"A couple of Thoroughbred Nags" Topic

Out of the gates early, to join the Union's Western Flotilla patrolling the Mississippi and her tributaries, were a group of hastily converted steamers – two that I've finished painting up here.

These are 1/600th scale Thoroughbred models, that I've thoroughly mucked up, to appear a little like their famous counterparts of the war.

Model of the USS Lexington -

Model for the USS Tyler (and what an amazing combat history this boat had) -

On their game bases now, and ready for some action (and hopefully that's not too far around the bend ahead……) -

Looks great. Inquiring minds want to know…what techniques and colors/combinations did you use to make the bases?

Very nicely done! bases make them look like they are on the muddy waters of the western rivers.

Jim

Chris, Jim, thank you guys!

I've made the base surface digitally, to match a look as close to the game mat's water that I'll have printed out as a vinyl board for this project.

Here's the image of these bases I've made so far (hopefully a rt. click and "open image in new tab" will allow access to a higher zoomed version of these, if interested). The full-size version is for printing out on a letter-size page – the original artwork is 2550 X 3300 pixels in resolution).

Now making these ship bases is pretty easy, since the tops are just printed out (mine on thin matte 'poster-board', which I plastic laminate, that also adds strength), and then the printed tops will form a sandwich of material layers to complete each base with. Think of a piece of foam-core board, but the inner foam here is a piece of black "fun foam", the type that has one side being self-adhesive, and that's what I first stick to the underside to each printed base (and then trim the foam layer's sides to match the base top). Last step is to affix a piece of self-adhesive magnet sheet to the underside of the fun foam (and cut the magnet layer to match the base's sides again)….I don't glue anything, it's all self-adhesive product.

After each base sandwich is completed, it has rigidity like a thin piece of foam-core board (these will bend if abused, but they're pretty durable). The magnet base bottoms attach to sheet magnet stuck inside my storage boxes.

Maybe another tip (following the theme of avoiding gluing) – I use strong strength/permanent glue dots underneath the ship models to stick them to the base tops. These tinclads models did have casting cavities I needed to fill in, to get a flat attachment bottom (and did have to use some twisty-epoxy putty there), but many of the Thoroughbred model castings are flush-flat, so easy to stick onto bases with glue dots.

You have given us desert, snow and now a great water effect (your best work yet). The printed bases are inspired!

Not to mention the shore batteries you presented below! Someone has been busy during this pandemic isolation.

!

Thank you buds!

I must give credit to the author of the original river artwork – Ivan Golyjenkov of Wargame Print, who made two masterful "Mississippi River" texture files that I'm using to make my adapted "Yazoo" game board from. His map closely resembles a stretch of the Mississippi south of New Madrid, Missouri, and the engagement area there that was around Island No. 10.

He's a true artist!

Deadhead mentioned our productivity possible during this pandemic, and this lingering project finally got a kick start once Mac Cross mentioned his new ironclad rules here on these boards (Blood Sweat & Iron).

I'm sure lots of you guys have, or are still waiting for that right set of rules that floats your boat, and gets a project off the shelf.

(3 models yet to go, and before that dust settles too thick again) :)

Very nice indeed and your river water looks lovely.

The forts are beautiful.

Best wishes,

Chris

Chris, thanking you here a little belatedly, but hope you'll enjoy what's kept me distracted –

These are Rebel rams like those in the River Defense Fleet that fought at Fort Pillow and Memphis, which at the moment are "up the ole creek without a paddle" – well, the kits' missing paddlewheel parts are on their way, being dispatched by Toby from Thoroughbred Figures (but I couldn't wait to get these pics up on the board here anyway).

As planned, I was going to be done with this little collection after the remaining Cairo-class model was finished, but these little boat kits are really growing on me (and another order will be going out shortly). :)

Now getting pretty close to launching this ACW gunboats project – the game mat has arrived, and so some views here of …..Yazoo patrol -

There is a real ‘feel' of the period with your scenery, ships and forts.

The water looks excellent although personally I would be tempted to remove the ships bases as the photographic effect would be tremendous.

Time travel is possible and here is the proof.

Best wishes,

Chris

Chris, thank you very much for your kind comments.

You're right about the bases, and I bet clear ones might've been an option also, and with the mat's vinyl being a little reflective – would have matched nicely (but I hadn't even considered those at the beginning of the project).

The leading ship above is the USS Queen of the West, a resin 3D print model from Matt Lawson's Brown Water Navy Miniatures ordered from Shapeways. She was captured and repaired for Confederate service, and fought against her former side in an action against the USS Indianola around Palmyra Island, just south of Vicksburg in February 1863. If Matt offers up a model of the CSS Webb, I'll be able to have the primary gunboats for a scenario vs. the Indianola.

Article on the Indianola – and covering it's demise – link

I'm trying to collect a small gunboat collection here, but with maximum use of models that seemed to be often in the fray, to present a few historically-inspired scenarios with. (really just getting my feet wet atm)

Again Chris, thanks for checking out the thread!

Btw, my wife has told me there's not going to be any new mats coming to the house for the foreseeable future…..the Admiral has spoken. ;) :)))

You are most welcome.

That article was interesting and once again proves that fact is stranger than fiction.

No space for a crew, restricted gun ports etc.

My Antietam research has thrown up similar bizzare stories, including AP Hill being under arrest for a disagreement over captured ambulances.

Best wishes,

Chris

Beautiful paint jobs on those.
But the one in the OP id'd as Lexington is actually the Conestoga. Lexington had her stacks amidship like the Tyler. You can find photos of the Lexington during the Red River Campaign at this site.
link

bekosh, the Thoroughbred model first pictured at the top of the page here is listed in their catalog as the USS Lexington (TS68B).

Lots of sources show the Lexington with stacks forward -
link
link

FlyXwire, unfortunately many captions got messed up over the years and led to confusion as to which ships are which. Even on official government sites.

The wiki page is a good example. The top drawing shows a vessel with stacks forward, but the rest of the article shows drawings of the Lexington with stacks amidship.

Here is a good discussion on the Civil War Talk forums that examines the known photos and try's to id them.
link

Well, I'll not be attempting to unravel the controversy bekosh.

Maybe this is a bit like the camo blue color of the Caunter schemes attributed to British armor in the Western Desert – so long accepted, it'll remain a choice to what might now be considered 'authentic'.

(though I'll be mining that thread you've linked above in the meantime) ;)