KIT: Tamiya 1/48 Brick Wall, Sandbags & Barricade Set
KIT #: 32508
PRICE: $11.50 MSRP
DECALS: None that I could see
REVIEWER: Scott Van Aken
NOTES: Accessory set

HISTORY

The history of walls, sandbags and barricades is way too much for me to go into, save that I've seen or used these items at least one time during my life......

Actually, I bought this set along with a set of US crewmen as I had thought it would be a neat idea to do a diorama at some time in the future. I get these urges every now and then, rarely with them leading to anything but a set of stuff gathering dust. It will be interesting to see if this turns into anything. One thing for sure, stuff like this is very handy and while it would have been nice to have some sort of etched barbed wire included, should help to make a nice setting.

THE KIT

Two of the sprues are identical and consist of wall sections and sandbags. The wall sections are cleverly designed so that there are low 'window' sections and corner sections so that one can do a variety of structures. Actually, these are a bit too new looking and it would have probably be nicer to have some old, distresses sections, but things should work out well. There are a considerable number of sandbags with most being the 'lower' sections and one row of 'upper' bags.

The remaining sprues are for posts and 'I' beam barricade sections. There are triangular wedges to help hold the barricades together, while the posts can be used to build barricades or to string barbed wire fences.

While you wouldn't think instructions would be necessary, they are supplied for the assembly of the barricades if nothing else. Part of the instructions show how to make barbed wire, a method that uses three strands of thin wire tied into knots at regular intervals. Then one removes two of the interconnecting strands between each knot and pulls up the remaining 'barbs'. Most ingenious.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, a useful set and along with the other sets of figures and accessories will add to any diorama that you may wish to build for these neat 1/48 kits.

February 2006

Thanks to me for buying this one.

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