The Brigada Tripeira dream team in action!

The Brigada Tripeira dream team is always on the move!

This time we (JF and myself) moved lock, stock and barrel to the Maia Forum  (a place near the city of Porto), since we received an invitation from our good friend  Mr. Simão, to attend a wargames event that was using a rules sistem that I think is called "FOW", or something like that...

That's for the invitation Mr. Simão!

Well, since we wanted to show all those guys how real hard-core wargamers operate, we took some "brand new" wargames rules called "Crossfire" (well, they were new to most of the other guys anyway...), and used it in a 1/144 (or 10/12mm) scenario.

It was all good fun for us, and a good excuse to show all the other guys how a real wargames table should look like.

Houses (above) and ruined Cathedral (below) painted by our great friend JP 

This is all JF's artwork!

As usual, JF's army took a severe beating from my troops.

Here you can see some of his tanks bursting into flames...

The church and graveyard are ML's artwork 

And here he is, the artist himself!

JF grew a beard to pass as incognito in this event...

Here you have me (PC) saying to the other guys: "bring them on"!

Since nobody came, we considered it a clear win for our side...

Look what the cat dragged in!

That's right, we met a guy from Lisbon that we had not seen for a long time: our friend João Especial!

It sure was great to see João again, who was attending this event as a FOW player and who is a member of AJSP wargames association, in Lisbon.

Back when we started in the wargaming "business", we attended several wargames events in Lisbon, organized by our good friends from the AJSP and maybe one of these days it will be possible to participate in an event over there again, since we sure miss all the great moments we enjoyed there.

Best regards to all our friends in Lisbon!

BT

WWI Locomotives & War Series - by Carlos Briz

Figures and equipament - Pendraken

Boats - Artitec

Here you have it guys: another BIG dio from CB, for your eyes only!

And time travels fast over here in the BT blog, since we are back to 1915 and checking out the landing of troops and supplies in one of the beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula, during WWI.

This is the operational theatre where the rough and tough Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops showed there mettlle, securing one of their first landing sites with a 50% plus casualty rate.

Oh boy!

Check out all the eye candy in this dio! 

CB, with his usual and outstanding style, duplicates the crowded atmosfere present in this place, at this time, where there was simply not enough space to go around, for all the troops and supplies.

The Turks did not even have to be good shots to hit something in such a crowded space: they could take aim  with their eyes closed!

If the expression "shooting fish in a barrel" was ever put to good use was surely in this place, and those poor guys from Australia and New Zealand sure suffered the results, together with many thousands of troops from  Britain, and France (on the allied side), and the Turks (on the other side...).

Do  you think CB is taking a break after this? 

Well, think again, since there are more goodies coming up real soon!

BT

Orange Scenics Products (15mm & 20mm Buildings) - by Mário Laranja

Nope, the pic above is not from a 50 year old newspaper, related to a French village during WWII.

It is from ML's private colection!

That's right, ML is going strong in the construction business (albeit in 15 and 20 mm scale...)!

ML can bring you the best in the business, just check out his website.

The service ML provides is a satisfaction guaranteed kind of thing: superior quality, fair price and a swift service!

And on top of it, you can even customize all the buildings acording to your taste!

(even if you have bad taste...)

Do not miss out on this opportunity, since pretty soon this guy will have his hands full with orders from all over the world!

Besides, we are also planning to start demanding ML a substancial fee related to all the free advertising we place here, related to his outstanding work.

Therefore the more you guys order from him, the more money we are liable to make, doing absolutely nothing!

It's a WIN-WIN situation!

BT

Locomotives & War Series (Post-WWII Germany) - by Carlos Briz

It sure is hard too keep up with CB's output!

That's right guys, I was thinking about taking a weekend break from all the stress we have in the blogging business when, out from the blue, POW!, another brand new and outstanding dio from CB arrived at our mail box.

I have said it before and I'll say it again: this guy is not human!

Check out the artwok in this dio here: we have a triple perspective, given by the railway station, the street and the buildings, all related to the reconstruction that took place in Germany, after the war.

My guess is that CB also has a future in the housing business, given all the squeaky clean buildings he brings out in his dios.

Congrats (again...) for another great dio CB!

BT 

WWII Locomotives & War Series nº 64 - by Carlos Briz

(Class BR 01 locomotive - German State Railways)

Is it snowing already?

It sure is, and the snow brings us another outstanding dio from CB, related to Germany's armoured railroad hardware.

Feast your eyes on a couple of armoured trains, fresh from the fight!

That armoured locomotive has an agressive and futuristic outlook to it, given by all those layers of armour.

Nobody could beat the Germans and the Russians, when it came to armouring stuff around, and the armoured train series they both developed are a good proof of that.

BT

WWI Locomotives & War Series - by Carlos Briz

Bug - Shapeways

Figures - Pendraken

Trucks - Gem Fleetline

(Class 280 locomotive - Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co.)

Well guys, I have to tell you the honest truth: I lost count of the number of posts related to WWI, therefore I am unable to place the series number on this one.

But, once again, this is JF's fault!

This guy, is employed in the civil service - and it's a given fact that he has little or nothing to do all day.

Therefore, he surely could put to good use all the available time he has, and trace back all our posts in order to figure out the status in every series.

Come on dude, think of this as the exercise you are always planning to do, but never get around to it...

In a CB dio you are always sure to get a bonus treat, since he usually places something that you have never heard before.

Be honest now: which one of you guys has ever heard something about the "Kettering Bug"?

