Miniatures: Police Vehicles

On a trip down to Tesco's to pick up a lorry (more of which soon) I discovered a couple of packs of emergency vehicles which will be great for games including a police car and an ambulance (and a police tow truck which I have  half-formed plan to convert into mounting some kind of support weapon).

As I two ambulances I decided to convert one into a police transit which required repainting the green rectangles blue, tinting the middle side windows with Badab Black wash (darn useful this) and covering the ambulance markings with a fresh coat of paint and some police decals from ASB Models (who produce useful mirror image decals as well as a chequer board to convert other vehicles).

All the diecasts where satin varnished before detailing and weathering. The varnishing helps provide a surface for wash and paint to key to, vital for painting in the recessed panel lines, a trick which helps make any diecast look more like a model and less like a toy.

Miniatures: Commercial Vehicles

Along with the cars I purchased on Friday I also picked up a couple of packs of Fuel Line commercial vehicle packs (three vehicle for a fiver) from Tesco. I've a recycling lorry and one with a skip left to work on, but decided to weather up all the yellow construction vehicles in the two packs.

The car and the SUV really got "messed up" the look of vehicles you often see on motorways and building sites at this time of the year. As with the cars all I satin varnished them before adding a splatter of earth drown paint then a black wash (making sure to mask the windscreen wiper area).

The lorrys are the same basic vehicle with different backs, Same weathering process as the car and SUV, though I did tone down the effect this time.

One of the lorrys came with a load in the form of two extremely recycling containers which make great scenery. Both were satin varnished then weathered with brown paint and a black wash.

Miniatures: Trade Union Militia

I've managed to finish off the first squad of Trade Union Militia using Chechen figures from the Red Star Miniatures range. Lovely figures I've left them largely as is, although two sport TAG SA80's rather than AK-74's to tie in with the background.

The lads of the TGWU Liverpool Dock Workers Chapter have been painted in a mix of civilian styles with jeans and track suit bottoms, trainers and anoraks all in use. I added red armbands to all using green stuff as a unit/side identifier. With the possibility of criminal gangs also operating around the battlefield it seemed logical that the Militia would have some identifier. Also, as the militia come from Liverpool I decided that the famous football rivalry of the city needed honouring with one worker (pointing) wearing a Liverpool FC woolen hat and one (firing) an Everton one.

One issue that came to light when painting these and the Police Whiteshirts was that the Militia were in cold/wet weather (normal British weather) clothing with the Police in summer short sleeves which kind of doesn't mix. The Militia will therefore face off against some TAG British Army royalists when painted, whereas the Whiteshirts will eventually face up to some Popular Front Militia converted from some African/Somali militia types if I can find some I like...

Miniatures: Fuel Line Dream Cars

Civilian vehicles are something of a pain for 28mm gamers, 1/56th looks too small (even if you can get them) and 1/43rd (a common car scale) is a bit too big. Consequently it is a case of what looks right and having seen the Tesco Fuel Line range of toy cars flagged as useful I popped along this morning to see what Tesco Brislington had.

The Fuel Line 'Dream Car' pack contains three super cars (not sure what type but they're the kind you see on Top Gear every week) which whilst the right size seemed at tad too flash for what I wanted. Fortunately at the back of the stand was a different 'Dream Car' pack containing a BMW Z4, Mercedes SLS and Jaguar XKR, not cars in my pay range, but not uncommon on British streets (the Jaguar will make a useful politicians vehicle).

Die-casts invariably come with a bright gloss finish which never looks right on the tabletop so I gave the models a quick satin varnish then a bit of weathering and panel lining using GW washes. I did wonder if I had overdone the silver Merc until I looked out the window at the numerous silver cars in the street which show every bit of dirt going.

I also picked up some construction vehicles which are part way through some heavy weathering and have almost finished the TGWU Liverpool Dockers Militia (bases drying) so expect more photos soon.