fortress guns

[John Busby]

Hi all
Recently saw a picture of a small rail mounted gun.
The information I have been able to get so far is that the gauge was 600mm
The thing could best be described as a 19th century Dalek and was pushed along tracks to its emplacement after the enemy bombardment had stopped.
They where fitted with a five pound quick fire?? gun.
Can any one shed any further light on the subject like where I might find a drawing or photos of the beast so I can assertain if they could have been loco hauled, say by something like an armoured simplex loco or the US? German? equivelent
Could make an interesting and diferent model if it could have been loco hauled
regards John

[markn]

This may get you started... http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/Content/Armoured%20Trains/Locomotives/Locos.htm
This page says a 1/20 model of the Gustav is available for sale...http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/Content/Railwayguns/German/Dora%20index.htm

[Anonymous]

Hi John:

K-Line trains had a G scale line, that included a gun on a flat car, and a missle launcher, etc, and this line was on blowout sale a while back.

You might shop around like at Trainworld, and see if anything is still available. Might be a start for a kitbash project for you.

K-line was taken over by Lionel after a law suit. I am not sure if they still are in business. I see their website has been removed.

Hope that helps: Jeff [8D]

[John Busby]

Hi Guy's
Thanks very interesting links
unfortunatly far to modern an far to big that is one huge gun,I dont think that would fit in the garden without scaring the neighbours[:D]
Have heard of K line but thought they only did "O" what did it look like???
But I doubt I will be able to get any now, it will be silly collectors prices from now on[:(].
Besides wrong continent for me to have know they did "G" unfortunatly[:(]
regards John

[Capt Bob Johnson]

John,
What about Big Bertha??? I seem to recall that it was rail mounted and engine pullable!
Make a neat consist with all the tender, ammo, and shell cars and the like! Didn't some of the WW II movies show them? Seem to remember 3 to 5 cars to the rig!

[vsmith]

K-line is gone...self vaporized in a move of titanic stupidity *after* coming to a settlement with Lionel.

[vsmith]

How about something more reasonable..1/35 scale model of the railgun "Leopold" or "Anzio Annie" as the allies called it:

heres one source:
http://www.internethobbies.com/internethobbies/tr1geragun28.html


and of course you'll need to right engine to pull it[;)]


http://www.megahobby.com/cgi-bin/shopper.exe?preadd=action&key=TRP210&reference=/cgi-bin/shopper.exe%3Fsearch%3Daction%26keywords%3Dbigguns%26searchstart%3D0%26template%3DTemplates\NewSearchResult.html

[Anonymous]

I remeber Big Bertha and i once knew who she was, a daughter of a Nazi big wig i think.

I too would like a rail mounted gun, i have been wanting to develope my WW2 German Field Marshals train for years now. i have the loco in ny DR Mallet and i can get a gondola for troops and a gun also a few luxury coaches and a dining car but a gondola moutbe anti aircraft gun.

Rgds Ian

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Jeez Ian, I thought you were gonna say she was the one before Doreen!

[Anonymous]

Hi John:

I found a listing on Trainworld's website:

K933015 US ARMY G SCALE FLAT W/2 HALF TRACKS 33.99
K933016 US ARMY G SCALE FLAT W/2 TANKS 33.99

They shows these in stock, you might check with them, they still may have the big gun. [?]

I will keep looking for you. [;)]

Have Fun: Jeff [8D]

[John Busby]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

...self vaporized in a move of titanic stupidity.

Hi Vic
Isn't that what normaly sinks a business[:D]
The unfortunate side effect for us once stock no longer in the stores its silly collectors prices from then on
regards John

[Anonymous]

Bob mate;

I am trying hard to think of something to say to get back at you fpor that remark, but i have been working too hard and can't think of a thing!

I have been interested in the opposite gender since i was about 10 and i am now nearly 70; so in 60 years of activities with girls; i have known quite a few but none called Bertha.

However i wil tell you; one Saturday night when i was 19, I met a girl at a dance called Lois; and the smartest thing i ever did was not to mention Perry White or even Jimmy Olsen; yes her named turned out to be Lois Lane.