I know for a fact that (besides CB...) I am the only one that knows something about this piece of hardware, that was almost used in WWI (I didn't even had to resort to wikipedia for this...not too much anyway...).

This "Bug" was designed to deliver about 80 kg of explosives to the enemy by remote control, during WWI.

(now you know who the drone's great grand father was)

Given the fact that there was a heavy risk of placing ordonnance transported by this little bird on allied troops, somebody had the good sense of never actually using this stuff in combat.

However, a guy has to wonder where this sudden concern for the welfare of the troops came from, since the "guys in charge" during WWI never had any worries about sending thousands upon thousands of soldiers against well entrenched machine guns...

BT

WWII Locomotives & War Series nº 63 - by Carlos Briz

Railgun, Wagons, Morser and transport - Dragon Cando

Figures - Dragon Cando and Minifigs

Trucks - Wiking

(Class BR 52 locomotive - German State Railways)

The Big Boy is out again!

That's right, this time it is the "Loki" who came over to visit the us, as an excuse to show CB's expertise in miniature modelling.

As everybody knows, "Loki" was the name of a god from norse mythology, famous for his mischievous deeds, and it seems a proper name to give a railways gun that was surely "born" to spread mischief - in many ways... 

This is another pic that turned out really well.

I just wished JP could take a few hints (and a couple of lessons...) from CB, when it comes to taking modelling pics. The best pic he placed in his blog until now it is not even his - its from that nice girl Soraia.

BT

WWI locomotives & War Series - by Carlos Briz

Locomotive - Del Prado
Coaches - Graham Farish
Wagons - Peco and scratch
Figures - Pendraken
Armored car and car, Tanks, Guns - Pendraken
Trucks - 1/144 Skytrex -
Houses - TimeCast
Ship, RRS Discovery - 1/144 Airfix

 

 (Class 2-2-0 locomotive - Railway Operating Division)

 Here you have it, again!

That´s right guys, seeing it, is believing it: here you haver another monster-of-a-dio, brought to you by the one and only CB!

This is another massive dio, that includes another great steamship and an awsome loading dock scenario, this time related to WWI.

 

Steam and sails: who knows, maybe sooner than expected this will be trendy again, given the constant rise in the price of oil...

Squeaky clean dock, you say? Nope, it was just fresh cleaned before the arrival of this ship...

Notice the outstanding modelling ship-building wise. 

CB is a master in any modelling challenge!

This was also another dio that CB brought to Espinho for our most recent get-together, and it really looks impressive!

Guess again, if you dare think CB has taken a break after this massive work of art.

There are many more on his drawing board, that sooner than latter will see the light around here.

Stay tuned!

BT

WWII Locomotives & War nº 62 (Indonesian National Revolution) - by Carlos Briz

AFV's - Fairy Kikaku

Figures - Pendraken

Plane - repainted F-toys

(Class C50 locomotive ex-Japan National Railways)

Here are the palm trees I told you about!

That's right guys, someway, somehow, CB managed to buy dozens of palm trees for just about 5 euros.

And here is the final result!

This is one of the dios CB brought with him to the Espinho modelling event, and it sure looked good.

The Indonesian War of Independence was, like so many others, a direct result of the many surplus weapons made available by WWII, to several independence mouvements around the world.

In this particular case, the war lasted about 4 years and, as usual, resulted in much bloodshed, mainly among the civilian population.


Feast your eyes on this, since there are a lot more coming up!

BT

Bavarian Locomotives & War - by Carlos Briz

Figures, Wagons - Pendraken

(Adler steam locomotive)

Horse power all the way!

CB brings us another great dio, this time related to a XIX century Kingdom, that had a time limit on its existence - Bavaria.

The Kingdom of Bavaria was a product of Napoleon's fertil imagination, that brought it to existence in 1806, arranging things in a way to have it supply him with men and ammunition, and support him in his never ending wars.

After the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, during which it was Prussia ally, Bavaria joined the federation know as the German Empire. After that, it was just a matter of time until it became absorbed by the German juggernaut.

BT

'Scots Greys' Cavalaria Britânica - British Cavalry

Esci figures - 1/72

From Jorge Faria private collection.

The Battle of Waterloo and The Royal Scots Greys and Sergeant Charles Ewart

At around 2pm Major General Ponsonby’s Union Brigade of heavy dragoons (the 1st Royal Dragoons, 2nd Royal Scots Greys and 6th Inniskilling Dragoons) charged D’Erlon’s infantry columns as they reached the British line.

As the Greys passed the 92nd Gordon Highlanders, the Gordons attempted to advance with them, holding the trooper’ stirrups.

The charge built up momentum and the British “Heavies” launched themselves on the French infantry, the Greys shouting “Scotland for ever”.

Sergeant Charles Ewart of the Greys rode at the eagle bearer of the 45th Infantry. He cut down the four escorts and the eagle bearer and bore the eagle away.

The Union Brigade cut through the French and, now out of control, continued the charge up the far incline to the French guns, where they sabred numbers of gunners in Ney’s battery. The British were counter-attacked by French Lancers and suffered such heavy casualties as to eliminate the brigade from the battle. The brigade commander General Ponsonby was killed.

As the Duke of Wellington grumblingly complained “the British cavalry never know when to stop charging”.

The Greys adopted the captured French eagle as the regiment’s badge. It is still the badge of the present regiment: the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

The Emperor Napoleon is said to have commented of the regiment, “Ah ces terribles chevaux gris”.

The rest of the British Army wryly gave the Scots Greys the nickname of “the Bird Catchers”.

The Royal Dragoons also captured an eagle during the charge, that of the 105th Regiment.

BT