Railway Models for Colonial-era Gaming

Railway Models
for Colonial Gaming

Small Tank Engine
This small four-coupled steam engine is similar to those used in civilian and military construction projects, as well as in various industries, branchlines, and colonial lines. Duncan, one of Ertl's "Thomas the Tank Engine" die-cast miniatures, is the basis for the conversion.

Changes include: removing the face and creating a boiler-front from epoxy putty with a lock of brass wire; replacing the elongated buffers with round ones made with a hole-punch; clipping off the toy couplings; cutting the back wall from the cab and making a boiler backhead and gauge; repainting and weathering.

Converted by David.
Figure is a large 25, made by GDW.

Two of the several usable models from Ertl's "Thomas the Tank Engine" line of die-casts. These are Rheneas and Duncan, as they come from the card, except that smokebox doors made from thumbtacks have replaced the chubby-cheeked faces on the boilerfronts. With only slight modifications, both these engines are excellent gaming models of small industrial or branchline engines of the turn of the century. Duncan is the basis for the loco shown above.

This period photo shows Royal Engineers with a small steam locomotive. The picture is reproduced in The Colonial Wars Sourcebook by Philip J. Haythornthwaite, 1995, an excellent source of colonial-era information.

0-4-2 Locomotive and Train
This motley collection of 00-scale railway equipment serves as a mainline train in Ouargistan. Though the engine's British Railways livery is too late for the period (not to mention in the wrong hemisphere), it is a good size, and its lines are pleasing and seem typical of Britain's early-twentieth-century locomotives. Besides, Brit railway equipment is a bit elusive in Texas, so we can't be terrifically choosy. The locomotive is by Airfix.
Figures are Ral Partha's small 25s, painted by Max.

A beautiful 1:72 locomotive and cars for 25mm Colonial-era gaming is now made by Reviresco. The locomotive is an early twentieth-century tank-engine, and the cars are wonderful two-axle short-wheelbase freight types. A real boon to American gamers who find British equipment scarce at their local hobby shop.

German Train
This charming German period locomotive serves the Ostouargen Eisenbahn in German Ouargistan. When pulling Gen. von Himmelstupper's command carriage, it flies the War Ensign from staffs on the front striker plate. The engine is a Rivarossi 0-6-0 tank engine and the open waggon is by Marklin, both generously sent to the Major General by Bob Cordery. The command carriage is by Fleischmann. All have been lightly weathered with acrylic craft paints.
Figures are Ral Partha's small 25s, painted by Steve.

An armored train
used in Wolseley's 1882 Egyptian campaign.
The lead car carries a Nordenfelt (an inline gun, similar to the Gatling), manned by Navy gunners in straw hats. They are protected by plate-iron and sandbags. Sandbags are also hung along the engine's boiler and cab. The rest of the train carries 9 and 40pdr guns, a steam crane, two Gatlings, and a carload of Royal Marines.

Several pictures of this train appear in Tel El-Kebir 1882, Wolseley's Conquest of Egypt by Donald Featherstone, 1993, part of the excellent Osprey Campaign Series.

A Note on Model Railway Track for 25mm Gaming
HO (OO in Britain) model railroad track is available at any hobby shop, though it is cheaper and better at garage sales, especially when the bright brass track has oxidized to a dull brown and the shiny black ties have greyed and faded. Because space is so tight on a gaming table, Atlas 'Snap Track' 15"-radius curves are more useful than the more common 18"-radius, though it's worth having both. The 3-ft lengths of flexible track can be useful also.

For a truly bizarre colonial Indian railway, see this page on the Patiala State Monorail Tramway.

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