Rgds Ian

[paultheloon]

the american army also used railguns in WW1 and as coastal artillery in WW2.[2c][2c]

[John Busby]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paultheloon

the american army also used railguns in WW1 and as coastal artillery in WW2.[2c][2c]

Hi Paul
Trouble is people are not thinking small enough for me
The one I am thinking of with very little imagination could be turned into a
nineteenth century steam dalek.
Complete with smoke stack and waggelling semaphore arms indicating EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!![:D]
Its only got a quick fire WETI 5lb gun mounted in it.
regards John

[paultheloon]

do you have a photo of this weapon?[X-)][?]

[vsmith]

Well I dunno about a 5 pounder, how about this....

[John Busby]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

Well I dunno about a 5 pounder, how about this....

Hi Vic
Now we are geting down to the sort of sizes that are practical in the garden.
That one might even be multi function Blue or Grey might even get away with Red[:D]
Where would I find out more on the ACW rail mounted Artillery.
regards John

[vsmith]

I found this image on the PBS site for "The Civil War" documentary. I had a hard time finding any thing else from this era. As you know almost everything on the internet today has nothing to do with education and everything to do with selling you junk.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

John,
Looks like a naval mortar that has been rail mounted; if so, would have one heck of a kickback as the old naval bombships were framed and planked particularly heavy to withstand the kickback! Perhaps you could find something suitable in the model naval gun dept?

[paultheloon]

the weapon in the photo is a 300 lb. pounder coastal defence mortar on a rail truck.[wow][yeah][tup]

[Anonymous]

I am not so sure that it is a mortar, I admit it looks like one. However i watch a lot of stuff about ww1 and ww2 on satellite TV and i thought it resembled something else but i can't remember what, possibly a short range howitzer. I am pretty sure it was an American weapon however,


rgds ian

[vsmith]

it IS a mortor.

This set up was first used by Lee, but was quickly adopted by the north. This is a Union rail mounted mortor used during the siege of Vicksburg or Richmond. Grant went so far as to mount one of the largest naval mortors in the US ****nal onto a flatbed like this and used it to reign terror on the poor folks of Richmond and later Atlanta, it was called the "Dictactor"[:D]

I have seen in books but cannot find e-copies of a rail mounted naval cannon used by the North, it was mounted like a regular naval gun but had a protective wooden cowl angled at 45degrees to protect the crews. It had metal plates on the cowling but was open at the rear, a kinda a railway ironclad! Wish I could find pics of that! I'll double check my "Civil War Railways" book later tonight!

editOK that word up there is A-R-S-E-N-A-L but the [censored][censored][censored][censored] auto-censor keeps deleting the [censored] thing! Apparently A_R_S_E is a bad word to some people! Even it it just PART of another [censored][censored] ligitimate word !!!!!!!!!!!!! [:(!]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Capt Bob Johnson

John,
Perhaps you could find something suitable in the model naval gun dept?

Perhaps.



1.75" bore.... about the size a golf ball fits. [:D][:D][:D][:p][:p][:p]

[paultheloon]

the confedartes used a 32-pounder naval cannon on a custom-built rail carriage. i think contacting a american civil war buff should clear up the confusion.

[Anonymous]

I think i remember nopw Bertha wa the daughter of a WW2 German arms manufacturer and i think his name was Karl Krupps. A bit like Karl Benze he named his car after his daughter Mercedes.


Rgds ian

[paultheloon]

to iandor: the weapon yuo"re thinking was a ww1 16 1/2 inch seige howziter and not a railgun.

[Anonymous]

You may be right mate but i have seen something that looks very much like that weapon mounted on a rail waggon on Satellite TV. I watch a lot of WW1 and WW2 war shows on channel 644.

Rgds ian

[Anonymous]

Here's a Civil War one that comes pretty close to the function in the original post:

http://americancivilwar.com/pictures/train_gun.jpg

[vsmith]

Gungnir Thank you,
THATs the pic I've been trying to find of the gun I mentioned above!

adding the little

Like I described, a navel cannon mounted with an angled cowl for crew protection.
[:D]

[Anonymous]

I don't think thats it!

Ian