, the axle mount for the flywheel


Main effort was getting some steamy, engine business going. So rivetted up the flywheel housing, added a whistle, the whirly ball thing you sometime see on traction engines. Also some handwheels to lower the stacks for getting under stuff/transport.. who knows.  Cables still be added for that. Various other HO/OO railway  bits and bobs I have. Put on some stay cables for the stacks as well.



So there we have it so far.


Logged

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #14 on: Yesterday at 03:04:45 PM »
 8) :smiley:
Logged
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Mig Eater

  • Munch, Munch, Munch
    • Mig Eater Studio
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #15 on: Yesterday at 05:57:56 PM »
I like were this is headed, its reminding me of the steampunk stuff from the Wild Wild West film.

Logged

Offline Frank3k

  • Excession
  • Global Moderator
  • Formerly Frank2056. New upgrade!
    • My new webpage
Re: Steam Landship
« Reply #16 on: Today at 02:20:13 AM »
This looks fantastic! I was thinking a bridge for the commander (with some voice pipes) would look appropriate
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »