A 'Mud Wagon'

Hi,
 
I have started a model of a ‘Mud Wagon’ which I class as a small stagecoach, that was used on the somewhat poor Colorado roads, they were and are much more lightly built than the heavier Stagecoaches, and especially in winter; with either muddy or snowbound roads could travel the (bad) roads,  hence the name ‘Mud wagon’ as these vehicles could deal with the conditions.
 
I started the body first – there is a side view available on the web of a ‘San Diego to Yuma’ Mud wagon and I used that making it wide enough for a couple of passengers; it is possible that they were 3 passengers wide but looking at my other horse drawn vehicles and finding that the track of them was said to be 5 foot 2 inches: using that I ended up  with a 2 seat side by side version.
 
The body is all plasticard except the roof, and seat cushions etc., which are PVC solid foam board. The styrene is mainly 1mm with lots of strips to replicate the framework; the luggage rack frame is 1mm brass wire glued together with the center horizontal rods being 1mm diameter plastic rod, that is easier to cut exactly to length.
 
The curved front boards are a 4 layer concoction, the intention being that the two center layers of aluminum will ‘hold’ the shape; of two layers of .004 aluminum can material and then two layers of 1/2mm planked plasticard; the strapping is 1/mm thick black plasticard  top & bottom: completing it are  the  two pieces at the bottom of the sides which also assist in holding of the shape when it has been glued in position.
 
The rear (luggage) deck is plain 1mm thick plasticard, hand scribed and the strapping added as the front. The ‘chains to hold the deck up are pieces of wire with some lead foil wrapped round them to replicate the protective tube; this is from my dentist you if asked will give you plenty – they are the small pieces of very thin lead  that are used as backing pieces for dental X rays; they have also been used for making the three pieces of ‘leather’ for the front of the open area below the drivers seat and the sides of the curved footrest as well.
 
The chassis has been started – the wheels a are a combination of the front wheels are from Northeast Narrow Gauge, using the rear ones from their ‘commercial’ set, and the rear wheels are from  Hobby's, who make plastic wheels for their small range of Horse Drawn vehicles. I have added some hubs from bits of plastic tube so they have a common design.
 
The rest of the chassis is mainly PVC solid foam board – from scrap, with some Plastruct ABS square tube for the axles. Again from the ‘web I found some information and isometric plans for a Mud Wagon (1932) and a Stagecoach as well (1946 this time) . From these I worked out a chassis (my version is much smaller) and it is going well.
 
 
Here are some photos with a final one of the chassis
 

 

 

 

 
 
The body is quite small being 7.5 x 2.375 inches. I think it will havea 4 mule team (they have bettr stamina (& sense) than horses!
 
Enjoy 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Attached Image(s)

That's a brilliant project even if you haven't got a G scale railway!  I love it.
I've built several of 'Hobbies' horse drawn carriages but never thought to go freelance.    Excellent stuff. 

Hi,
 
My ‘Mud Wagon’ is now almost complete, lacking the 4 mules for it, which have been  bought, and in the ‘paint shop’ before having their harness fitted – quite a job in itself as all the straps will be times four. They have had some surgery – nothing too complicated – the ears have been repositioned, and a couple of tails have had the same done to them. They are to be painted either ‘Belgian Draft’ or blonde sorrel color – they look to be both the same!  That color is a red or yellow brown color very like a deeper version of Palomino horses.
 
Our snow has gone, as we now have milder air off the Atlantic, and so it was time to go outside with the newly completed model for more photos, some of the results are below.
 
The vehicle has the center pole (to allow for a 4 mule team) made and also the ‘swingle trees’ for them as well – these are the pieces that go behind the horse (or mule), to keep the traces apart and getting in the way of the rear legs of the animal.
 
I decided that there ought to be some luggage for the rack on the roof – so some was made from scraps of PVC solid foam board and plasticard and painted up. The rear boot also has a cover made for it that is removable, at the same time a couple of rolled tarpaulins were also made; all are from a heavyweight aluminum foil. As a result the rear boot tarpaulin holds its shape.
 
That is the writing over for a bit - here is the important stuff the photos!
 

 
1 mule almost complete, one started and two to go, then the harness - from aluminum foil is to be made. The Mules (which are from the Safari model horse range - same size as Schliech) are placed in position, and in front are some of the smaller pieces of luggage. Missing are a side step for the driver (& guard( to clamber up) they have now been made and fitted - scale 6" square (pop can) foil with a glue bit at right angles two panels down from the top of the sides of the front seat.
 

