Not a Moment to Lose… Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, December 1944

[Guest]

Francois Verlinden was Belgian and would have based his diorama construction sets (DCS) on structures that he was familiar with.

Though Verlinden was from Lier, near Antwerp, which is not very close to the Ardennes At least far enough away, both physically and culturally, that building styles can be pretty different. Still, that wouldn’t stop him from basing some of his kits on real buildings as seen in the Ardennes, of course.

[rtfoe]

Thanks so much guys, that is invaluable info.

Looking for the right building

So this next bit was fun - even if a bit slow. I went onto Google Maps Streetview and followed a few routes away from the Kaiserbarracke crossroads in the direction of German advance.

All the time I was looking for buildings that a) looked like traditional farm houses and b) looked old.

Here is a selection of what I found:

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I was not trying to find a specific building to replicate, but a type: i.e. a typical farmhouse that would look authentic for the place and the time. Of course, all of these buildings will have changed over the intervening 70 or so years (although Google images are often several years old) - but you can still see that they are OLD.

Among some of the common features I noticed was the combination of a barn (with a large arched doorway) alongside the farmhouse itself. Of course, this is a classic look for rural buildings in many parts of Europe, including where I live in the UK.

This immediately brought on a rush of nostalgia and made me think of the classic Verlinden ruined barn that I had built as a teenager back in the 80s…

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I guess this makes sense, since Francois Verlinden was Belgian and would have based his diorama construction sets (DCS) on structures that he was familiar with.

On many of the buildings I found on Google Maps I also saw a distinctive sloping element to the roof at the gable ends. This helps to break up the outline and gives them a much more ‘rural’ look, although I’m not sure what practical purpose it served.

So this gave me a few ideas about how my building should look.

Another image helped me to understand the method of construction. You will notice here that the stone courses might appear random, but every now and then they are roughly levelled with a line of smaller stones. The stones at the corners are also better ‘dressed’ to help keep the structure square. So it's not quite as random as it may first appear...

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So having found my inspiration the work is about to begin…

Good to see you back at the bench Tim, referencing can be a great mojo booster when you discover the images you want and just perfect for your dio.

Though Verlinden was from Lier, near Antwerp, which is not very close to the Ardennes :smiling3: At least far enough away, both physically and culturally, that building styles can be pretty different. Still, that wouldn’t stop him from basing some of his kits on real buildings as seen in the Ardennes, of course.

He's at least nearer then anyone of us to get real on ground references of the battle area. I can't remember him ever explaining in detail of his dios except for a ruin or farm house in a certain battle and thats all.

Cheers,
Wabble

[Guest]

He's at least nearer then anyone of us to get real on ground references of the battle area.

True — I strongly suspect I’m one of the closest (but not the closest) here, and it’s about half the distance again from where I live compared to where Verlinden was.

I can't remember him ever explaining in detail of his dios except for a ruin or farm house in a certain battle and thats all.

Probably because he was not much of a historian-modeller, more a modelling-modeller His models give me the distinct impression that as long as it looked at least plausible, it was good enough for him. Which, of course, probably makes it much easier to produce better diorama scenes than trying to go for strict historical accuracy.

[rtfoe]

True — I strongly suspect I’m one of the closest (but not the closest) here, and it’s about half the distance again from where I live compared to where Verlinden was.


Probably because he was not much of a historian-modeller, more a modelling-modeller :smiling3: His models give me the distinct impression that as long as it looked at least plausible, it was good enough for him. Which, of course, probably makes it much easier to produce better diorama scenes than trying to go for strict historical accuracy.

You are correct on both counts Jakko. :smiling3:
Was he from Liege or Lier?

Cheers,
Wabble

[Guest]

Lier in Flanders where they speak Dutch, not Liège (or Luik as it’s called in Dutch) in Wallonia where they speak French.

As far as I can tell, this (the red marker) was his model shop:

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[rtfoe]

Lier in Flanders where they speak Dutch, not Liège (or Luik as it’s called in Dutch) in Wallonia where they speak French.

As far as I can tell, this (the red marker) was his model shop:

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And in between that they speak Flemish:smiling2:...thanks for that Jakko. Brings back memories of where dioramas began for many aspiring modelers.

I think we better steer back... sorry about that Tim, nostalgia got ahead of me regarding Verlinden.

