Emptying the Loft...

... and the storage above the wardrobe!

With the aid of #1 son (all 6'5" of him) we retrieved all my western collection from the rear Loft space (we have two lofts) and removed all the Western- related things from above my bedroom wardrobe (save for a couple of trains).
Here's the photographs of the result of the "great dust-down" (I'm pretty sure it was a health hazard).
On the right is a photograph of pretty much  all the collection, save what I've shown in several posts in the past.

Here's some more detailed photos:


My collection of  'brightly' coloured Apaches (only slightly blurry)

Fences and horses, but honestly your guess is as good as mine !

The upstairs of the "Big Hotel" (it never did get a proper name)

The more damaged downstairs of the "Big Hotel" (with random roof)

The "Timpo" barn.

Another "Timpo" log cabin

Adobe "Cantina" - scratch-built, but not by me!

Detail of the inside of the "Cantina" - my scratchbuilding

Another of my scratch-builds (obligatory blurry picture)

Corner Bank building, with offices upstairs

Haven't a clue what's underthis lot is, but that's a Scalextric hut in the top centre! 

Chinese takeaway ? - "Timpo" with added scratch-built extension 

More figures, mostly Britains with added Timpo (and a blue Airfix figure(Iirc)

Britains' ACW figures

Horses and lots of Westerners.

Another Britains' Cottage Look how clean the interior is thanks to it having a roof!

Blurry Westerner 'conversion' with Derringer

Random "Rice Crispy" band figures (I had about two dozen!

 And finally, for this post ,  my blue plastic toolbox (a little worse for wear and age)

All DnD figures from what I can tell, many different makes.

Before  I contemplate any restoration of any of the above, they'll all have to be dusted down and probably washed in luke-warm soapy water (maybe with a splash of disinfectant).

So that's it then for another week , hope you've found something of interest in another of my journies down memory. As always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated.

More Western Buildings (AB#6)

Having shown these buildings fleetingly a few posts ago, here they are in a little more detail.
The first up it the Livery Stable on the right, built from two "Britains" models to make the building a little larger; I merely added the two extra side walls and used half of the front insode the building to make another room.
Only one of the four roof pieces were present, but no doubt they'll be somewhere amongst the many other places my western stuff is stored.
The building is identical to the Britains' farmyard barn model (like a couple of others iirc).

The front (obviously)

Boring side view)

Aerial view (note the collapsed upper floor).

Some of the occupants, Timpo figures and a Britains' farmhand.

Next up is yet another, Britains' building, namely their Saloon, namely "the Silver Dollar". Scratch built upper floor and internals.

Very old (30+ years) and very, very dusty

Side view (with dust of course) and a missing roof!

Top floor, internal view (nothing downstairs!).

Two tables a rifle and a bed from upstairs

The final building I  retrieved from the loft is the Sherrif's cabin, much distressed from its long-term storage, but it is a snap-fit building and probably a Britains building, but may well be Timpo (it looks so cheap). As far as I can tell it's complete too !

Front view, as found.

Rear view

This buildings seems to have been used as storage for multiple bits from other buildings as removing the roof showed :

Aarggghhhh !

Sorting through the contents revealed :

A right mix of stuff !

Many doors from other buildings (note the high tech hinges)

A couple of figures and a window (who knows from where!)

The cell bed and a gun rack (both scratch-built)

The cell in situ.

The Silver Dollar sign !; four Britains  chairs, a Playmobil bucket and another chair
  

Every figure in town had to had somewhere to sleep, hence the amount of beds - just in case you were wondering ! These three buildings are typical of my mixed collection, I noticed at least two more whilst in the loft (one a part of a building I didn't recognise). I think I have at least another half a doze, a cantina, a hotel, the marshal's office and city jail, a bank and possibly another saloon that I can remember.

In the last week I haven't done a single thing hobby-related, no rules read, no internet research or searches, definitely no painting other than doing this post and storing my Zouaves, bothe of which were the first things I've done snce finishing my post last week. I doubt that comments on various  blogs and replying to comments on my own count !
I think I've found Frank's black hole !

Thanks for taking the time to visit, apologies for the miserable content, but as usual, your comments are still welcomed and appreciated.


Zouaves for the Sudan

Thankfully, this project has finally been finished; it started with a note on Egyptian Uniforms in the 'must  have' book "The Mahdist Wars Source Book  - Vol.1", edited by Patrick R. Wilson:
"Sudanese Infantry in Zouave Style dress. Red fez with white turban. light blue uniform w/yellow trim, red sash. Brown belt, black boot, white gaiters.".

Obvious rear vew

Further research proved, for the main part proved fruitless, though the Ottoman army certainly had similarly dressed units thoughout the latter half of the 19th century.
The Egyptians certainly had at least one unit  in Zouave dress when an understrength battalion was sent to aid Maximillian in his Mexican adventure, though it was dressed in French Zouave uniform (blue jacket with red trim) and served in the French force as their 19th Regiment.


Two units, organised for "The Sword and the Flame".

Extra colour bearer from extra command sprued

Close of some haps

The whole unit  (though still needing a CO)

After finishing and varnishing these I realised I needed to more obviously differentiating between the two units, so before packing them away into storage one unit will need a coloured dot on their bases.
The whole unit still needs an extra officer, but that can wait.
The two colour bearers are carrying the regimental flag in green with the arab numeral of  '19'
 (in deference to the French service) and is entirely fictitious, whilst the red flag is the sixth company flag used in all Egyptian regiments.  
The figures are, of course Perry's plastics with the addition of another command sprue. The officers still have the large S=ACW sash that's anachronistic to the army, but was kept for the scabbard and overall look.
They may not be up to demo standards, but I like them !

In one of my Western buildings I discovered this 40mm figure :
 I have no idea where  he came from or when I acquired him, but just by the fact he's been there for about thirty years means he's fairly old !

He is of course an Asterix figure and on the back of his belt has the copyright symbol and "Uderzo" - the author of the Asterix books.











That's it then for another week, thanks for taking the time to visit, hopefully there was something of interest and as always your comments are welcomed and appreciated.



 

 

 

Trash or Treasure ?

Three western buildings and the mysterious blue box.

After a week where I hardly picked up a paint-brush, I decided to venture into the loft to retrieve another two of my western buildings, that I knew were there. Once I'd figured out how to use the loft ladder I realised there were at  least four, maybe five western buildings stored there along with many other long forgotten 'toys' in a blue box (pictured) and a tool box (to heavy for me to tackle at my age). 
I figured that the blue toolbox was my old collection of figures for DnD, but hadn't a clue what the blue box contained.

Skeletons (bit obvious)\

Once brought down from its loft storage (pun intended-  but pathetic -Ed,) and opened it revealed a collection of painted DnD figures from way back when.
From what I can tell and read from the bases, they're a mixture of Ral Partha, Minifigs and I suspect very old Citadel figures (pre-GW).
 
Here's the rest of the pics:

Rear view

Fighter types

The, by now, obligatory rear view. 

Wizards and a cleric type, sans staff,

Rear view (ish)

Thief types

One's usual view of thieves

Monsters

No explanation necessary



Peasants ?

Obligatory slightly blurry picture,

 I hadn't played DnD for about thirty years until January this year whilst on holiday.  It was a one-off  adventure and very enjoyable (so much so that I've "signed up" for another).

My Zouaves are all but finished, all shading has been done and just a few highlights, tidying up and a couple of flags to be made,  remain to be done before varnishing. I'll be pleased to see the back of them (if I can get motivated enough to finish them).

That's it then for this week in yet another trip down memory lane, but hopefully there is still something here of interest.

As always, your comments are welcomed and truly appreciated.