This looks like an armoured Simplex narrow gauge loco. This kind of petrol loco was constructed for the WDLR (War Department Light Railways) to operate the 2-ft (60cm) gauge lines that were built to supply the trenches.
There existed three models of this loco type: "Open", "Protected" and fully "Armoured". The armoured versions often had a 40 HP motor.
The Germans, French and Americans had extensive narrow gauge systems, too. All these nations used the 2-ft tracks, locos and rolling stock. So you could find many "Beute"-vehicles on each side.
Near the front trenches the Allies favoured the petrol locos, the steam engines were too visible...
Today one can find WDLR (and other military narrow gauge) locos and rolling stock in museums and there are associations which use them as museum railways.
There are most interesting books about this topic, too!
If you are interested, you can go to the European Patent Office, and get the patents for both armoured and non-armoured versions of the Simplex, I am sorry I would post it, but I am at work at the moment. Here is the web address.
Hi all Finally a subject I can contribute something to - normally I'm simply learning from each post in this forum.
The 40 hp Simplex locos were developed after the open 20 hp version had proved it's worth from 1916. The 40 hp version were delivered in three versions 'open', 'protected' and 'armoured'. You can read about Simplex locos on this site: http://www.mrt.org.uk/simplex/
Another site (using the ’protected’ and ’armoured’ locos nick name ‘tin turtle’) has more info and links to restored examples of the loco. http://www.bagofbits.com/tinturtle/
Books on the Simplex locos from WWI are quite numerous and the type has been published widely in railway magazines specializing in narrow gauge railways. I have both French and British magazines with photos and drawings of the 40 hpas well as 20 hp version. See a listing of WWI railway related books on Henrik Laurell (Sweden) on http://laurelltrains.se/index.php?chapter=books
So far no kit of the 40 hp. Simplex exists in 1:35 or 1:32 but several manufacturers do them in 1:76 and 1:43. The 20 hp version is available from Scale Link as well as a wide selection of the War Departement standard wagons (class E, H, D etc.)
According to the site I picked up the picture from these tin turtles are still trundling round a sewage works somewhere in Britain, unfortunately it didn't say which one! Any one who has the time, resource, fortitude (and atrophied sense of smell) to go looking might find it.
Hello Jack Regarding Scale Link they haven't produced something new for a long time - tha last item was the Pechot-Bourdon loco, and that was two or three years ago. Don't know if they have chosen not to produce anything new. Once one of their patternmakers was active on a narrow gauge e-group and we got quite promising news, but nothing has materialized. No new figures or artillery pieces has been launched either so I wonder if they have stopped making new models?
The etchings for the Pechot-Bourdon were made by David H. Smith, a well known english narrow gauge master modeller, but he is now employed by Slaters to work on their new 16 mm. scale and 1:32 industrial narrow gauge programmes.
Currently I'm working on more French Pechot-wagons and have ordered the DES-kits French 155 mm GPF gun (the one with split-trail) for a little diorama showing a artillery position served by a 600 mm gauge railway.
H & D-armoured train As far as I know no one has attempted to model this extraordinary armoured train. At the moment I cannot even remember the exact gauge of the H&D but is was certainly sub-600 mm and perhaps 381 mm. If I remember correctly it was armed with a mix of machine guns and Boys anti tank-rifles? Do you have any on-line references on the train?
I certainly would make an unusual model - even recreating it on the wrong gauge of 2 ft. would be an interesting experiment.
My own modelling is mostly centered on creating a small Danish industrial railway carrying gravel. My interest in WWI has made me branch into modelling some French military rolling stock in 1:35. Snapshots of my models can be found on http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gaz410/my_photos
Next in the pipeline as far as military railways is concerned is a French army gasoline loco from the Campagne factory in Paris - camoflage painted and all!
The RHDR is 15 inch gauge, or 381mm. Some other 1940 photos I have (from current books, so I'm not sure about scanning them to here) show the wagons to be converted bogie hopper wagons each carrying two men, armed with a Lewis gun on AA mountings next to the engine and a Boys AT Rifle at each end.
Re Models, I don't know of any online resources, but there's a 1:43 model of the armoured train on N (9mm) track in New Romney station museum, and I'm fairly sure a roughtly 1:24 version on OO/HO 16.5mm track which occasionally appears on the model railway exhibition circuit in the UK.
I also shouldn't forget the 1:1 casings (in plywood) which in the 1990s were sometimes added to Hercules and a carriage body, staffed with re-enactors and sent down the line on anniversary gala days!
Tim: Thanks a lot for your nice words. I try to advance my methods on every model I build - it is not always that the model gets better than the last one, but I try.