Happiness is a Warm Tripod

I am invariably stymied at the general lethargy of some miniature casters.  This latest pronouncement of mine comes after a particularly long search for a proper German War Tripod for Space 1889. 

The Atelier de la Charrett, who have in the past made a Really Good Steam Walker, seems to be "souffrance de la caffard", in that they are in no hurry to re-release their Parroom Station Steam Tripod. Most of the other older sources also appear to have dried up.

You would think, in the general stampede to board the Steampunk Bandwagon, that someone would be interested in getting it right?

After much internet searching, speculating and hand-wringing, I've finally purchased some vehicles from Ironclad Miniatures. Including their Steam Walker.

Even though the Ironclad model is a four-footed walker, it is easily modified to a tripod. I should have done this years ago. Lovely detail, excellent workmanship, and I had friendly service from John L. at Ironclad.

The kit comes with four legs, crew compartment, stack and gun, and a mounting platform. My initial hesitation was due to not knowing if I could easily remove the crew compartment from the gear box. I needn't have worried. Praise and glory be to Ironclad for casting the crew compartment separately from the gearbox/mounting platform. Platform and one leg have been placed in the bits box while a washer and cast-off sci-fi TARDIS column base serve to convert to a tripod with gearbox.

I've also reversed the crew compartment to look more like a turret, again to keep inline with the Chadwick design. This meant puttying over the stack aperture. This was a small pity because one can see the thought that went into the design, including a molded ring to secure the stack.  Nice!

A touch of styrene card as a gun-port cover, an external firebox for the experimental coal-oil engine, and viola!

                               Panzerkampfdreifus Storch!

Now to work on some "Trample" rules for Soldier's Companion. Mwahahaaaaa.

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