War Horse

Hi all, I hope you're doing well!

The First World War saw the introduction of a new, deadly weapon: the tank. First used in combat by the British in September 1916, the tank revolutionized modern warfare, and has been the spearhead of every land army ever since. 

I've always been fascinated by the otherworldly appearance of those 'archaic' war machines of the Great War. So after seeing a video featuring a stunning replica of one of these monsters (a British Mk IV), I decided to pay it a humble tribute by using a still from the video as the basis to create something that would resemble a WWI photograph. I do hope I succeed in my endeavor.

The replica was constructed for Steven Spielberg's 2011 film "War Horse." It was based on original Mk IV's present at the Tank Museum in Bovington Camp, England. After shooting the film, the special effects studio that made the tank sold it the museum, which added it to their collection. The cool thing about it is that it's not just a static display, but can actually 'move around' through the mud like a real one.

I hope you liked my "WWI era photo" and please visit the Tank Museum's beautiful website and support them for the great work they do. I've put a link down below. Have a great week ahead!

https://tankmuseum.org/

© 2022  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Geschützwagen / Panzerzug World War I

Hi everybody, as always, I hope you're doing great!

Today I used a coffee stop at the McDonald's on my way home to work out an idea I had in my head for my next project.

It will combine my love for 'O Gauge' toy trains with my fascination for old military hardware, specially of WWI vintage. During the duration of the Great War (1914-18), most -if not all-  countries involved in the conflict used armored trains to transport men and supplies to and from the front lines. These vehicles were heavily adapted locomotives and wagons with thick armor, and armed with all types of guns and cannons. 

The Germans called these awe inspiring war machines "Geschützwagens" or "Panzerzugs", which means "protected cars" and "armored trains" respectively.

My project won't be a scale recreation of one of these machines, but rather my own interpretation, inspired by them. So, basically I'm creating my own "Panzerzug"! 

In line with the 'toy train' tradition, the armored rail car will be detailed, but definitely not a replica of one of those 'unearthly' machines that rolled across Europe more than a century ago.

That's all for now, folks! As always, thanks for visiting, and please check out this blog from time to time for news and updates. Have a great one!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Sunday morning, November 11.

All is quiet in my living room. A day of remembrance, the end of the Great War. It was supposed to be the 'War to end all Wars', but it wasn't. It was just malice catching its breath.

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.