Kid-zilla and I have decided to reveal the long-deferred “Secret Project” last referenced in Triple O - 2026 Plans & Objectives. We have tried to at least pay homage to the traffic of our strategic guide, the Oahu Rail & Land Co. over the years, and military traffic was a huge part of that. To that end, we built the Submarine Transport for the Triple O and the Y.D. & Kid-zilla 2025 Mik - Rocket Carrier. Kid-zilla got a nice USA Trains Coast Guard Box car for Christmas. The only thing we really lacked (rolling the Marines into the Department of the Navy), was something to represent the OR&L’s important contribution to the Army’s coastal defense efforts, to include the 41st Coast Artillery (Railway). Though the railway guns never fired in anger, they were there, and the unit has continued to serve with honor to this day.
We will be drawing from two sources:
As ever, we will build to the exacting standers of 1:24-ish PLAYMOBIL Scale. A functioning piece of rolling stock that evokes the railway guns of old is the goal, not an exact model.
The Willford book provided a good sketch of the m1888 gun.
I’ve met the author of this book. If you are into coastal defense, he is THE source, with decades of personal research poured into preserving this dead branch of the U.S. Army. The book is a labor of love and a masterpiece of history by a dedicated and passionate “amateur” historian. Oh, it had sketches of the mortars, too, but Kid-zilla declared them “weird.” We’ll make the gun. We wouldn’t want to be weird!
The Livingston book is more railway focused. Its pictures will guide the carriage and general “in use” character. Key will be the drop-center flat car.
We did some material accumulation last weekend. I had originally thought to use the battered chassis of my re-powered LGB m2075 (battery). If figured the locomotive chassis would give this project an appropriate “heavy” look.
Kid-zilla then actually referenced the source material, and he noted standard freight trucks in our bits box would look better and be truer to the prototype.
Show off.
The board comes from our large “gemuckabucket,” wherein long, tall, awkward bits of stuff with no immediate hobby useage go until we recognize their worth. At one point, it had supported a mattress. When we pulled off the tape, we found this:
After nearly consigning this board to the hibachi, Kid-zilla noted that the longer, lower bit could be cut in two for the upper platforms and upper bit trimmed to be the lowered deck. Again I say, “Show off.”
We will commence with the flat car, as we’ve only found the barrells and recoil mechanisms for the gun.
Updates as progress merits!
Eric