I found an old Sarissa MDF kit of the USS Monitor so I decided to ‘disguise’ it or jazz it up a bit to serve as a Brazilian monitor. Now it looks nothing like the one pictured as it has a turret whereas the one in the picture has a fixed casemate by the looks of it. Most of the Brazilian monitors I have seen photos of seem to be sort of hybrid, with a turret or central casemate but built up stuff fore and aft and in the middle. Anyway it has been a sunny few days so I’ve been sitting in the garden where I added an extra gun port in the turret, gave it a new pilot house and ships boat, and the deck at the stern is covered with an awning, new funnels and a couple of masts. Yes they did have masts - presumably they’d unship them before action?
This project has really given my mojo a massive boost. Building balloons, making or converting several ships, and getting lots of miniatures on the table. I only have maybe eight units to finish, a couple of Paraguayans but mainly Brazilians. They should take me about a fortnight to get finished.
What I really need are some nondescript miniatures rowing canoes (but without having to buy the canoes as I have several already) who can be converted into Paraguayans. They made at least one attempt to board Brazilian ships - great idea but never going to work.
Anyway, here it is.
I have also almost completed a Brazilian side-wheel gunboat to add to the fleet. Then the madness will I hope stop. I ought to get it done this week.
Apparently Paraguay had a small functioning (?) railway network of sorts so there is a definite idea in the embryonic stage…….
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