Cheers,
Wabble

[Guest]

And in between that they speak Flemish:smiling2:

Small correction: Flemish is not a language It’s simply a collective name for the dialects of Dutch spoken in Flanders — “southern Dutch”, in other words. There are minor differences in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar between northern (Netherlands) and southern (Belgian) Dutch, but people from the two regions can hold a conversation with zero misunderstanding if they want to. Or a lot, if they deliberately pick words the other side probably won’t understand

[TIM FORSTER]

Good to see you back Tim. Looking forward to seeing another masterclass. Was lucky enough to see your previous dio in person at one of the MAFVA nationals a couple of years ago!

ATB.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew,

You will see me at the next MAFVA (and I will be at Telford before that) - but I'm not making any promises about bringing a finished diorama!

See you then...

[TIM FORSTER]

Hello Tim, good to see you back on the bench.
Building - pics 3 & 4 look about right, the other two look far to 'new' build.
Enjoyed the history lead up to your build and like JR, chair drawn up ready for a build lesson.
Mike.

Thanks Mike,

I know what you mean about the buildings that look new. But I'm pretty confident that the first two are pre-war.

A lot of things can happen to a house over the years, to be sure, but the basic shape and building materials often remain unchanged.

Having looked at some images taken at the time, it is often surprising how 'new' some buildings appear even then. Take rendering, for instance. That was seen as quite modern back in the forties, but these days people like to strip it back to the older stone look.

The brick window surounds seem to be a common feature from what I have seen - although, of course, they are hidden if the walls have been plastered over. I especially like the shallow brick arch over some of the windows - this will be a feature if mine.

Anyway, let's see how it turns out!

[TIM FORSTER]

Jacko, Richard, I am more than happy to go on a bit of a nostalgia trip where Verlinden was concerned - although perhaps he deserves his own thread!

My first inspiration towards 1/35 armour modelling came with my very first issue of Military Modelling magazine in January 1977...



I was only 8 years old at the time, but the images of Verlinden's US halftracks with amazing painting and scenic backdrops made me realise that I needed to up my game from Airfix and Matchbox kits. Next stop: my local toyshop (which also had a decent selection of Tamiya kits)!

[TIM FORSTER]

Building the Building

So once I had the basic shape worked out in rough card I began to build the farm house again using thinner card. This meant that I could draw the precise dimensions on to the surface in pencil and cut out the apertures using a sharp scalpel.



This does not have to be a precise architectural process but it needs to follow a certain amount of science and common sense (have I mentioned the fact that I am married to an architect?). Because the building has two stories, even though the higher level is only at the rear I tried to ensure that the floors and windows lined up at front and back.

When it came to the general dimensions I used photos and a decent 1/35 scale figure to give me the best guide to the appropriate height of doorways, windows, etc. Rural buildings come in many shapes and sizes, but they tend to be smaller than traditional town structures and - as a tall person - I am often painfully aware of this fact. I don't plan to use many commercially available parts. This is my building anyway. Besides, I feel that the options such as Miniart are often too large.

The advantage of using card stiff card to cut out the shapes was that I could use it as a template for cutting out the foam sheet which I would use to make the walls (more of this in the next post). Also I could adapt the form as I went along.





So you can see here that I made a number of changes...

First, I reduced the size of the barn door after my initial cut because I felt that it was too large. This was simply done by putting the putting the missing piece of card back in place, fixing it with masking tape to the rear and drawing and cutting the outline again.

Next, I decided to add the distinctive dropped gable to the roof and end wall.



Finally, I reduced the size of the window next to the barn doors and, along with the doorway, gave it a slightly arched profile to the top edge.

Overall, I feel that this gives the building a more 'rustic' appearance - whilst also ensuring that it looks like no one else's 'Ardennes farmhouse...'

[scottie3158]

Hi Tim,
Great idea and research. That will be a great looking building when it's done.

[Guest]

I don't plan to use many commercially available parts. This is my building anyway. Besides, I feel that the options such as Miniart are often too large.

Not to mention that your diorama won’t look like everybody else’s who bought the same house kit.

What you’ve got there certainly looks convincing to me, though I admit I’m not really up to speed on the architecture of the Ardennes

[rtfoe]

Hi Tim,
Looks like you're not the only one noticing that the MiniArt buildings are kind of large. I could though use their windows for city buildings.
Your preparation is very good especially the usage of templates for the cutting of the foam as the basic structure for the building. A spare figure is always a great tool guide for scale. I really like the slope of the landscape you're doing.

Cheers,
Wabble

[TIM FORSTER]

Hi Tim,
Great idea and research. That will be a great looking building when it's done.

Thanks Scottie. Let's hope so...