 
A slightly higher viewpoint - you can now see the 'luggage'
 

 

Higher still and moving round to the back -note the (removable) tarpaulin on the rear boot.  The first step for the driver can also be seen.
 

A better view of the luggage - note the handbrake - the step is made from a small staple and a bit of styrene., and it is glued to a wire crossbar The yellow tapered bit is where the whipple tree, that holds the swingle trees fits. The 'canvas curtains are demists X Ray lead foil, as are the differently colored straps.



Back down to 'ground level'; the 2 mules are in the 'as bought' color.



Here is the luggage and the rear boot tarpaulin off its location.







Finally 3 photos of the Mud Wagon and its larger cousin the Stagecoach - this is the Papo one that I had bought earlier, and is a bit larger as I think they were in their respective full size versions. Posed in front of the my  blacksmith building.
 
Both vehicles will accept the Prieser size figures though you need a pair of tweezers to get them in!
 
Enjoy!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Attached Image(s)

very cool mr bunce
i did not know about mud wagons, but i recognize the type
very inspiring-you make everything look so delicate and spindly-nicely scaled indeed

Very nice work Peter

Hi,
 
The 4 mules that I had re-painted for my ‘Mud Wagon’ have all received their harness and a base had been made for the entire ensemble to be glued to – that makes it much easier to move around – 4 animals + the mud wagon are a bit of a handful with all the harness as well.
 
The strapping has been made from strips of aluminum food trays – marked out in two widths (2mm and 3.75mm)  with a pair of spring dividers,  and cut with a Stanley knife: that leaves a sharp edge, flatten it with the edge of the handle of a modeling knife , (I use a scalpel so the handle is a nice width to do it), keeping the sharp edge to the handle  a couple of ‘pull throughs’ will suffice to smooth the sharp edge down. Then gently straighten out the now curved strips, using some gentle drawing through your fingers.
 
The strips are roughened up and painted, whilst they are drying I made a couple of sizes of rings that are used with the two widths to fit them: these are made from fuse wire being .020 and .030 thick; wrap the wire round some tube with the end trapped inside the tube and then cut them off and true them up – they may need some careful reductions in size for the larger ones.
 
All mules have as horse/mule collars that, with the traces are the method of transferring their pull to the wagon they are being used with. The traces are fixed to the collars and they also keep the reins in position en route to the driver. There is another style as well that uses breast straps, instead of collars but that seems to be for lighter use, my lighter vehicles use that style.
 
 The web provided the diagrams of what was needed (look under ‘US Army horse drawn equipment – here is the link  http://www.lovettartillery.com/US_ARMY_Horse_Drawn_Equipment_.htm  
 
for some assistance – I find it to be a very good site, scroll down past the gun diagrams for the horse drawn diagrams.   The collar base was found there and cut from .020 plasticard in two parts and joined at the base before fitting to the mules; then the collar itself was made from PVC solid foam board strips bent to shape and glued down over the base – it is fitted towards the upper edge. Over those go the ‘hames’ which have all the rings fitted to them – the ‘hames’ themselves I have made from 1mm diameter wire; they ought to be tapered but I claim ‘modelers license’,  these are an early design for my purpose ! Making them was a useful exercise in 3D thinking! The rings are made with a pair of round nosed pliers from 1/2mm brass wire, and are glued into  pre-drilled holes , the upper ends can be left as trimmed up or fitted with small spheres  - to replicate them I used several layers of glue, building them up in stages.
 
The harness can now be fitted – four times! When complete the bits that allow the mules to pull (they have marvelous names for these pieces -   each mule has a swingletree, and those are fitted to a whiffletree, that is fixed to a cross bar on the vehicle and for the front mules that set is fitted to a long projecting shaft (called a tongue). All have three rings loops fitted to each – more rings and wire bits! The American names may be slightly different, but are quite close.
 
Here are four photos taken with a bit too much sun but they give a good impression of the work involved. When all have their main harness fitted they were fixed, with the wagon to the base, (colored to roughly match my ‘road’, and the final parts which were the long reins. Those are joined together above the rumps of each animal so the driver has only 4 reins to holds for control – two in each hand.
 

 

 

 

 
Enjoy.
 
 
 
 

Attached Image(s)

Superb work Peter! Really nice indeed.

Most excellent, Peter. A superb bit of modelling.
That 'mud wagon' will certainly grace any 'old time' western layout. Just need a figure of John Wayne or Randolf Scott up with the reins, inside a fancy lady, a gun slinger with a card sharp sat beside and a filmed western could easily be imagined!  Yeehaww!