WWII Infantry Diorama - looking for ideas

   Comanche, maybe you could have a story of two soldiers in the act of clearing out an enemy held town. Have the soldier that is standing peeping over a wall looking for enemy and danger. The soldier kneeling, have him crouching behind the wall facing back the way they came. Making sure they are not being surrounded or outflanked. Portray a sense of vigilence, two soldiers ready for anything, not letting their guard down, there hearts racing, their adrenalin pumping. Each one facing different directions behind the wall should achieve some sort of affect. Maybe the base could be a fraction smaller for just two soldiers. For what you are planning , you really need to draw attention to the soldiers, not so much an elaborate base.

   These simple and small dioramas can be really great. Above all, make sure you have fun with it!!

    Boomer.....

Well, for railroad ties (or sleepers, as they are called in the UK), you may be happier getting some 3/16 x 1/4 basswood than with the balsa--I find the balsa is simply too soft too often.  You can also get weather-It & Stain-It which will give basswood the look of either aged, or creosote-soaked lumber--a real plus.

That being said, I do have a use for balsa--it's good for making rotted ties, because it's so soft.  You can take a bit of brass or plastic and "mash" a flat where the rails cross; a needle in a pinvise can be used on the end grain to give that rotted out look.  The needle will also scribe the sides to give that old distressed look.  To finish, dip in black poster paint, then highlight with a deep brown.

Next time you are in the LHS, grab some stumps from the WS line, and use them to "frame" where the ties/timbers get piled.  Timber and lumber piles can be good cover, which attracts infantrymen being cautious.  Ammo box with a sinkhole that might be otherwise un-usable super-glued at a "toppling" angle could give a sense of the "reason" to be cautious, too.

Boomer, I thought about much the same thing.  There's a third soldier in this kit, standing upright, holding a BAR at the ready, and looking in the opposite direction.  The three of them would set the type of scene you're talking about.  I'll look at it again and see if I can fit it all together without overwhelming the size of the base.  Thanks for the idea.

Dan H.

Mac, that's all good stuff.  The balsa I bought is 3/16 (I guessed and got lucky).  I'll have to do some research on the length.  European rail gauges of the time were mostly narrow gauge, I can find the right length and convert to scale.  I was thinking of junk ties, so your tips on aging them will help.  For the flotsam of combat, there are other pieces in the soldier kit (there were 6 soldiers in the kit).  I was looking at it earlier this evening and thinking one of the backpacks, and maybe a beat-up helmet, would add to the scene.  Thanks much!

Dan H.

Comanche Test wrote:

The balsa I bought is 3/16 (I guessed and got lucky).  I'll have to do some research on the length.  European rail gauges of the time were mostly narrow gauge, I can find the right length and convert to scale.

Yeah, well, I pent six weeks one summer (and one only) working a rail crew.  Will get a body real familiar with 6x8 8.5' long <joints ache>.  8.5' at 1/32 is 3.1875", so 3-1/4 to 3-1/8" long ought to do the trick.

If I remember rightly, narrow railroad gauge sets the rail spacing and not the tie length--but, I'm only going to be google or wiki-smart on the topic <g>.

Thanks, Mac.  I spent the weekend visiting an old friend and fellow former Transportation Corps officer who's very familiar with rail systems.  We figured the ties for WWII European gauges would be about 6' long.

Dan