One of the Airfix and railways photographs that inspired me as a 1970s child …
I recently rediscovered a wonderful little article in Railway Modeller April 1976 issue in its ‘Junior Modeller’ section. It was written by 15 year old Julian Chambers, based around his WW1 battlefield light railway using WW1 Airfix figures, tank and airplanes.
I read and reread this article many, many times as a 1970s child. I had these figures myself. If only the tiny men could be moved about though …
I have scanned the whole article and its photos onto my Sidetracked blog, to share it and also that I can’t lose it again for the next thirty / forty years. Enjoy!
This has distracted or Sidetracked me only momentarily from an 1840s railway linked gaming scenario with Airfix figures that I am currently working on … and given me few ideas how to do this. Back to the painting and research desk!
Hello I'm Mark Mr MIN, Man of TIN. Based in S.W. Britain, I'm a lifelong collector of "tiny men" and old toy soldiers, whether tin, lead or childhood vintage 1960s and 1970s plastic figures.
I randomly collect all scales and periods and "imagi-nations" as well as lead civilians, farm and zoo animals. I enjoy the paint possibilities of cheap poundstore plastic figures as much as the patina of vintage metal figures.
Befuddled by the maths of complex boardgames and wargames, I prefer the small scale skirmish simplicity of very early Donald Featherstone rules.
To relax, I usually play solo games, often using hex boards. Gaming takes second place to making or convert my own gaming figures from polymer clay (Fimo), home-cast metal figures of many scales or plastic paint conversions. I also collect and game with vintage Peter Laing 15mm metal figures, wishing like many others that I had bought more in the 1980s ...
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5 thoughts on “WW1 Airfix Railway scenario inspiration”
Once had a collection of old Airfix magazines and remember this article , sadly they were got rid of years ago in a house tidy up
Tony, that is exactly why I scanned and posted it as I was sure others would remember it fondly as well. Glad you enjoyed seeing it again. Hopefully the author might stumble across it again one day! Mark, Man of TIN
Man of Tin blog 
Once had a collection of old Airfix magazines and remember this article , sadly they were got rid of years ago in a house tidy up
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Tony, that is exactly why I scanned and posted it as I was sure others would remember it fondly as well. Glad you enjoyed seeing it again. Hopefully the author might stumble across it again one day! Mark, Man of TIN
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Lovely little engine Mark. I’ll go and get sidetracked…
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I agree, very distracting …
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Thanks for sharing this Mark. I am not sure that I have seen this before. Very inspiring.
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